Best portable speakers

Whether you plan on using it on the beach, at a party, in the car or at home, a portable speaker could change the sound of your life for the better. These clever contraptions make it possible to listen more flexibly, with access to good sound quality wherever you are, via Bluetooth, NFC or an auxiliary cable input.

We found all the speakers included in this article to be perfectly functional and easy-to-use – a quick read of the instructions should suffice to teach you the basics. The key differences are in tone, style, toughness and waterproofness, all of which we’ll go into in our reviews. If you plan to use the speaker outdoors, waterproofness should be a key factor in your decision.

That certainly isn’t to say you should rule out an indoor-only speaker, which could prove to be the ideal solution for listening at home or in the car. Carrying one from room to room as you go about your life provides a listening experience that’s comparable to a multi-room system – only far more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly.

Vifa – Helsinki

Best for: great sound in the car or at home

By the time we’d known the Helsinki for a few hours, we’d started covetously carrying it around the house, wherever we went, purely for the sake of staying close to its heavenly tone. With four angled speakers and two passive radiators, it creates a sound so enjoyable and distinctive as to be addictive.

Stylish, robust, and easy-to-carry with its leather strap, it’s the perfect portable speaker for at home or in the car. Connect via Bluetooth or NFC, then enjoy seamless playback, with just three buttons and a handful of controls to master. The only potential drawback: it isn’t waterproof.

£349 | Currys | Buy it now

Ultimate Ears – MEGABLAST

Best for: high performance wherever you go

The Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is the best outdoor-friendly speaker we’ve ever used, with a sound quality that comes close to our preferred indoor option, the Vifa Helsinki. You can even control it with Amazon Alexa.

Lightweight, great-sounding and nigh-on-indestructible, the MEGABLAST is perfectly suited to just about any context you could use it in. Wanna throw it in a lake? Go ahead – it’ll float and work just fine. Fancy dropping it out of the window? No problem.

More likely, you’ll want to use it at parties, on the move, at home and outdoors – and it’s perfectly built for those challenges too. If you want a quality speaker for all seasons, pick this one.

For the smoothest experience of the MEGABLAST, we’d recommend charging with an Ultimate Ears POWER UP charging dock (sold separately).

£249.99 | Currys | Buy it now

Bowers & Wilkins – T7 Wireless

Best for: beautiful sound

As we’ve come to expect of anything bearing the Bowers & Wilkins brand, the T7 sounds outstandingly good. Vocals and instruments stand clearly apart from each other in the mix, and yet the sound is cohesive. Though the T7 is not the most high-end speaker we’ve reviewed, we’d say it’s the best-sounding.

We also like the look of it. Thanks to its compact size and smart black-and-grey design, it’s a far less voluble visual presence than the competition.

The only drawback to the T7 is its limited portability. It isn’t waterproof, and unlike the Helsinki, there’s no handle and a hard finish, which makes it slightly less suitable for carrying around indoors. Otherwise, it’d be our pick of the bunch.

£299 | John Lewis | Buy it now

Ultimate Ears – WONDERBOOM

Best for: supreme portability

The WONDERBOOM could well be the most portable of portable speakers. It’s small but mighty, measuring 102 x 93.5 x 93.5mm, yet capable of resisting any form of abuse it might reasonably be expected to meet, from drops and bumps to half-hour-long submersions.

The latter feature could come in handy at pool parties. In lieu of fine weather and swimming pool ownership, we chucked it in the bath and noted no change in its performance. Just make sure its rubber charging port cover is in-place before testing this feature for yourself.

It also sounds great for its for its size – punchy, clear and surprisingly loud when you want it to be, albeit tinnier than the MEGABLAST or Helsinki. A great choice to take with you wherever you go, without breaking the bank.

£69.99 | Currys | Buy it now

Bayan – SoundScene 3

Best for: creating an army of portable speakers

Bayan’s SoundScene 3 is perhaps not the most cheerful of speakers to look at – but it reveals itself to be quite a joy when you turn it on and link it to another of its kind. Up to eight SoundScene 3s can be linked up to provide an immersive sound at high volume – a feature few other portable speakers can match.

An individual SoundScene 3 sounds clearer and less EQ’d than most other portable speakers. On the one hand, that makes for a less consistent experience than you’d get with a MEGABLAST; on the other, it lets the music you’re listening to speak for itself.

£93.99 (per unit) | Amazon | Buy it now

Studio19 London – E500X-EQ

Best for: audiophile quality

The E500X-EQ sounds significantly more powerful than the other speakers we reviewed – hands-down the best pick for an immersive experience at high volume. However you EQ it (using the sliders on the top of the speaker), the bass is vastly more pronounced than it is on any of our other featured speakers.

It’s important to note that this speaker is far more cumbersome than the others, and is not waterproof. You may move it around the room from time-to-time, but we doubt you’ll be taking it to the park, or even in the car.

We liked the light at the bottom of the E500X-EQ. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing; it could also help ward off discoing feet – if you’re brave enough to use this luxury speaker at a party.

£399 | Studio19 | Buy it now

Bang & Olufsen – B&O Play P6

Best for: Lighter outdoor use

Bang & Olufsen’s P6 could well be the ideal option for a mix of indoor and occasional outdoor use. It’s nowhere near as tough as an Ultimate Ears speaker, but with splash- and dirt- resistance, it’s far better suited to the great outdoors than the Vifa and Bowers & Wilkins speakers (though it doesn’t sound quite as good, to our ears).

With a power output of up to 20 watts, this speaker is perfectly suited to smaller garden parties and gatherings – and thanks to its robust design, it hopefully won’t matter if it gets the odd knock, scrape or splash.

£349.99 | Very | Buy it now

Goal Zero – Rock Out 2 Solar Speaker

Best for: the planet

Now here’s a speaker we can get behind. The Goal Zero Rock Out 2 is one of the first solar-powered speakers on the market. Once fully charged it can provide 20 hours playback, and if it needs a top-up after dark, you can charge it via USB too.

And the novel features don’t stop after you power it up. Like the Bayan SoundScene 3, the Rock Out 2 can be linked up with other speakers of the same model, in order to create a bigger sound over a wider area. Plus, an in-built mic lets you make and receive calls via the speaker – a feature sorely lacking in most other portable speakers.

£50 | Cotswold Outdoor | Buy it now

Verdict:

The Vifa Helsinki has stolen our hearts, with a beautiful combination of style, portability and uniquely brilliant sound. If you’re heading outdoors, you might want to choose the MEGABLAST instead – but otherwise, head for Helsinki.