The 5 best portable Bluetooth speakers for 2024

In the year 2024, you can’t rely on your device’s built-in speakers for much. Even if you’re on a tight budget, a Bluetooth speaker will significantly up the quality of your listening experience, whether you’re hosting a party or listening to a podcast while cooking dinner. And because the best Bluetooth speakers are easy to lug around, they’re also great for outdoor hang sessions or listening to your tunes on the go while traveling.

You might be wondering if it’s worth splurging on an expensive speaker, buying a durable outdoor speaker, or if there’s a smart speaker that works well within the existing sound system in your home. Whatever your needs may be, we’ve researched and tested the most popular Bluetooth speakers to come up with our recommendations.

Which brand makes the best Bluetooth speakers?

Bose, JBL, Ultimate Ears, Sony, and Sonos tend to be the most popular Bluetooth speaker brands. It’s hard to say one brand’s speakers are definitively the best, especially because there can be a variety in performance within a brand’s lineup. Obviously, you shouldn’t expect a $40 speaker to sound the same as the $180 JBL Charge 5, but that doesn’t mean you have to blow out your budget to get high-quality sound. What we can say is that these brands tend to be popular for a reason.

For our guide, we put together the standouts from each brand. All of the speakers we chose offer good value, portability, smart home compatibility, and durability. Most importantly, they sound fantastic, with deep bass and high fidelity.

Keep reading for our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers available in 2024.