Nowadays there are more options than ever for an everyday portable Bluetooth speaker, and over time we’ve seen them get smaller and smaller. Today there are a number of pocket-sized options, which have become extremely popular, especially as a replacement for built-in phone speakers or as a companion for outdoor adventures.
Regardless of how you plan to use your small Bluetooth speaker, there are a few things you should know before buying, such as potential limitations associated with its compact size and how to ensure the speaker you buy will excel in your intended use.
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What Counts as ‘Small’ in Bluetooth Speakers?
Small is a bit of a relative term, so what sized speakers are we talking about here?
For the sake of this article, I’ve considered speakers that fall in between what are often called “mini Bluetooth speakers” and your traditional portable speaker, like JBL’s Flip series or Ultimate Ears’ Boom series. These speakers retain much of the portability benefits found in mini Bluetooth speakers, but usually sound better and get louder.
These speakers can all fit comfortable into the palm of one’s hand and are made to be extremely versatile. They’re ideal for chilling in bed listening to audio books, or taking with you on a hike so that you and a few friends can enjoy some tunes at your destination.
Do They Sound Better Than Phone Speakers?
One of the main reasons to buy one of these devices is because you’re unhappy with the quality of your phone’s built-in speakers. Phone speakers can often sound metallic and grating to listen to, especially when the volume is turned up.
Opting for a small Bluetooth speaker as a replacement is an effective and affordable way to increase the quality of sound you get to experience, while also giving you a lot more volume.
When I tested the volume of my Samsung S23, it produced close to 75dB at a distance of 1 meter, while all the speakers featured on this list exceed 80dB, which in itself marks a whopping 126% increase in volume over my cell phone (since volume scales algorithmically). So even though you may not be throwing any parties with your speaker, it can still provide plenty of enjoyment for both you and your friends, which is likely a significant upgrade to your phone speaker.
Take Them Anywhere, In Any Weather
One of the most notable strengths of these speakers is how easy they are to carry around, after all they’re super compact. This makes them ideal for regular daily use or outdoor adventures like hiking.
It’s not just their small size that lends them to this purpose either. Many of these speakers have carry loops or clips that also allow them to be tied onto the straps of backpacks, onto belt loops for instance. Although some larger speakers also feature carry loops, they are often too heavy to be hung from objects and their carry loops are primarily made to be wrapped around the wrist to prevent accidentally being dropped.
In addition to being easy to move, these small speakers nowadays usually offer some serious weather protection, which allows them to be used even in heavy rain. Many even have an IPX7 or IP67 rating, which also means they can be submerged in shallow water for up to 30 minutes without damage.
My Curated Selection of The Best Small Bluetooth Speakers
Best Overall
If you’re on a tight budget and want to get the most value for your dollar, I can strongly recommend the Select 4 Go from Soundcore. At a price point of under $30, the Select 4 Go is a great alternative to the JBL Go 4, offering many of the same features and even improving on its sound quality in some ways.
Most Compact
The Go 4 is an outstanding everyday small Bluetooth speaker that’s both small and lightweight. For $49, you get the latest in Bluetooth technology, a robust and practical design, comprehensive water resistance for use in any weather and a companion app with custom EQ support.
Best Sound Quality
The Clip 5 stands out with its carabiner design, a feature that makes this speaker extremely well-suited to hikers, adventures and cyclists. Its 5.3 Bluetooth support ensures stable connections and relatively low latency, while also facilitating multi-speaker pairing for those looking to broaden their coverage. It is also one of the loudest speakers on this list.
Best For Group Listening
If you’re looking to share your music with friends, the Sony XB-100 is the speaker to choose. While a lot of small speakers struggle to create a broad spread of sound, the XB-100 features 360-degree audio which means no matter which side of the speaker you’re sitting, you’ll get the same high-quality sound. The XB-100 is also a great choice for those who enjoy deep bass.
Best Best & Versatility
Small, but bass-heavy, the Miniroll is Ultimate Ears’ smallest speaker and one that has impressive versatility owed to the unique strap design. Unlike the JBL Clip 5 which uses a fixed carabiner with limited mounting room, the Miniroll’s rubber strap along the back makes it easier than any other small Bluetooth speaker to be mounted onto a variety of objects. Attach it to your bicycle, backpack or even on a nearby tree.
How Important Is 360-Degree Sound?
Speakers like Sony’s XB-100 have a feature called 360-degree sound, but what is it exactly and should you be prioritizing it?
A 360-degree design doesn’t just send audio in one direction, as is often the case with most designs, and which leaves those seated on the other side of the speaker with mediocre clarity. Instead, a 360-degree speaker is made to spread its sound in all directions. This feature isn’t exactly useful when listening to music by yourself, but if you have a group of friends sitting in a circle, it will ensure everyone gets to hear the same level of clarity.
