The best cheap Bluetooth speakers in 2024

Our list of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers will help you find top-tier wireless audio at a bargain price. In fact, in this roundup we’ve stumbled on a bonanza of bargain Bluetooth speaker gems all for under $100 — and some for less than $50.

Whether you're looking for a model to play at a cookout or BBQ in the backyard with family and friends, or want a reliable speaker to take along to a music festival that you can throw into a travel bag for carefree sounds, we've rated each of these cheap Bluetooth speakers for their sound and battery life performance, and robustness.

Many of these budget models even offer water protection and are protected to the same level as more upmarket offerings we've seen from the likes of the Sonos Roam and UE Megaboom 3, meaning the speaker can accompany you outside by the pool, at the beach, or even in the bathroom without you needing to worry about splashes and water proofing. Several models offer extended battery life and some can be paired with a second speaker to create stereo sound, or synced with multiple speakers in various 'party sound' modes. 

Read on to find out which models deliver top audio quality without breaking the bank. 

The quick list

The best cheap Bluetooth speakers you can buy right now 

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Best cheap Bluetooth speaker overall

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3Editor's Choice

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Best small Bluetooth speaker overall

Specifications

Size: 4.1 x 3.8 inches
Weight: 14.8 ounces
Battery life (rated): 14 hours
Durability rating: IP67

Reasons to buy

+
Impressive bass for its size
+
Waterproof design
+
Can pair two together
+
14 hours battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
No USB-C connector

The UE Wonderboom 3 is one of the most well-rounded Bluetooth speakers under $100 that we’ve reviewed. Balanced sound and a portable design make it a great companion, while the Outdoor Boost feature does its job. And for most people 14 hours of battery life is plenty.

If you think you need beefier sound or a longer battery life, the Megaboom 3 might be worth the investment. It also can be paired with additional UE speakers for stereo sound. Charging the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is our only real disappointment. Going from dead, the speaker took over two hours to reach the chime that indicates a full charge. This is probably due to Micro-USB charging, which is rather outdated, and we wish it had USB-C charging like most of my other devices. Otherwise, the UE Wonderboom 3 is one of the best options for the price.

Read the full UE Wonderboom 3 review.

Best value Bluetooth speaker

Anker Soundcore 3 speaker on garden wallbest value awards badge

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Best value Bluetooth speaker with all-day playback

Specifications

Size: 6.75 x 2.25 x 2.25-inch
Weight: 13 ounces
Battery life (rated): 24 hours
Durability rating: IPX7

Reasons to buy

+
Big sound from small design
+
Good battery life
+
Useful Soundcore app and EQ modes

Reasons to avoid

-
Sound hardens up at higher volumes
-
Rubberized case marks easily

The Anker Soundcore 3 is an amazing little Bluetooth speaker for outdoor sounds. For just over $50, this tiny powerhouse delivers loud, well-balanced sound within an IPX7-rated design that can survive water, dust, while the robust rubberised outer case takes care of protection from every day knocks. The speaker lasts up to a whopping 24 hours, thanks to Anker's best-in-class battery technology, and the Soundcore 3's dual tweeter drivers and central mid/bass woofer allied to a passive bass driver and Anker's BassUp technology, ensure you'll get powerful sound in any setting.

The Soundcore's compact, 6.75 x 2.25 x 2.25-inch design makes this speaker perfect for tossing into your bag for a quick road trip, and SharePlay allows multiple Soundcore speakers to be synced for an even bigger sound. It's also available in blue, red and silver colors for a little extra ($56) cost in addition to the standard slick black we tested.

Read our full Anker Soundcore 3 review.

Best battery life from a cheap Bluetooth speaker

Listing images showing Tribit StormBox Flow 4 on a wooden fence post outside

(Image credit: Future)
Great sound and battery life, but dull looks

Specifications

Size: 7.9 x 3.6 x 2.1 inches
Weight: 24 ounces
Battery life (rated): 30 hours
Durability rating: IP67

Reasons to buy

+
Good overall sound
+
Sound customization through app
+
Up to 30 hours of battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Treble can sound thin
-
Heavier than some similar portable speakers

The Tribit Stormbox Flow sounds remarkably good and is on a par with the more expensive Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3. The bass is impressive, especially with the XBass or Rock sound mode engaged. It’s a little heavier than the competition and it isn’t much to look at — two things that mean it ranks third in our list of best cheap Bluetooth speakers, and may cause you to look elsewhere.

