The Best Portable Speakers for At-Home and Garden Listening

Let’s get right to it – if we had to pick one speaker to buy in 2023, it’s got to be the petite Toblerone-shaped Sonos Roam.

It’s the best option for connectivity (with Alexa, Google and Sonos voice control), and its mini form factor and outrageously good audio quality and app control (you can hook up Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more directly in the Sonos app) make it a no-brainer.

Waterproof and drop-resistant, this speaker connects via both Bluetooth and wifi, and has AirPlay 2 to send sound directly from Apple devices. It can even refuel on a wireless charger.

The only real downside to the Sonos Roam is its slightly low playtime battery life of 10 hours – by no means small, but bring along a power bank if you’re really worried.

Not fussed about the microphone and voice control? The great thing is that you can get everything that’s so good about the Roam in a more affordable package with the SL version. In fact, that deserves its own spot on our list…

See above. This is the most affordable Sonos model – a microphone-free variant of the Roam only offered in basic colours. Otherwise, it’s almost identical. We’d recommend it just as highly.

In the clash of the waterproof speakers, this is a clear winner for battery life, offering nearly three times the playtime when compared to the Sonos Roam.

It’s not just that it can last through a trek, though, because the Explore is made for the outdoors. It has a rugged aluminium design that, while rated to match the Sonos with IP67 for dust and water resistance, feels more beautiful and both heavier and sturdier for all weather conditions.

It doesn’t feel like a speaker that would slip over if placed on a rock at a campsite. It delivers a dynamic 360-degree sound that we enjoyed, and it gets plenty loud enough too.

Overall, we love the audio from this model, along with the sleek cylindrical can-shaped look. We also like how this one is equipped with a carabiner, ready to be clipped to a backpack – you can tell it’s ready for adventure.

On the one hand, the Soundcore 3 may be the most boring-looking speaker on this list. It’s a solid brick-shaped slab that comes in four different basic colours. On the other hand, this is an excellent pick if you weren’t planning on spending more than £60 on a speaker.

It’s not going to turn heads, but what it will do is deliver a far better sound than you’d expect for the low price. With a reliable form factor that’s similar to the Sonos Roam, it’s a proper portable speaker that doesn’t weigh too much and is rated to survive the harshness of the outdoors.

We found it ideal for our background music while hosting friends on the balcony over the summer, and it’s got a powerful punch without sacrificing detail. Overall, it’s a strong all-rounder at a tempting price.

When it comes to Bluetooth speakers that look gorgeous and refined, you can’t go wrong with the Beosound A1 from the Danish audio geniuses over at Bang & Olufsen. This is a stunning little portable powerhouse, delivering a rich and dynamic room-filling sound from its compact round body.

This 2nd generation model is an update to the original 2016 look from industrial designer Cecilie Manz, with brushed aluminium, polymer and natural leather as its main materials.

It’s a simple and delightful device that packs in long battery life, three microphones for advanced call quality, dust resistance and waterproofing, along with Amazon Alexa built-in.

It has a big bass woofer and a tweeter, so delivers an amazing sound for a compact speaker, and you’ll find it reaches high volumes too. While it’s equipped to handle harsh conditions, we think this stylish speaker deserves a place in your home. For an outdoor option, go with the Bang& Olufsen Explore.

This is a chunky boy compared to the other outdoor portable speakers on our list. It weighs in at just over 2kg, but unlike other large rivals like the Bose Home Portable and Sonos Move models it comes with a proper IPX7 waterproofing rating. That means we’d be much happier leaving this exposed outdoors in questionable weather. That useful handle means you could bring it a little further than your back garden, although we do think it’s a bit heavier than a model you’d want to bring to the park.

Where this will excel is for garden parties and barbecues, generating a far bigger sound than you’d expect and blasting it both outwards and upwards. Yes, that’s right, upwards. In a novel move, Soundcore has added an upfiring speaker on this model, and we can confirm that spatial effect makes a noticeable difference. Through its five drivers, it packs in loads of audio prowess, delivering a fun sound with tons of detail. The battery life is a bit behind the competition, but that’s only going to be an issue if your party goes on longer than 12 hours.

