Best Bluetooth speakers

Finding an audiophile who doesn’t like Bluetooth headphones is easy, just ask our own Chris Thomas, but Bluetooth speakers are awesome: they let you take the party anywhere and any of the best Bluetooth speakers can make your backyard barbecue an absolute hit. Whether you’re looking for something durable or something that will just sound great, you can’t go wrong with anything on this list.

Editor’s note: this list of the best Bluetooth speakers was updated on April 21, 2021, to include availability information about the JBL Charge 5 and include the Marshall Emberton to the Notable Mentions section. 

If you want the best, go with the JBL Charge 4

Whether you host a pool party or go camping, the best all-around Bluetooth speaker you want by your side is the JBL Charge 4. This is a bulky Bluetooth speaker but it’s still portable, so you can take it to a friend’s place or out on your next weekend trip.

Some of the best Charge 4 features can be found in other JBL products like the JBL Xtreme and JBL Flip 4, but the Charge 4 falls perfectly in between these two units. You get some of that loud sound that the Xtreme offers with comparable portability to the Flip 4. The Charge 4 makes all the right compromises, including battery life. You’ll get about 20 hours and you can even use it to charge some of your other devices, thanks to a USB-A output (hence the name). As far as sound quality goes, the only area that isn’t great is the mids, these tend to take a backseat to the bass in small to medium-sized rooms.

What about the JBL Charge 5?

The JBL Charge 5 retains the same IP67 dust and water-resistance rating as its predecessor with identical battery specs, too. It uses Bluetooth 5.1 firmware and can fully support PartyBoost mode, which means you can connect two compatible JBL speakers for stereo playback. You can pick one up today and have your pick of six colorways (black, blue, gray, red, teal, and camo).

What you should know

Pay attention to Bluetooth codecs

Finding an audiophile who doesn’t like Bluetooth headphones is easy, just ask our own Chris Thomas, but Bluetooth speakers are awesome: they let you take the party anywhere and any of the best Bluetooth speakers can make your backyard barbecue an absolute hit. Whether you’re looking for something durable or something that will just sound great, you can’t go wrong with anything on this list.

Editor’s note: this list of the best Bluetooth speakers was updated on April 21, 2021, to include availability information about the JBL Charge 5 and include the Marshall Emberton to the Notable Mentions section. 

If you want the best, go with the JBL Charge 4

Whether you host a pool party or go camping, the best all-around Bluetooth speaker you want by your side is the JBL Charge 4. This is a bulky Bluetooth speaker but it’s still portable, so you can take it to a friend’s place or out on your next weekend trip.

Some of the best Charge 4 features can be found in other JBL products like the JBL Xtreme and JBL Flip 4, but the Charge 4 falls perfectly in between these two units. You get some of that loud sound that the Xtreme offers with comparable portability to the Flip 4. The Charge 4 makes all the right compromises, including battery life. You’ll get about 20 hours and you can even use it to charge some of your other devices, thanks to a USB-A output (hence the name). As far as sound quality goes, the only area that isn’t great is the mids, these tend to take a backseat to the bass in small to medium-sized rooms.

What about the JBL Charge 5?

The JBL Charge 5 retains the same IP67 dust and water-resistance rating as its predecessor with identical battery specs, too. It uses Bluetooth 5.1 firmware and can fully support PartyBoost mode, which means you can connect two compatible JBL speakers for stereo playback. You can pick one up today and have your pick of six colorways (black, blue, gray, red, teal, and camo).

What you should know

Pay attention to Bluetooth codecs

Some of the best Charge 4 features can be found in other JBL products like the JBL Xtreme and JBL Flip 4, but the Charge 4 falls perfectly in between these two units. You get some of that loud sound that the Xtreme offers with comparable portability to the Flip 4. The Charge 4 makes all the right compromises, including battery life. You’ll get about 20 hours and you can even use it to charge some of your other devices, thanks to a USB-A output (hence the name). As far as sound quality goes, the only area that isn’t great is the mids, these tend to take a backseat to the bass in small to medium-sized rooms.

What about the JBL Charge 5?

The JBL Charge 5 retains the same IP67 dust and water-resistance rating as its predecessor with identical battery specs, too. It uses Bluetooth 5.1 firmware and can fully support PartyBoost mode, which means you can connect two compatible JBL speakers for stereo playback. You can pick one up today and have your pick of six colorways (black, blue, gray, red, teal, and camo).

What you should know

Pay attention to Bluetooth codecs

Some of the best Charge 4 features can be found in other JBL products like the JBL Xtreme and JBL Flip 4, but the Charge 4 falls perfectly in between these two units. You get some of that loud sound that the Xtreme offers with comparable portability to the Flip 4. The Charge 4 makes all the right compromises, including battery life. You’ll get about 20 hours and you can even use it to charge some of your other devices, thanks to a USB-A output (hence the name). As far as sound quality goes, the only area that isn’t great is the mids, these tend to take a backseat to the bass in small to medium-sized rooms.

What about the JBL Charge 5?

The JBL Charge 5 retains the same IP67 dust and water-resistance rating as its predecessor with identical battery specs, too. It uses Bluetooth 5.1 firmware and can fully support PartyBoost mode, which means you can connect two compatible JBL speakers for stereo playback. You can pick one up today and have your pick of six colorways (black, blue, gray, red, teal, and camo).

What you should know

Pay attention to Bluetooth codecs