Best Bluetooth Speaker for Travel

BEST OVERALL:

UE Boom 3 / Megaboom 3

UE Megaboom 3 (center) and Boom 3 (left/right) / Logitech

The Boom 3 does everything well. Sounds great, gets loud, easy to use, extremely rugged, good battery life. It’s rated for IP67 water and dust resistance in a size and shape that’s easy to pack. The included micro USB cable is compatible with any USB charger, even the USB port on most laptops. It’s not the absolute best sounding portable Bluetooth speaker I’ve heard - clarity is good but not great - but few others are this well-rounded at $150, though occasionally you’ll find it for as low as $99, at which price it’s a no-brainer.

The Megaboom 3 is a bigger, louder version of the Boom 3 with more bass and a bigger battery, though the audio clarity is otherwise not much of an improvement. It sometimes gets a price drop from the usual $200 to around $170 - something to keep in mind as that’s only $20 more than the regular price of the Boom 3.

SLIGHTLY BETTER SOUND:

Bose SoundLink Revolve / Revolve+

Bose SoundLink Revolve+ and SoundLink Revolve / Bose

Direct competitors to the UE offerings above with slightly higher prices, but some companies offer discounts on Bose purchases. The lantern-like and asymmetrical design makes it a bit harder to pack in luggage, and while Bose claims IPX4 water resistance, the design just isn’t as durable as the UE duo. In exchange, they sound a bit better, though it’s not a huge difference - there’s more refinement here, and that’s the primary reason to go with Bose.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY:

B&O Beoplay A1

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 / Bang & Olufsen

This is what I’ve been traveling with for a few years now. The sound quality is nearly unrivaled given its size - the mids and uppers are more crisp and clear than most portable Bluetooth speakers. The bass isn’t the loudest, but it has a tightness and depth to it that I haven’t found in any similarly sized speaker (as well as some that are bigger). The overall volume also isn’t that high - the UE and Bose options above definitely play louder - and the battery life is nowhere near the claimed 24 hours at realistic volume levels (maybe half that?). The metal and rubber build is durable (though it’s not officially rated for water resistance) and it charges via USB-C, the same connector used by newer MacBooks and Android phones. But beware, B&O stuff does not come cheap: this one goes for $250.

CHEAP & CHEERFUL:

UE Wonderboom 2

With a street price of around $80, though sometimes you can find it for closer to $55, this is a really good value for those who don’t want to puck down more than a Benjamin. Like many other UE speakers, this one is very rugged with an IP67 rating. Sound wise it’s about as good as it gets for the cost and size. There’s also the older Wonderboom, but its street price isn’t much lower, so I’d recommend getting the newer one when it goes on sale.

BIG UPGRADE:

JBL Xtreme 2

The party speaker of the bunch, with big bass and lots of volume. It’s a clear step up from all of the speakers above, but it’s also significantly bigger and heavier, at well over 5 pounds and nearly a foot long. The other big downside is that it does not charge via USB, but instead with a proprietary charger that you must pack and hope won’t lose.