We’re looking at the expensive end of the market now with both this and its Bose rival below. This is a proper smart speaker that, as the name suggests, can move with you anywhere.

It’s a bigger version of the Sonos Roam that shares some of its features, including Bluetooth and wifi connectivity, Alexa and Google Assistant voice control and compatibility with the Sonos multi-room system.

Where they differ is with sound quality, though, as the bulkier Move delivers sound to match the power of the richness, detail and tonality you get from the plugged-in Sonos One. We think the Move is more of a speaker for your back garden or if you’d just prefer a smart speaker that can follow you around the home.

With a 3kg weight, it’s a bit of a different proposition than most of the other speakers on this list. However, if only the best sound quality will do, you should really consider this model.

After a speaker for travel? We’d probably still pick the brilliant all-rounder that is the Sonos Roam at the top of our list, but we think this simple option may be a better fit for some people, especially if you’re not fussed about the wifi and voice control capabilities of the Sonos.

This affordable Bose is a reliable Bluetooth speaker that delivers all the expected IP67 dust and water protection and floats in water, just like the UE Wonderboom.

This gives you two more hours of battery when compared to the Sonos, and slightly more power and detail from its sound quality, it also works as a speakerphone for calls and offers access to Siri or Google Assistant on your phone (so it’s not devoid of smart features).

Overall, though, the Soundlink Flex is an ideal pick if you’d prefer a no-frills travel speaker that doesn’t complicate things with extra quirks and just excels at belting out your tunes.

If you’re a little clumsy or just want a near-indestructible speaker, it’s worth looking at the compact options from Ultimate Ears (UE). We think the newest Wonderboom 3 is a great little speaker.

It’s a shame that UE hasn’t upgraded the charging port (yes, you have to slum it with old-school Micro USB) or added any quick charge capabilities to the 3, but you probably won’t mind if you’re buying it for its stocky build.

It's not just waterproof, either – it'll float on water while playing its 360-degree sound, handy for beach excursions or relaxing at the pool.

We like the thumping bass that sounds impressive without drowning out detail and, despite being the height of a can of Coke, it's super loud.

With a retro design that wouldn’t look out of place on the set of Mad Men, Edifier’s MP230 is a vintage lover’s dream speaker. We love the brown and copper aesthetic that’s been inspired by radios of the Fifties, and the wooden enclosure is one that you’ll want to show off.

On test, we found the audio quality to be great at a range of volumes and music genres, with a nice balance between bass and treble. It connects quickly to a laptop and smartphone and we like that you also have the option of popping in an auxiliary cable or a microSD card.

The prominent replica piano key buttons on the front of the device are used to skip tracks or launch Bluetooth pairing and they have a pleasing little click when pressed. Like our top pick Sonos Roam, the MP230 has up to 10 hours of power. We found that with moderate use, it got us through a few hours a day while working from home, so it can last for more than a week between charges.

At 850g, you can easily take this from room to room, but there’s no water resistance so we don’t recommend taking it outdoors in bad weather.

We reckon this one’s more of a portable speaker to use at home because it’s rather large and heavy, but that shouldn’t put you off if you’re looking to get a lot for around £100. This chunky mini soundbar is capable of some serious hi-res audio output.

It gets loud, and we were really impressed by just how much volume and detail we got out of this package. We found it excellent for use as the speaker connected to our projector for movie nights, and we like how it’s angled to direct sound upwards and outwards.

If you’re after a portly little powerhouse that could just about fit in a backpack and come with you on a trip (if you’re fine with the weight), this is a solid option.

This is a lighter and slightly more portable smart speaker with a top handle that makes it a bit more versatile than the Sonos above. It weighs only a third of what the Sonos does, so it won’t be a strain to move it from room to room or out into the garden for a party.

It also lasts a little longer with its 12-hour battery, and the 360-degree design means this delivers an excellent experience that’ll sound the same no matter where your guests are in the room too. We love its minimal look, and reckon the bucket-like handle means it has a more thoughtful design when it comes to actual movability.

Overall, you’re going to get a better sound quality with more bass from the heftier Sonos Move, but these are close competitors. We think this is perfect if you want a wide soundstage and the convenience of Google Assistant and Alexa alongside Bluetooth within a compact and portable package.