Top 5 Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers

Samuel J Tan Bluetooth Speakers, Entertainment, Home & Kitchen, Portable Speakers, Speakers 0

We have seen the best portable wireless speakers on our sister blog, Best Portable Wireless Speakers. At Colour My Living, we do things differently.

Not only do they need to sound good, compact and portable; they need to meet a certain lifestyle criteria.

Table of Contents

Best Compact and Portable Bluetooth Speakers

It would appear most of these sub compact Bluetooth speakers are priced to compete at the same level. With the average prices hovering around the same mark, your budget is pretty much fixed in what you look to spend for a decent portable wireless speaker. Unless of course you prefer their cheaper and even smaller siblings. Where available, these are listed under the speakers featured here.

Audiophiles may need to tune their expectations a little lower. All compact speakers suffer from the same issue. Due to its limitation in size, it may perform well on mid to low volume setting but would struggle and sometime distort when you try to get it louder.

Most speakers will also fare pretty well in the middle to high sound range but perform moderately well in the lower, bass range of the music. So listening to the speaker in open spaces would not be recommended. If you want louder volume and stronger bass, consider the larger cousins.

But if you intend to listen to music in your dormitory, study, kitchen or in a small living room, and would much prefer a portable and compact Bluetooth speaker then read on – IN THIS COMPARISON

Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker
Denon Envaya Portable Bluetooth speaker – HEAVIEST
Harmon Kardon Esquire Mini Bluetooth Portable speaker – SMALLEST & LIGHTEST
Sony SRS-X5 Portable Bluetooth speaker
Ultimate Ears Boom Bluetooth speaker – BEST BATTERY LIFE

Others Worth Mentioning Here

Cambridge Audio GO Bluetooth Active – EVEN BETTER BATTERY LIFE
Beats Pill 2.0 by Dr. Dre Bluetooth speaker
Jawbone Mini Jambox Bluetooth speaker

A Closer Look

Let’s take a closer look at each of these speakers and how they compare.

Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker

Since the SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker, Bose has launched the new SoundLink Bluetooth speaker III and now an even smaller and more affordableSoundLink Colour Bluetooth speaker.

What You Need to Know

Produces the full-range of audio listening experience with natural sound from an ultra-compact package.
Remembers up to 6 recently connected Bluetooth devices or connect directly using auxiliary port.
7 hours of continuous play time between charge and recharges from empty to full in 3 hours.
Charging cradle provided although you can charge straight with the adapter while playing your tunes.
Optional soft covers (blue, green or orange) available for purchase separately.

If you absolutely must have a portable Bose Bluetooth speaker, we thoroughly recommend the SoundLink Mini.

Dimensions and Weight: 5.1 x 18 x 5.8 cm, 670 grams

Wireless: Bluetooth | Battery Life: 7 Hours | Charging: No | Speaker phone: No | Price: Check

Also Consider:

Denon Envaya Portable Bluetooth NFC speaker

From the Hi-Fi specialist, Denon comes this super portable Bluetooth speaker capable of premium sound. It has an impressive battery life of up to 10 hours, integrated kick stand and Bluetooth aptX format for CD quality sound.

What You Need to Know

Streams CD Quality music with Bluetooth aptX with low latency audio streaming capability or simply connect via Auxiliary input.
Dual ‘oversized’ custom developed drivers are paired with a large passive bass radiator for extraordinary sound reproduction.
Easy NFC pairing for devices with NFC, simply tap to connect and pair.
10 hours of play time between charge and charges your mobile device on the go. It takes 2.5 hours to charge the speaker from empty.
Built-in kick stand with rubber foot. Charger, case and travel adapter plugs included. Available in black or white.
Includes 4 interchageable Grille Cloth Covers (White, Blue, Pink, Orange).

Dimensions and Weight: 255 x 141 x 47.5 mm, 1.28 kg

Wireless: Bluetooth, NFC | Battery Life: 10 Hours | Charging: Yes | Speaker phone: No | Price: Check

Also Consider:

Envaya Mini Portable Bluetooth speaker

Harmon Kardon Esquire Mini Bluetooth NFC Portable speaker

Ultra thin rectangular uni-body block, the Harmon Kardon Esquire is built for the road-warrior. Designed to be durable and pocketable, crafted from fine materials with a real leather panel, brushed aluminium and ceramic bond/ceramic coated speaker grill gives the device an up market feel. It also doubles as a conference-call speaker so business people sit-up and listen.

What You Need to Know

2-way speaker system with built-in bass port produces clear, crisp highs and bright mid-range clarity for better voice reproduction while its extra-low bass frequencies give Esquire a balanced soundstage.
Easy Bluetooth set-up via NFC then clear streaming over high bandwidth. Integrated kick stand.
Harmon Kardon Remote App available for iOS and Android devices to control and stream your favorite tracks from your mobile device or home network
Built-in dual microphone and noise cancellation system for speaker phone function to an individual or with a group for conference calls.
8 hours of play time between charge and USB for charging external devices. It takes 5 hours to charge the speaker from empty.
Battery level indicator. 3-port power supply adapter lets you charge this and other devices, hand strap, travel adapters and travel case included.
Available in Black, Bronze or White.

