When King Harald Bluetooth, son of Gorm The Old, died in the year 986 he almost certainly didn’t imagine that more than a thousand years later hundreds of millions of household devices would bear his name: Bluetooth is so called because it ‘unites’ gadgets in the same way Harald united Denmark. But Harald could hardly fail to be impressed by the variety and quality of the best Bluetooth speakers now on offer.
Just a decade ago, even the best portable speakers tended to sound fairly awful and had very limited range. Pairing and unpairing them with phones and MP3 players was a grim chore, only to be undertaken when absolutely unavoidable. Now they’re far better performers and Bluetooth is an essential feature of the best wireless speakers – particularly for outdoor settings. They’re also mind-bogglingly popular, with 374 million Bluetooth speakers believed to have been shipped in 2022, according to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. We’ve tested all this year’s best and you’ll find the full reviews further down, along with some advice on how to choose the best one for you. But if you’re in a rush, here’s a quick look at the key players:
Which are the best Bluetooth speakers in 2024? At a glance
So what makes the best Bluetooth speaker? We spoke to Simon Powell, operations director at hi-fi experts Henley Audio. He says, ‘The best Bluetooth speakers fit your needs, working around you, not the opposite. Compare it to buying a car: you wouldn’t expect an Alfa Romeo Spider (lovely though it is) to fit a family of five and the dog, so don’t expect a teeny Bluetooth speaker to fill a big space with sound. Work out your needs – think, indoor, outdoor, portability, durability and the like.’
How to choose the best Bluetooth speaker for you
Power
‘The sound can get lost in outdoor settings,’ Powell says, ‘so if it’s for garden use, consider a larger unit that can fill the space. But pay close attention to the manufacturer’s quoted battery life if you’re using it far from a power source.’
Pairing
One function worth your attention is the ability to create a stereo pair. ‘Here, you buy two speakers of the same model and wirelessly link them, creating a stereo effect,’ Powell says. ‘Not all Bluetooth speakers offer this feature, but it can be a great way of creating a more hi-fi-like’ sound.’
Specifications
Pay attention to which version of Bluetooth your speaker uses. ‘Bluetooth 5 improves sound and makes it easier to pair multiple gadgets to a single speaker. Regarding waterproofing, look out for an ingress protection (IP) code of six or above.’ IP codes always have two digits at the end – IP56, for example, or IP67 – the first digit is for dust. The second is for water.
‘However, if your Bluetooth speaker will never be near water, don’t pay the premium for a highly water-resistant model,’ Powell advises. ‘The same goes for features like voice control, rechargeable batteries, carry handles and visual effects like LED lights. This way, you maximise your budget and secure the best ‘sound-per-pound’ deal.’
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