If you like physical controls to play with rather than having to navigate a control app, you'll find controls for power, Bluetooth pairing, and volume along the speaker's top. Tribit says the StormBox Flow can play for 30 hours on a charge, although that will drop to 24 hours with XBass engaged. 

Bluetooth connectivity was stable during our tests, and our reviewer found that it maintained a strong connection to a phone placed 100 feet away. There no auxiliary port for connecting up an external wired source, but it can be used as a speaker phone. If sound quality is the driver, the StormBox Flow will exceed your expectations.

Read our full Tribit StormBox Flow review. 

Best cheap Bluetooth speaker for day sacks

Sony SRS-XB100 sitting in the sand on the beach

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Packs a surprising punch that's perfect for days out

Specifications

Size: 3.43 x 4.41 inches
Weight: 9.7 ounces
Battery life (rated): 16 hours
Durability rating: IP67

Reasons to buy

+
Extremely portable
+
Waterproof
+
Great bass for its size
+
Long-lasting battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Included charging cable is too short

For less than $60, the Sony SRS-XB100 Bluetooth speaker provides a great on-the-go listening experience in a grippy can-shaped package. It doesn’t get as loud as the UE Wonderboom 3 (above), but the XB100 audio quality is truly impressive for its size. You can pair two speakers in stereo to split left and right audio channels for better performance. What’s more, it can cope with environmental noises and projects sounds well, even in windy environments, but there's no EQ control.

It takes 4.5 hours to recharge via USB-C, which means there’s not really the option to quickly juice it up before you head out. Plus, the included charging cable is shorter than we’d like. Nevertheless, the XB100 is a great buy at the price. It comes in four colors — black, blue, light grey and orange — and a special UV coating means the colors shouldn’t fade in the sun.

Read our full Sony SRS-XB100 review.

Best cheap Bluetooth speaker with Wi-Fi

Amazon Echo Pop on shelf

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Best cheap Bluetooth speaker with Wi-Fi smarts and Alexa

Specifications

Size: 3.9 x 3.3 x 3.6 inches
Weight : 6.9 ounces
Battery life (rated): N/A
Durability rating: Not specified

Reasons to buy

+
Great sound for the size
+
Smart home hub features 
+
Amazon Alexa voice assistant

Reasons to avoid

-
No battery
-
Doesn't go very loud

The $39 Echo Pop is currently the least expensive smart speaker offered by the company. As well as being a Wi-Fi speaker with Alexa smarts built-in, the Echo Pop also offers connectivity via Bluetooth, making it a pretty versatile little speaker for the price. It's $10 less than the Amazon Echo Dot and comes in four colors: black white, lavender, and teal.

Like the Echo Dot, the Echo Pop delivers good audio for its size. It’s not going to replace larger speakers, but it’s great for smaller spaces or when you’re listening to music alone. Ultimately, if all you want is a neat little Bluetooth speaker that brings together Alexa voice assistant smarts with pretty good good sound quality for its size when playing music, then the Echo Pop is worth a shot. 

Read our full Amazon Echo Pop review.

Best small Bluetooth speaker

The JBL Go 3 propped on a table

(Image credit: Future)
Best pocket-friendly speaker

Specifications

Size: 3.4 x 2.7 x 1.6 inches
Weight: 7.4 ounces
Battery life (rated): 5 hours
Durability rating: IP67

Reasons to buy

+
Compact and waterproof
+
Strong bass
+
Choice of six colors

Reasons to avoid

-
No app support
-
Lacking audio setail

The adorably tiny JBL Go 3 very nearly does it all. It's highly portable, even more so than the Go 2 thanks to the new rope loop, and is water- and dust-proof to the IP67 standard. That's on par with the class-leading UE Megaboom 3. It's also good-looking, with six color options to choose from, and its Bluetooth 5.1 is solid and dependable.

5 hours doesn't sound like much, battery-wise, but in testing we got closer to 10 hours when sticking to middling volumes. Sound quality is good rather than great, with thick bass but less of an ear for detail than the Soundcore 2, but on the whole this is an outstanding bargain.

Read our full JBL Go 3 review.

Best for travel

The Tribit StormBox Micro clipped to a bike handle

(Image credit: Tribit)
Best Bluetooth bike speaker

Specifications

Size: 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.4 inches
Weight: 9.6 ounces
Battery life (rated): 8 hours
Durability rating: IP67

Reasons to buy

+
Small and lightweight
+
Decent bass
+
Water- and dust-proof

Reasons to avoid

-
No app
-
Short battery life

The StormBox Micro pushes $50, but it's worth it. This is a much more compact speaker than its cousin, the XSound Go, and it's both fully waterproof (in depths up to 1 meter) and protected against dust and dirt.

