Best Bluetooth speakers 2025

There are so many kinds of Bluetooth speakers to choose from, all coming in various forms and at different prices, and with varying discounts and deals intermittently thrown into the equation, it can be a nightmare trying to figure out which to choose.

Bluetooth speakers are one of the simplest ways to get your music playing wherever you are. The wire-free wonders come in so many sizes and shapes that their various use cases are near-endless, from using one in your office to popping a compact model in a backpack and taking it to the park or up a mountainside.

The last few years have been massive for Bluetooth speakers and so far, 2025 has been no different. The JBL Flip 7 and Charge 6 have debuted to great acclaim already, while Bose is adding to its roster of SoundLink speakers with the upcoming SoundLink Flex (review coming soon!) and SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen).

1. JBL Charge 6

The JBL Charge 5 ended its run as one of the most enduringly impressive Bluetooth speakers we’ve ever tested, wowing us not only with the quality of its sound but also the longevity it continues to display.

After multiple What Hi-Fi? Award wins, JBL’s bottle-shaped speaker is still on the market, but now that it’s been succeeded by a sixth-generation model, it soon may ride off into the sunset as a bona fide legend.

As sad as that may be, the Charge 6 is ready to take up the mantle. It’s now even more waterproof, dustproof and drop-proof than before, with an IP68 rating (up from the Charge 5’s IP67) and beefier bumper guards at either end of the speaker

Internally, the Charge 6 features a 20m tweeter and a newly developed woofer that strives for deeper and more powerful bass than the old model. A new algorithm-led ‘AI Sound Boost’ analyses the speaker’s sound in real time to optimise its output and ensure that a more powerful and exciting but less distorted sound is produced at all times and in all places.

It’s paid off. To quote from our review: “The Charge 6 certainly sounds more powerful, but that muscle and authority are heard throughout the frequency range, not just in the lower end. The sound is clearer and more detailed than before, with vocals given extra solidity and textural depth; the highs soar with punch but clarity”.

It doesn’t stop there. JBL has made a concerted effort to make its new generation of speakers as cutting-edge and feature-heavy as possible, packing its latest models with Auracast audio sharing and 24-bit/96kHz lossless audio via USB-C.

On top of those handy boons, the Charge 6 also offers 24 hours of juice plus four extra with Playtime Boost, as well as doubling up as a power bank for your smartphone or portable device.

2. JBL Flip 7

Anyone who finds the size or price of the Charge 6 above a little too much should consider the five-star JBL Flip 7. Smaller, slimmer and less expensive, the Flip 7 still offers a great deal of what you’d want in a portable Bluetooth companion.

The older generation model boasted a still-impressive IP67 water and dustproof rating, but JBL has decided to up the ante by bestowing a mighty IP68 certificate upon this newest iteration.

Ditching the built-in adjustable carry loop of its predecessor, the Flip 7 offers a choice of either a fabric finger loop or a carabiner hook for clipping the speakers onto the likes of bags or nearby branches.

Like the Charge 6 above, the Flip 7 goes big on features. The seventh-gen Flip offers Auracast functionality, the new sharing technology which lets you pair two Flip 7s together in stereo or hook up multiple units via the JBL Portable app.

The new Flip will grant you 14 hours on a single charge plus an extra two with Playtime Boost. The Flip 7 also features wired listening for the first time, supporting up to 24-bit/96kHz lossless audio playback via USB-C, meaning that it should sound its absolute best when using a physical tether.

Sonically, this is the best Flip we’ve heard. It’s bassier than before, with a smoother, more refined profile than the more hard-edged Flip 6 can manage. Detail levels are improved, while the dynamic peaks and troughs of your music are revealed with greater scope and scale.

3. Tribit Stormbox Micro 2

If all you need from your ideal Bluetooth speaker is portability alongside affordability, you’d struggle to improve on the small, satchel-friendly Tribit Stormbox Micro 2. A great and inexpensive alternative to the Flip 6 above, the Micro 2 fits flat in your hand in contrast to the cylindrical form of the Flip.

Sporting a utilitarian but not unattractive woven finish design, the Micro 2 pumps out genuinely enjoyable audio and a rather impressive battery life of around 12 hours during testing.

Better yet, its IP67 rating allowed one of our team to test it in the shower without causing any lasting damage. Again, the Stormbox Micro 2’s compact size and robust construction make it well-suited for venturing far beyond the confines of a bathroom or kitchen.

The audio is certainly a big plus point, too, going bigger, punchier and louder than you’d expect from such a diminutive unit, doing justice to most tracks in terms of tempo, rhythm and dynamics. The Stormbox’s Midrange is particularly pleasing, and we’d even go so far as to say that it’s as good as anything else we’ve seen at this price.

4. Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

Before we get started with the Beosound A1 (2nd Gen), we’d like to inform you (if you didn’t know already) that there’s a third-generation addition to B&O’s Bluetooth line out. The Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is easy to covet and has earned a spot in our also consider section, but if you want Alexa integration and a much lower price, the second-generation model is a savvy buy with serious sonic talent.

This is definitely the Bluetooth speaker for those among us who don’t like to follow the herd. You can have your JBLs and your Tribits, as the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is for anyone who prioritises luxury, style and a bit of personality from their electronics.

This is the speaker for those people who could choose an Audi, VW or BMW, but go for an Alfa Romeo instead.

Admittedly, saying that the A1 sports similar dimensions to a medium-sized hamburger doesn’t sound that luxurious, but rest assured: it’s a beautiful, very well-made burger only bested in the looks department by the rather stunning Dali Katch G2 in our also consider section.

The Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) supports Qualcomm’s latest aptX Adaptive Bluetooth 5.1 codec and features Alexa built-in, as long as you’re connected to the wi-fi when you want to speak to her. That’s a smart feature that most of the rivals on this list don’t have, by the way.

Sonically, we consider this to be one of Bang & Olufsen’s best models, presenting a pleasingly comfortable yet authoritative performance that you could easily listen to all day. Throw in its classy, well-made design, easy-to-use operation and the bonus of Alexa, and suddenly things start to make a whole lot of sense.

5. JBL Xtreme 4

For JBL, the Xtreme 4 simply confirms once again that this is a company working at the top of its game. The Xtreme 3 was a five-star portable powerhouse which provided a rock-solid foundation from which to grow, with the fourth-gen sequel building on that base and taking the levels to stunning heights and banking a What Hi-Fi? Award in the process.

The Xtreme 4 is, in simple terms, the Xtreme 3 but better. The design is roughly the same as the outgoing model, albeit with some minor distinguishing tweaks.

The button layout is now a block of six rather than a strip, while a new base with two strips of silicon feet gives the speaker more stability and grip. Apart from that, it’s the same rugged, robust, IP67-rated build as the Xtreme 3, and that’s no bad thing; it’s a design that has served JBL extremely well in the past.

The driver configuration for the Xtreme 4 is the same as the previous model, with two 70mm woofers and two 20mm tweeters behind the grille and then those pulsating radiators at either end. Sonically, though, things have been taken to the next level, offering up the best audio performance we’ve heard at this level for one of the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers of the past few years.

New features only enhance the Xtreme 4’s credentials. Auracast is the big one, letting you pair two Xtreme 4 speakers together in stereo or connect multiple compatible JBLs in a chain while giving the new model some element of future-proofing should upcoming features that require the tech emerge in the coming months.

The JBL app is as user-friendly and comprehensive as ever, while 24 hours is a big improvement on the 15 hours of the previous model. Like the Charge 5, the Xtreme 4 will charge up connected devices via USB-C, and there’s even a replaceable battery if the built-in unit packs up.

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