I've had an opportunity to try out quite a few small speakers with good sound quality this summer. As I try to minimise my belongings, I only want one speaker that I can connect to my laptops and also to take with me outdoors, preferably waterproof, moderately durable in various weather conditions. And most of all, it has to be one that delivers impressively loud levels of sound. So here is what I've found in this best small speakers review.
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Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker
Powerful. Bose never disappoints you.
This waterproof speaker is totally outdoor friendly. It provides a clear, loud sound, very portable to carry around, and its soft exterior resists dents, cracks and scratches. It has a very nice rugged feel. It's perfect for backpacking, mountain walk in the rain, beach vacations or camping trips.
- Waterproof IPX7 rated - meaning it can be immersed in water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 3.2 ft (1m).
- Up to 6 hours of play time from a rechargeable battery.
- Bluetooth wireless technology - range up to 30 feet.
- Voice control to make/take phone calls, ask Siri or Google Assistant to play music, tell you the weather, give you the score of a game, etc.
- Dimensions: 3.87 (h) x 3.87 (w) x 1.37 (d) inches
- Weight: 0.64 lb
Available in Black, Bright Orange (I love this!) and Midnight Blue. Available from Amazon.
MINIRIG 2 Portable Rechargeable Bluetooth Speaker
For the long battery life & versatility.
This small stuff is versatile - it has a rechargeable battery life of 80 hours max (40 hours average time, 15 hours with maximum volume). Charging time is 6-8 hours. Good thing is, you can use this speaker itself as a charger, to charge other devices such as phones. It can be used to charge a phone up to 3 times.
With powerful 15w amplifier, MINIRIG provides maximum output of 100DB. It claims to be the loudest portable speaker on the market for its size. Other features including;
- Ability to remember up to 8 devices, connect to two devices at the same time.
- You can connect two MINIRIGs wirelessly for stereo sound or double the volume.
- Android and iOS app has many features; mute, gain control, left/right/mono, switch devices, stereo pairing, etc.
- Constructed with Anodized Aluminum and Polycarbonate
- Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 2.9 inches
- Weight: 1.06 lb
This one's NOT water friendly, but it pumps out rich, high quality sound. Portable enough to carry around, this can be your travelling essential.
As you can see from the image above, it's available in multiple colors; Black, Blue, Gold, Green, Purple, Red and Silver. Available from Amazon.
JBL GO 2 Portable Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker
For the price against performance.
The best one for those on a budget! It's tiny and gives a powerful enough sound in the room or while travelling. This one's also IPX7 waterproof, durable in water at a depth of 3.2 ft (1m) for up to 30 minutes.
- Plays music up to 5 hours via Bluetooth wireless.
- Noise-cancelling speakerphone is perfect for conference calls.
- Also audio cable input enabled, in case Bluetooth is not available.
- Dimensions: 1.3 x 3.5 x 2.9 inches
- Weight: 9.6 ounces
Available in many colors; Blue, Yellow, Black, Green, Gray, Orange, Champagne, Cinnamon, Cyan, Mint, Navy and Red. From Amazon.
Ecoxgear Sol Jam Solar-powered Waterproof Speaker
For the innovation.
This solar powered speaker creates more power per hour than the speaker uses at normal listening levels, and it can play music for over 12 hours continuously. Ecoxgear Sol Jam itself can also be used as a battery to recharge other mobile devices.
- It's rated IP67 (Dustproof as well as Waterproof).
- Bluetooth wireless technology.
- If accidentally thrown into the water, it floats.
- Output power 20W (10W x 2) with subwoofer
- Dimensions: 6 x 7 x 4 inches
- Weight: 1.5 lbs
Available in Black or Orange, from Amazon.
I have the Bose one and love it. This summer not a day have I spent without it. Mostly for cycling trips but it’s very powerful in parties with 20+ people I found it good enough to even replace the home stereo. I recommend it. A+++++.
Hi John, I’m glad to hear you recommend it too. I absolutely agree, it works so good in outdoors, I take it with me when I take my dog out for a walk, come home and leave it on the table for a while with music on. It’s definitely a versatile one. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Jbl is good. I have seen some people complain saying when its on full volume the sound cracks but who wants an audio on at the full volume? If you intend to use in a big party buy a big equipment. I use my jbl mainly outdoors to enjoy my own music and it works perfectly.
Hi AJ, thanks for your comment. You’re right, you shouldn’t put your volume to full with any devices. I think JBL is powerful enough but not in a big party environment as you say!
Great review, well done. Pretty much affordable all of them especially I’m a little surprised Bose is sold in reasonable price range. I have Amazon Echo which I’m ok with it but I don’t get a big sound unless I buy some more in the future. I’d rather have one good speaker that lasts long and powerful. Thanks. D
Hi Dexter, thanks for your comment. I quite like Amazon Echo too, but as you say, it becomes much more powerful if you have 2, 3 or more around the house. Yes Bose has a large price range and this is an easily affordable and very reasonable for what it actually does. Highly recommended!
Thank you, Ray. I was looking for a compact speakers that I can take with me for vacation trips. It looks like the Bose speaker is the winner so I am planning to buy it in time for my next trip to Australia just before this Christmas.
Hi Jude, thanks for your comment. I’m glad to hear that my post has helped. Yes Bose sure is a winner. I hope you’ll enjoy it, and have a great vacation in Australia! Any more questions don’t hesitate to ask any time 🙂
I love the idea of using a speaker as a spare battery for smart phone. MINIRIG 2 has so many colors which I really like. Charging time of 6 – 8 hours seems ridiculously long but I suppose it’s fair if you can play music for so long plus it has an ability to charge other devices.
hi Dmitry, yes there are quite a few speakers that require long hours of charging time, but they come in really handy when you go walking and need a navigator on your phone. Because navigator/map apps consume a lot of battery life. I’d recommend MINIRIG because it’s compact and funky. Thanks for your comment!
I’m surprised Bose speaker is available for such an affordable price! It’s on my next shopping list definitely! I’m using my phone which obviously doesn’t give enough sound power…
Hi Kieran, thanks for your comment. Yes Bose is affordable, and it’s fabulous. I’m glad to hear that it’s on your shopping list!