Small Speakers Don’t Always Have Short Battery Life
Gone are the days of 3 to 4-hour playtimes from small speakers. Recent releases are not only able to compete with larger models in the amount of playtime they provide but even surpass them in some cases.
These days a playtime of less than 5 hours is considered low within this range of speakers and anything more than 15 hours is considered long. Some speakers, like the new Go 4 and Clip 5 also have a battery extension feature that adjusts the sound profile to provide a longer lasting battery. JBL calls this feature “PlaytimeBoost” and it adds around 2 hours of additional playtime.
Keep in mind that you should also factor in that volume levels and features being used can drain the battery quickly. Bass boost, for instance, will see you get a bit less out of your battery.
It’s also essential to consider that manufacturer claims of battery life are usually calculated with all features disabled and volume set to 20 to 30%. When it comes to a small speaker, this causes the actual playtime found by customers to differ quite substantially from what it claimed. That’s why we always recommend reading hands-on product reviews where possible.
Customize Your Sound With EQ
“Too sharp”, “Not enough bass” – these are both common complaints that speaker reviewers highlight when covering Bluetooth speakers. But what if I told you that you could have some control over the sound quality of your speaker?
That’s where EQ comes into play. EQs (Equalizers) offer a way to dial in a speaker’s sound, reducing or decreasing certain frequency ranges. For example, if your speaker sounds like it needs more bass out of the box, you can increase the prevalence of bass frequencies to get it to sound more in line with what you enjoy.
EQ is usually a feature provided by a speaker’s companion app, but not all of them have one, so make sure to double-check.
A preset EQ allows you to swap between preset EQ settings but doesn’t allow you to manually adjust a particular frequency band to create your own configuration. For this level of control, you’ll want a graphic EQ.
The total amount of control provided varies between models, but a 3-band EQ is the most simple, allowing one to adjust the bass, mids, or treble. 5 or 7-band EQs offer more precise control, splitting the range of frequencies into more bands, meaning you can also individually tweak the frequencies between the bass and mids or the mids and the treble.
Increase Performance & Coverage With Multi-Speaker Pairing
Multi-speaker pairing is a way to connect more than one Bluetooth speaker while they play the same sound. But there are two types of pairing methods, one option is TWS (True Wireless Stereo) which can only support two speakers being connected at once and is the most refined in terms of how it works.
In a TWS pairing, each speaker can play dedicated left or right-channel audio. Meaning the left speaker will play sounds that on a stereo would come out of the left speaker, and do the same for the right. The result is an improved soundstage with more realistic sound and much better panning effects.
The other option is a general multi-speaker pairing, which is less important for smaller speakers than for large ones. In this method, more speakers can be paired together, but sound is played in mono and not split between channels in the same way as TWS. This is a great feature for party speakers where you can use it to fill a home with sound, but for smaller speakers, you’re more likely to rely on TWS.
Is Bigger Better? What Are The Sacrifices When Going Compact
If you’re on the fence about whether to go for one of these pocket-sized speakers or to upgrade to an everyday portable option that isn’t quite as small, you may be wondering about what is being left on the table.
Limited Volume
Smaller speakers mean smaller drivers and since the drivers are what physically move the air, creating the sound we hear, having a larger speaker will give you more volume.
However, the difference may not be as substantial as you think. For example, the Soundcore Select 4 Go is just a few decibels shy of the significantly larger JBL Flip 6.
Small Bluetooth speakers like these produce between 80 and 85 dB (enough volume to cover most of a small room), while larger options like the Ultimate Ears Megaboom, Soundcore Motion 300 or Marshall Emberton III produce between 90 and 95 dB (can fill a small with sound).
Lower Battery Life
Despite significant gains in playtime, it’s rather uncommon to find a small Bluetooth speaker capable of producing more than 10 hours of playtime. On the other larger alternatives can often last for between 10 and 20 hours.
Lack of Deep Bass
If you’re a bit of a party animal and love deep bass you’re unlucky to get that from a small speaker. That’s because low frequencies require bigger drivers to move the air sufficiently. Most slightly larger speakers tend to produce more bass, but even then, it’s only when speakers become quite larger that the low-end is really allowed to shine.
Fewer Connectivity Options
If you’re looking for an auxiliary input or USB output, most small speakers aren’t going to be as comprehensive as larger alternatives. Aux input has even become somewhat rare on all but large party speakers, as manufacturers make their designs more minimalist. Still, they remain more common on bigger speakers.
USB output for phone charging is another connectivity feature sometimes offered by larger portable Bluetooth speakers, but is rarely, if ever found on these compact models.
Audio For Any Budget
The wonderful thing about small Bluetooth speakers is their extremely accessible price point, with many costing less than $50. In most cases, there isn’t much sacrifice to be made, as these types of speakers share many of the same general specifications, including comprehensive waterproofing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Interested in these speakers but have some questions? Our frequently asked questions aim to assist. If you don’t find your question answered below, consider leaving your question in the comments.