Dimensions and Weight: 147(W) x 147(H) x 46.5(D)mm, 238 grams

Wireless: Bluetooth, NFC | Battery Life: 8 Hours | Charging: Yes | Speaker phone: Yes | Price: Check

Also Consider:

Harmon Kardon Esquire (the slightly bigger version)

Sony SRS-X5 Portable Bluetooth NFC speaker

It may be compact and portable but not completely small like some of the other speakers here which gives it an advantage in terms of volume and sound range production. Pairing is easy with NFC enabled devices and it supports device charging.

What You Need to Know

Produces full-bodies, balanced audio with two full-range speakers and a woofer for clear, powerful sound whatever the volume
Dual passive radiators produces resounding bass and allowing more air to flow through the speakers.
Streaming your tunes via Bluetooth with easy one-touch listening via NFC or via auxiliary input.
S-Master digital amplifier using a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to analyse and process your digital files keeping it in digital format for longer
The 2.1 channel speaker system produces 20W RMS output.
8 hours of playtime between charge, rechargeable via USB port
Hands-free calling with with built-in mic and answer phone function
Available in three colours; red, white or black

Dimensions and Weight: Approx. 221 x 118 x 51mm, 1.2 kg

Wireless: Bluetooth, NFC | Battery Life: 8 Hours | Charging: Yes | Speaker phone: Yes | Price: Check

Ultimate Ears BOOM Bluetooth NFC speaker

One of its kind, cylindrical speaker with 360 degrees sound offering bold and immersive music in all directions. Add a second and you can set it to double the volume or work as a pair of stereo speakers.

What You Need to Know

Cylindrical shaped 360 degrees wireless speaker system with a pair of 1.5W drivers and a pair of 2-inch passive radiators,
Tap to connect with NFC-enabled devices and start streaming with Bluetooth. Better range up to 50 ft (15 meters)
Play music from 2 Bluetooth enabled devices at the same time, taking turns to share music from different sources.
Accompanying app that controls equalizer setting, monitor battery level, set alarm clock and pair with another UE boom for stereo or double sound.
Choose music from your iTunes library, Spotify playlists, Pandora, iTunes Radio and more.
Lets you take calls with hands-free speaker phone function
Up to 15 hours battery life between charge for all day play time. Charge time is 3.4 hours via Micro USB
Hard wearing acoustic skin with plasma coating (stain and water resistant) – IPX4 rated.
Available in variety of colour combinations: Pink, Red, White, Black Night, Citrus, Cyan, Lake Moss, Orchid and more

Dimensions and Weight: 6.5 cm diameter, 18 cm height, 538 grams

Wireless: Bluetooth, NFC | Battery Life: 15 Hours | Charging: No | Speaker phone: Yes | Price: Check

Others Worth a Mention

Cambridge Audio GO Bluetooth NFC Active speaker

What You Need to Know

Produces room filling sound with balanced treatment of the whole spectrum
Proprietary Digital Signal Processing technology that squeezes more detail out of your digital music file
Dual 2″ drivers and two titanium tweeters for top and mid range performance. Rear Auxiliary Bass Radiator for room filling bass
NFC pairing and Bluetooth streaming or connect directly via 3.5mm auxiliary input
Remembers up to 8 recently paired devices to reconnect easily
Long play time of up to 18 hours and charge your phone or mobile devices
Available in black or white

Dimensions and Weight: 23.7 x 6.3 x 12.3 cm; 998 grams

Wireless: Bluetooth, NFC | Battery Life: 18 Hours | Charging: Yes | Speaker phone: No| Price: Check

Beats Pill 2.0 by Dr. Dre Bluetooth speaker

What You Need to Know

Produces loud and powerful sound with soaring highs and deep bass.
Pairs quickly and easily with Bluetooth enabled mobile device or with another Pill.
Tap two Pills together for even louder music play back, tap twice the Pills together twice to create stereo channels with one acting as the right and the other left.
Built-in microphone for hands-free and conference calls.
Control the volume and change tracks from any other Bluetooth-enabled device, this could be your smartphone or laptop.
7 hours of continuous playback between charge and charge using wall socket with supplied adapter or USB port on computer.
Charge your phone or external music device from the Pill.

Dimensions and Weight: 45.72 mm (H) x 190.50 mm (L), 310 grams

Wireless: Bluetooth, NFC between Pill Speakers | Battery Life: 7 Hours | Charging: Yes| Speaker phone: Yes | Price: Check

Jawbone Mini Jambox Bluetooth speaker

What You Need to Know

Produces louder, fuller and more dynamic sound.
Small enough to fit in your pocket with ultra slim profile
Integrated microphone lets you take calls with built-in speaker phone function
Jawbone app available for iOS and Android lets you personalise your Mini Jambox, access all your saved playlist and stream music with one touch
Crafted from a single piece of extruded aluminium for the best combination of loudness, lightness and durability
10 hours of continuous playback between charge, charge using Micro-USB charging cable to any USB socket
Colours: Silver, Aqua, Blue, Graphite, Purple, Red with different designs; Silver Dot, Aqua Scales, Blue Diamon, Graphite Facet, Purple Snowflak and Red Dot

Dimensions and Weight: 24 x 154 x 58 mm, 254 grams

Wireless: Bluetooth 4.0 | Battery Life: 10 Hours | Charging: No| Speaker phone: Yes | Price: Check