Best Portable Speakers for Battery Life (2024)

Inside, the speaker utilizes a single high-quality 20-millimeter, 10-watt tweeter and a 90-millimeter, 30-watt woofer to deliver surprisingly powerful audio, considering its compact size.

It produces a clear and reasonably balanced sound, with plenty of low end for bass-heavy genres, bright and punchy treble for vocals and lead instruments, and a solid mid-range response to round out your audio and add some texture.

While it does occasionally produce compression artifacts at higher volumes, the overall sound remains controlled, and the digital signal processing doesn't thin out the bass too much.

The speakers support Bluetooth 5.1 protocols, which is impressive considering the sub-$200 price, and they provide a more stable and efficient wireless connection than previous models.

It also offers Bluetooth multi-point pairing functionality, allowing you to connect with multiple audio sources simultaneously and seamlessly switch between them.

The speaker is wrapped in a durable mesh fabric, providing an impressive IP67 water resistance rating, so you can safely use it poolside or at the beach.

It also has rubberized feet on each end for added stability and impact resistance. However, the ends are somewhat angled, causing it to lean when placed upright.

It features a compact cylindrical design, weighing only around two pounds, and can easily fit into a bag or backpack for enhanced portability.

The JBL Charge 5 is easy to use and offers an intuitive setup process.

The Tribit StormBox Flow has 25 watts of power, making it impressively loud for its size.

The StormBox Flow also has an X Bass feature, which increases the bass on the speaker and makes it more thunderous.

The sound is slightly grainy if you listen in the background; you can hear a bit of underlying static. When you increase the volume to 100%, you may experience a little distortion.

In terms of connection, it runs Bluetooth 5.3, and you'll get a stable connection whether you're using Android or iOS.

The StormBox Flow supports multi-point connection, allowing you to connect to two devices at the same time.

The StormBox Flow does not have an audio jack, so you can only use this speaker wirelessly.

Thanks to its IP67 rating, the StormBox Flow is waterproof, so if you drop it in a pool or lake, it will be perfectly fine.

The front features a highly scratch-resistant faceplate, and the rest of the body is covered in a very stiff rubber.

It only comes in one color, which is this darker gray.

It's a super compact and durable Bluetooth speaker that's great for home use, and you can also easily take it with you on the go.

It also has a built-in loop, allowing you to attach it to something like your backpack if you want.

As you can see, it has a nice handheld portable size.

The quality held. Did you feel a bass drop? I did. Did you? Yeah, I don't know. Let me see. Just a little, a little, a little bit. It's like not even enough to be worried about.

In its normal mode, the bass is impressively strong for something of its size.

The smaller Wonderbon 4, unfortunately, doesn't boast the same acoustic upgrades, but we do get some unique new functionality with a new podcast mode.

This speaker is definitely an improvement compared to its predecessors.

The highs and the mids on the speaker are fantastic, and the vocal clarity really took me by surprise.

Unfortunately, the lows are definitely on the weaker side, so the bass won't be as impressive as the highs and mids are.

You have a USB-C charging port, but I don't see any sort of headphone jack.

Bluetooth 5 definitely provides it with the most modern-day standards in terms of general communication.

This device has an IPX7 rating, meaning it can easily withstand a splash in the shower.

Its design is rugged, and it can definitely survive falls from arm's length.

With that said, it weighs less than one pound despite the choice of materials.

It is very light to carry around.

This compact yet powerful speaker delivers rich, clear, and room-filling sound at an affordable price.

The highs are crystal clear, and the mids are very crisp, unlike most speakers.

Even at maximum volume, there is no distortion whatsoever, and the bass, specifically, is super rich and heavy.

Bluetooth connectivity provides a stable wireless connection and works well, even if you have the speaker placed in another room in the house.

The Bluetooth version 4.2 compared to version 5.0 and the newer version.

This is actually Bluetooth 4.2, so for compatible devices, this should have a range of over 50 feet.

This speaker has an IPX7-rated waterproof design.

The entire build of the speaker consists of a very tough black rubberized material on the outside, with a metallic grille at the front.

The micro USB port stopped working on two separate occasions and had to be replaced.

Because of its sleek and ultra-compact design, it is absolutely perfect to just toss in the bag and carry along anywhere you go.

I received this speaker, a black lanyard, a user manual, and a micro USB cable.

The updated version includes a Type-C cable instead, since the new X Sound Go now comes with a Type-C port.

