Gift Ideas: The Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers
(Alyssa Bereznak/Yahoo Tech)
Music is better enjoyed with friends. You never know where a dance party could break out, which is why everyone should have a reliable speaker to tote around to picnics, parking lots, and the Olive Garden.
Picking the right speaker, however, is never a party. Like selecting an entree at the Olive Garden, choosing a Bluetooth speaker is a dark, confusing activity that no one should be forced to endure.
No one, that is, except me! For this guide, I played with 11 different speakers — testing their sound, Bluetooth connectivity, range, battery life, and portability — and I waded through the noise to pick the best of the bunch for everyone in your life. Introducing Yahoo Tech’s First Annual Portable Bluetooth Speaker Superlatives™. Let’s ride this beat to gift-town.
Most Likely to Fit on Your Keychain: $40 X-Mini WE Speaker
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Here’s a portable speaker you can truly carry with you all the time. The X-Mini WE obviously doesn’t provide the same oomph of its heftier peers, but the ultra-light thumb-sized speaker will be there for you in your darkest, tune-thirsty hours. The sound this small gadget can pump out is truly impressive. Seriously, this thing is like the Kristin Chenoweth of Bluetooth speakers.
It’ll play at high volume for six hours, can be charged via USB, and — most importantly — doubles as a Bluetooth dongle for speakers that aren’t equipped with the technology. Just connect it to your phone, play a song, and plug it into any other stereo system.
(If you’re looking for a mini speaker that’s even cheaper, my colleague David Pogue recommends the $14 Kinivo. That reduced price means, however, that it won’t have Bluetooth.)
Most Likely to Encourage Shower Singing: $60 Boom Swimmer
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Bluetooth speakers are very rarely water-resistant enough to survive a dip in your tub, but this is where the Boom Swimmer shines. The 2.5-inch-wide speaker will last through up to eight hours of cleansing and swiftly connects to whatever phone, tablet, or laptop is providing the tunes. Its rubber-covered cone doesn’t sound perfect, but it’s definitely loud and clear enough to drown out your singing along to Taylor Swift.
A little splash here and there is no biggie. In fact the Boom Swimmer can survive for up to 30 minutes in three feet of water. (Just expect it to sound muffled for a bit as it drys off.)
(Alyssa Bereznak/Yahoo Tech)
What really makes the Boom Swimmer worth buying, however, are its interchangeable attachments. The speaker comes with a flexible tail, which you can twist and hook onto rails, backpacks, or belt loops. Its alternate suction-cup top will let you stick it in hard-to-balance nooks and crannies.
Best for Rolling Stones: $129 Esquire Mini
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Perhaps you know someone who’s as obsessive about the efficiency of air travel as George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air. She’d likely appreciate the Harman Kardon Esquire Mini, a 1-inch wide Bluetooth speaker that’s just a little bigger than a smartphone. The design obviously isn’t as cool as, say, a Jawbone or a Pill, but the flatness of the speaker makes it much easier to store in a briefcase or a jacket.
The Esquire Mini has a built-in speakerphone for conference calls or quick spousal catch-ups, and it’ll last for eight hours without a charge on the road. If you want to prop it up somewhere in a hotel room or temporary desk surface, you can just pop out a little kickstand from its back.
(Alyssa Bereznak/Yahoo Tech)
When it comes to audio performance, the Esquire Mini lacks range. It’s better off used for phone calls, podcasts, and easy listening. Once you move on to Beyoncé or even high-pitched classical music, the bass will go and you’ll likely experience some distortion. Still, not bad for how slim it is.
A little cheaper: the $100 Soundfreaq Pocket Kick
I chose the Esquire Mini over the similarly designed Pocket Kick because it was lighter and came with a kickstand. The Pocket Kick is a little bulkier but definitely has more range.
Most Likely to Inspire Noise Complaints to the Police: $200 Bose SoundLink Mini
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The Bose SoundLink Mini offers a varied sound range, treating everything from Lou Reed to the Black Eyed Peas with the same delicate care. It’s quick to connect to whatever Bluetooth-enabled device you have at your fingertips. And, man, does this thing get LOUD. At its highest volumes, however, the SoundLink’s bass can falter sometimes. But chances are you won’t notice with all the seven hours’ worth of bumping and grinding you’ll be doing.
No matter how high this thing can scream, its 1.5-pound weight is way too heavy to transport from place to place on a regular basis. Not to mention, it charges only with a proprietary cable (so don’t lose it!). And it’s pretty expensive, considering that it’ll only remain on a shelf in your house. Pretty bumpin’, though.
Best Boom for Your Buck: $100 UE Mini Boom
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Personal confession: Two years before I wrote this, I got my very own Mini Boom, and I haven’t looked back since. The reason is simple: It’s small enough to fit in a tote bag, durable enough that I can bring it to the park, and — considering its low price — has an impressive sound. That is, as long as you point it toward you. Its uni-directional design, unlike many of its competitors, limits its reach. It’s better for close listening rather than for a crowded living room full of people.
Sound-wise, it can reach both high and low, playing any genre with ease. You also have the option to connect it with other Boom speakers for when you want to enjoy epic stereo surround sound.
Guaranteed to Make Someone Love You: $200 UE Boom
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Of all the speakers I tried, this is the one I’d most want to unwrap this holiday season. This speaker is truly an accomplishment in audio engineering and design.
To start, it’ll play for a whopping 15 hours straight; its plasma-coated frame keeps it stain- and water-resistant; it’s got a range of 50 feet; and it can pair with up to two other speakers in the Boom family for a surround-sound or multi-room listening experience. If you get too rough with it, you’ve got a two-year hardware warranty.
The Boom, which resembles a giant Tootsie Roll, is also beautifully designed. Its speaker system is made to play with a 360-degree reach, so that wherever you place it in a room, it will automatically fill the area with clear and balanced jams. Though that’s most effectively accomplished with the speaker standing vertically, you can also lay it on its side if you find yourself in the middle of a particularly wild party.
Better yet, it comes in 15 awesome colors, two of which are specially designed by Skrillex (I know, but it’s cool!) and a London street artist.
I also considered:
$180 Beats Pill
Though the Pill was pretty awesome when it first came out, it doesn’t really compare with the features of its newer competitors today. It’s only got a seven-hour charge and a 30-foot range, and though it’s loud, it’s not even close to the detail of the UE Boom. Even if it is temporarily $20 cheaper than its usual price, it’s worth it to pay a little bit extra for a lot more.
$130 Jawbone MINI JAMBOX
This, too, is also temporarily discounted from its original $180 price tag for the holidays. And despite the fact that the portable Jawbone was a trailblazer a few years ago, it’s much more limited than its competition today. Despite being one of the prettier portable Bluetooth speakers out there, it’s just not that loud. Its thin, 1-inch width may make it a fancy traveler’s option, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone as a main speaker.
$150 JBL Charge 2
The Charge 2 looks hefty and loud, but there’s no sound quality to back up its aesthetic. No thanks.
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