Read on to discover the best bluetooth travel speakers…
Bluetooth travel speakers… Need to know
How long should the battery last?
With travel speakers, battery life is crucial, as is recharge time, and ideally you’ll want more than 10 hours of playback. The smaller and lighter the speaker, the lower the battery rating, so decide which is more important.
What connectivity do I need?
With the exception of Sonos’s portable speakers, which use both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, most designs focus on Bluetooth streaming from your favourite music apps. The latest version, Bluetooth 5.3, uses less power and has an extended range of up to 240 metres.
What do the IP waterproof ratings mean?
Usually displayed as two digits, the first number refers to how good something is at resisting dust, while the second relates to water. IPX5 is considered splashproof; IPX7 speakers could be dropped in a paddling pool for up to 30 minutes; and IP67 offers both dust and waterproofing.
Bluetooth travel speakers… Best in test
Soundcore Motion 300
When Chinese online mega brand Anker started to make audio products, I predicted they’d be cheap and easily ignorable. I was correct on one front, but after testing many Soundcore products, I am now happy to recommend them. And the Motion 300 Bluetooth speaker is a great example of what they’re capable of.
This stylish, superbly built speaker is compatible with wireless hi-res audio, is fully waterproof (IPX7), and features two 15W full-range speakers, automatic EQ settings, smartphone app, long Bluetooth range (I managed 50 metres) and 13hr battery life, all for £80.
It can be played either standing up, hanging via the cloth carry strap or lying flat and, cleverly, a tiny gyroscope inside senses the speaker’s orientation and changes the sound accordingly. It’s a neat trick, but it sounded best with the speakers firing towards me – that said, lying flat on a solid surface can amplify the bass frequencies.
At 800g, it is relatively heavy, but the large battery means you’ll rarely need to charge up for a weekend away. The IPX7 rating means it can survive a brief dunking, but be warned: it doesn’t float.
The Motion 300 is also loud, and while audio quality does, understandably, fall away at extreme volumes, I’ve been more than impressed by it overall – piano pieces manage a degree of poise I simply didn’t expect, while full orchestral performances remain cohesive and entertaining. A genuine surprise and highly recommended, especially considering the price.
Grown-up design
Harman Kardon Luna
With the premium market in mind, Harman Kardon‘s Luna Bluetooth speaker has a neat, executive look to it, with a choice of black or off-white. It’s not the smallest travel speaker, measuring 210x78x80mm and weighing 0.71kg, but achieves a solid hotel room-filling performance from the 48x90mm woofer driver and a 20mm diameter tweeter.
There’s 40W of combined power here and, despite being a mono speaker, it sounds impressive. Connectivity is almost instantaneous, while the 12hr battery life is great. It’s IP67 dust- and waterproof, and you can pair two for stereo sound.
Bluetooth travel speakers… Cheap and very cheerful
JBL Go 4
Virtually every Bluetooth speaker will improve the sound of the music from your smartphone, but most budget options still sound weedy. Thankfully, JBL ensures you can now spend very little – in Hi-Fi tech terms – and get good sound.
The JBL Go 4 is tiny – 190g and only 9.4cm long – yet still impresses with presence and detail. Obviously, a tiny speaker won’t have much bass, but as a travel solution it’s still enjoyable. It’s easy to connect to your phone, the buttons and build are solid, and it’s IP67 dust- and waterproof. It won’t sound great at full volume, but temper expectations and you won’t be disappointed.