RS Recommends: The Best-Sounding Mini Wireless Speakers
From the road to the shower, every music fan needs one of the best mini speakers on hand for on-the-go jamming. Hauling heavy wired speakers everywhere you want to go just isn’t realistic, and even trying to travel with some of today’s best Bluetooth speakers won’t always cut it. But fortunately a few well-known brands from Sony to JBL have found a way to fit in a mix of serious tech and quality sound into these compact pieces of gear — all at a budget-friendly price.
Today’s best mini speakers offer louder sound than ever before, with high-tech features like microphones for wireless calls and the ability to pair them with others for a mini stereo setup on your next trip. Sure, you won’t need to go out and replace your high-end stereo system, but these portable powerhouse devices are a worthwhile buy for taking your music on any commute.
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Below, we picked the best mini Bluetooth speakers for any situation that won’t disappoint.
Mini Bluetooth Speaker Buying Guide
When researching this guide, we only picked brands with speakers that produce great-sounding models. When you’re streaming music, each of the speakers in this guide guarantee a high-quality sound for their small size. Here are a few other features to keep in mind when you’re choosing your next mini speaker.
Size: When we talk about mini Bluetooth speakers, we mean gear that’s extremely easy to stash in a pocket, a backpack, and that’s easy to travel with. Everyone’s version of “mini” might vary, but it’s now much easier to find better-designed speakers with a smaller overall footprint. After all, the point of a mini speaker is to make sure you always have music when you’re on the go, so you want something that’s nearly handheld, or can clip to, say, a bag. We picked the best mini speakers that are lightweight and smaller in size than your typical wireless units.
Portability: Along with their smaller size, a handful of mini speakers come with smart design features that make them even more portable, from built-in handles and clips that you can attach to luggage or a bike.
Battery Life: A common misconception about the best mini speakers is that they have a battery life to match their size, but that’s not the case anymore. New mini Bluetooth speakers come with a surprisingly amount of runtime that make them contenders for your all-day music source. In this guide, we picked speakers with about 10 hours or more of battery life.
What Are the Best Mini Speakers?
Go ahead and plan the rest of your trip — these are the best mini Bluetooth speakers you can trust to get the job done on the road, from brands like JBL, Sony, Bose, and other well-trusted brands.
1. JBL Clip 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
BEST OVERALL
Amazon
Our pick for the best mini Bluetooth speaker comes from JBL, the latest, greatest entry in its Clip speaker line. The JBL Clip 4 uses, of course, a clip-on handle that you can attach to nearly anything, whether you’re at home or on the road. Though it’s one of the best-designed and durable portable models out there, its sound might surprise you even more with 5 watts of output power and what the brand sums up as “rich audio and punchy bass.” The bottom line: Consider JBL the new frontrunner for the best ultra-portable speakers in the audio game.
Buy: JBL Clip 4 Speaker $69.95
2. Sony Extra Bass Wireless Portable Travel Speaker
EDITOR’S PICK
Amazon
We’re fans of Sony’s Extra Bass headphones because of their stellar audio. But for days when you just want to listen to a playlist out loud, go for the brand’s Extra Bass portable speaker — a must-have mini speaker for any music fan. Its mini size delivers plenty of power for booming bass and clear-and-crisp audio. It’s both waterproof and dustproof for days at the beach or camping, and it can play music for up to 16 hours on a full charge — among the longest-lasting mini speakers we’ve seen. You can even use it for calls thanks to its built-in microphone. Pro tip: Get a second so you can pair them for stereo sound.
Buy: Sony Extra Bass Speaker $48.00
3. Bose SoundLink Portable Speaker
BEST BATTERY LIFE
Amazon
Despite its smaller size, this excellent-sounding Bose portable speaker can blast tunes for a whopping 12 hours on a charge. That’s among the longest-lasting runtimes we’ve seen in a speaker of its size. As far as the sound goes, expect the same kind of solid audio quality that music lovers have come to trust with Bose’s line of speakers, headphones, and earbuds. The SoundLink is among the largest of the speakers in this guide, but it’s still small enough to stash in a pack or a cup holder.
Buy: Bose SoundLink Speaker $129.00
4. JBL Go 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
BEST TRAVEL SPEAKER
Amazon
Another entry from JBL, the Go 3 comes with a truly mini frame that, like its name will tell you, was made to get out on the road and go. With a built-in hanging loop, you can tie it to a belt, backpack, or loop it around a latch on a cooler so you’re never without nearby tunes. We love its rugged and durable construction, so you also don’t have to worry about it getting damaged out in the wild.
5. Pitras Portable Mini Outdoor Speaker
BEST VALUE
Amazon
Whether you hang it up in your shower or you tie it to your hiking pack, this Bluetooth mini outdoor speaker can run for about 10 hours when charged. Bass-heavy tracks come through loud and clear, while the built-in mics make it easy to hop on a call without taking your phone out of your pocket. It features an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning it’s tough enough to withstand getting wet outdoors. Best of all, you can get it for under $17 on Amazon at the time of this writing.
Buy: Pitras Mini Speaker $16.99
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