Unlike a lot of very small speakers, it also sounds great, producing clear vocals and some surprisingly strong bass. For something tiny enough to clip onto a satchel or bike handlebars, that’s very good indeed. The only drawbacks are the lack of an app, though you can pair with two devices at once) and a relatively low battery life, which sees the StormBox Micro run dry after 8 hours.

Read our full Tribot StormBox Micro review.

Best cheap Bluetooth speakers: Specs compared

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3Sony SRS-XB100Tribit StormBox FlowAnker Soundcore 3Amazon Echo PopJBL Go 3Tribit StormBox Micro
Price$99 / £90 / AU$149$59$79 / £65$51 / $56 / AU$89$39$39 / £39 / AU$59$49 / £49 / AU$79
Size4.1 x 3.8 inches3.43 x 4.41 inches7.9 x 3.6 x 2.1 inches6.75 x 2.25 x 2.25-inch3.9 x 3.3 x 3.6 inches3.4 x 2.7 x 1.6 inches3.9 x 3.9 x 1.4 inches
Weight14.8 ounces 9.7 ounces24 ounces13 ounces6.9 ounces 7.4 ounces9.6 ounces
Battery life (rated)14 hours 16 hours30 hours24 hoursN/A5 hours8 hours
Durability ratingIP67IP67IP67IPX7Nots specifiedIP67IP67

How to choose the best cheap Bluetooth speakers

3 things to consider before you buy

The best cheap Bluetooth speaker is a balance between price, sound quality, size and features. While none of these speakers cost very much, you will see a wide variability in sound quality among the ones that have an MRSP of more $50 than the the ones priced lower. If you can afford to spend a few more dollars, you will be rewarded with better vocals and bass, and generally, better battery life. 

1. Design: If you know you’ll want to take the speaker with you on hikes and to the pool, opt for one that is light, offers waterproofing and ideally gets loud enough to be heard over environmental noise. Check ratings carefully and don't forget to check out our best outdoor speakers and best waterproof speakers to buy right now. 

2. Bluetooth range: You should also pay attention to the wireless range — some of these will stay connected 100 feet from your audio source, while others are only good at 33 feet. While most of these cheap Bluetooth speakers include a microphone for use as a speakerphone, the quality may not be any better than what your phone can produce.

3. Pricing considerations: Obviously, price is a big consideration when looking for the a low-cost Bluetooth speaker. Although there are always exceptions, big-name brands will always command a bit extra, but generally speaking, the less you spend on a Bluetooth speaker the greater the chance that sound and features will be compromised. Going for a budget option isn't always the best choice, but you can rest assured that all the models in this list bring strong performance at a great price.

As the saying goes: timing is everything; and right now many of our favorite models can be found discounted at online retailers, meaning you can bag a bargain for even less. Bookmark our tech deals pages to keep on top of the biggest bargains. 

How we test the best cheap Bluetooth speakers

The best reviews criteria carried out by audio experts

With more than 30 years experience in testing and reviewing consumer audio products for all kinds of media outlets and big-name brands around the world, the Tom's Guide audio team apply the most rigorous test regime when it comes to determining the best products for our buying guide lists. 

Each of the Bluetooth speakers on this list was tested using songs from a variety of music genres, including rock, hip-hop and acoustic. We listen for vocal clarity, sharpness of treble and richness of bass. We assess how easily each speaker pairs with our playback devices, and try the on-device controls for ease of use. We benchmark volume using an app that measures decibels, and during the testing phase, our reviewer listens for several hours at a time throughout the course of a week. Reviewers will make a note of the battery life performance in real world use, and assess how well this matches the rated battery life specifications provided by earbud makers. 

Star ratings explained: We evaluate Bluetooth speakers based on a five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). If a product hits nearly every mark, it is awarded a coveted Recommended badge, while our Best Value award speaks for itself. Only products with truly exceptional performance across the board are awarded an Editor's Choice badge. 

For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom's Guide.

Contributions from: Micheal Gowan, Kate Kozuch

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Lee Dunkley
Audio Editor

As a former editor of the U.K.'s Hi-Fi Choice magazine, Lee is passionate about all kinds of audio tech and has been providing sound advice to enable consumers to make informed buying decisions since he joined Which? magazine as a product tester in the 1990s. Lee covers all things audio for Tom's Guide, including headphones, wireless speakers and soundbars and loves to connect and share the mindfulness benefits that listening to music in the very best quality can bring.