This is one of those speakers that will sound better when plugged in because, on battery, the woofers are 20 watts and the tweeter is 15 watts. However, on AC power, the woofers are 30 watts and the tweeters are 20 watts.

The JBL Extreme 4 is slightly louder and cleaner, offering a similar overall sound. However, it definitely sounds a little bit better.

The Extreme 4, on the other hand, is more balanced. It's definitely cleaner, with more presence in the treble. While it does have some punchy bass, it's not nearly as boomy as the Boom 2.

Features multi-point connection, Bluetooth overcast, and party boost.

JBL has replaced the usual PartyBoost technology with the newer Auracast technology.

The Extreme 4 takes things a step further with Ora Cast, which is a newer Bluetooth technology.

The speaker is IP67 dust- and water-resistant.

The outer parts of the side bumpers are made of rugged rubber for better grip and additional protection from dust and water.

The Xtreme 4 is rated IP67, which protects this speaker from dust and water submersion at a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.

The speaker weighs approximately 4.1 lb and comes with a shoulder strap.

The weight of this speaker is 2.1 kg, which is heavier than the Xtreme 3.

The Extreme 4 is also very lightweight and has a built-in shoulder strap, which makes it great for camping trips.

It produces powerful and crystal-clear audio with a deep bass that resonates with every type of music.

The SRS xb100 boasts a sound diffusion processor, which expands into surround sound that fills the room.

You do not compromise at all on the details regarding the audio part.

It's straightforward, hassle-free, and best of all, the speaker remembers the device for future use, making reconnection even more effortless next time.

Maintaining a consistent and robust Bluetooth link to connected devices ensures an uninterrupted music stream.

It has an IP67 rating, meaning it's waterproof and dustproof.

The rugged design means it can accompany all kinds of adventures, whether hanging out at the beach, hiking through dusty trails, or just lounging by the pool.

The SRS xb100 is compact and very portable. It is just over 5 inches tall, about 4 inches in diameter, and weighs just over half a pound.

It comes with a specially engineered strap, which further increases the convenience factor.

The Boom 2 now has 2.1 channel speakers, which deliver powerful sound with crystal clear audio.

The bass reproduction is quite impressive, with a low of 45 Hertz for true deep bass.

With the Boom 2, you're getting a lot more detail. Things like vocals come across as much more pronounced.

You have multipoint, so you're able to connect it to two devices at once.

PartyCast 2.0 allows you to pair the Boom 2 with other Soundcore PartyCast speakers.

There's also a built-in speakerphone, so if you're connected to the speaker and happen to receive a phone call, you can answer it directly through the speaker.

It's also IPX7 waterproof and floatable, so the music keeps playing when it's in the water.

It's made of plastic polycarbonate, and the grill is also made of plastic.

I've dropped this a few times, and it's still like new.

It weighs just under 4 lbs, so it's very lightweight.

You have a built-in handle for easy portability.

It's super small, so it's pretty easy to take around when traveling to the beach, the pool, or anywhere.

The sound that comes out of the Go4 is absolutely phenomenal, considering it only has a 1.75-inch driver.

The go4 sounds very impressive for its size, and at maximum volume, it's usable in the shower. You'll be able to easily hear your music if you're on a bike ride or a hike.

The go4 has a 40 mm transducer paired with a passive radiator for the bass, and it puts out 4.2 watts.

The Sonos Move 2 still very much delivers a signature Sonos sound; it's nicely balanced and definitely powerful enough to fill a decent-sized space.

The dual tweeter configuration provides a wider and bigger sound, and I think the vocals are also more open and projected.

One thing I noticed with the Move 1, which is sadly still present in the Move 2, is that the bass seems to be clipped at higher volumes.

The original Move already ticked a lot of boxes, but we have upgraded to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 in this new generation.

You can't use this as a Bluetooth speakerphone, but I think that's actually a good thing.

One thing you don't get is Google Assistant, which is not available on the Move 2 for whatever reason.

The Move 2 has definitely passed our drop test.

This speaker also has an IP56 rating, which means it is not fully waterproof.

The built-in handle on the back is quite good, and I haven't dropped it yet.

The built-in handle on the back is quite good, and I haven't dropped it yet.

If you really want something portable, go for the Sonos Roam. It weighs less than a pound.

The Move 2 is designed to be portable, featuring a built-in handle that makes it easy to transport.