Best Bluetooth speakers 2025, tried and tested

The humble Bluetooth speaker has come a long way. A few years ago, Bluetooth speakers only had to be slightly better than the speakers on a mobile phone. But new innovations mean huge improvements in sound quality, maximum volume, connectivity and battery life.

While a Bluetooth speaker was once a small, tinny thing that would rattle and drop its connection, today’s models are proper mobile sound systems. There are also lots of them, from pocket-sized budget models to large units that can be the centrepiece of a party. Gatherings on the beach will appreciate the ingress protection that many Bluetooth speakers now have as standard – you can use them in the shower, too.

Sound quality is the biggest improvement that Bluetooth speakers have seen over the past few years. You still won’t get the rumbling bass of a soundbar, but as audio companies discover how to get more power and definition out of smaller speaker designs, you’ll notice a distinct improvement in the way a new speaker sounds if you’re upgrading from an older model.

But with so much innovation, it can be hard to keep track of which models are best. That’s why I put a range of Bluetooth speakers to the test.

How I tested

The best way to test a Bluetooth speaker is to listen to it, and that’s exactly what I did. All of the music and podcasts I used were streamed from an Android phone, and I tested these speakers with several criteria:

• Music quality: The most important test, I listened to a wide variety of music from different streaming services through these speakers. I wanted good dynamic ranges, bass quality, and clarity.
• Podcast quality: If you like to listen to a podcast while you do the dishes, you need good quality for spoken media. I tested these speakers with a variety of podcasts from different podcasting apps to see how these speakers handled speech.
• Connection: Bad Bluetooth connection can be frustrating, so I ensured none of these speakers dropped connection, and I also tested the range of each speaker.
• Battery life: These speakers should last for hours, so I made sure the battery claims from the manufacturers lined up with real life.
• Toughness: These speakers should be able to stand up to rain, so I tested them indoors and outdoors to ensure they are all waterproof.

The best Bluetooth speakers for 2025 are:

• Best overall – Bang & Olufsen beosound A1 3rd gen: £299, Bang-olfusen.com
• Best budget speaker – Ultimate Ears miniroll: £69.99, Ultimateears.com
• Best mid-range – JBL flip 7: £129.99, Jbl.com
• Best compact – Soundcore motion 300: £79.99, Soundcore.com
• Best floating speaker – Ultimate Ears wonderboom 4: £89.99, Ultimateears.com
• Best portable – JBL charge 6: £169.99, Jbl.com
• Best big speaker – Loewe we. hear pro neon: £249, Loewe.tv
• Best retro look – Marshall emberton III: £149.99, Marshall.com