These are the best Bluetooth speakers of 2019

The best waterproof Bluetooth speakers of 2019 (Photo: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser)

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The weather is getting warmer, and hopefully that means it's time for summer fun: cookouts, trips to the beach, hikes, and time spent beside the pool. One thing that will drastically improve all those things? A portable speaker that can play your favorite music.

We've spent months testing dozens of the most popular and highly-rated speakers on the market. We talked to manufacturers, we read hundreds of user reviews, and we conducted our own in-house testing to find the best Bluetooth speaker right now—including everything from cheap $30 models to higher-end waterproof ones.

These are the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy:

Best For Most People: JBL Flip 4

JBL Flip 4 (Photo: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser)

The JBL Flip 4 ($75 on sale) isn't the cheapest speaker we tested, but there's a reason: it sounds awesome, it's waterproof, and it boasts beefier battery life than smaller options. It's so good we named it the Best Overall in our roundups of both the best portable and the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers.

From the knock-resistant hard plastic chassis to the cleanly spaced volume, play, and Bluetooth buttons, the Flip 4 stands out from the collective a bit in terms of pure polish and quality. It's not the loudest speaker on the list but it provides a good balance of bass, midtones, and treble frequencies. It's lighter than smaller speakers, which definitely adds to its overall portability, and is available in a wide range of colors like blue, red, teal, and even camo (yikes).

If you need waterproofing, outdoorsy sturdiness, good volume, and the ability to connect more than one Bluetooth source at a time, the Flip 4 is one of the best choices. It also delivers more impressive, rumbling bass than almost anything else we tested. No matter how you plan to use it—indoor, outdoor, dry, wet, stationary, or in motion—the Flip 4 delivers the goods.

Get the JBL Flip 4 at Amazon for $74.95

Best Cheap Bluetooth Speaker: Anker Soundcore 2

Kick your spontaneous dance party up a notch. (Photo: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser)

If you just want an affordable, waterproof Bluetooth speaker with no gimmicks, the Anker Soundcore 2 ($29.99 on sale) is the way to go. It features a sturdy rectangular design with big, easy-to-push buttons and a very tightly sealed set of inputs, including USB for charging and a 3.5mm aux port for audio.

The first thing I noticed about the SoundCore 2 was its sound quality. For being small, portable, and fairly lightweight—not to mention cheap at under $50—it has less tinniness in its trebles and more bass presence than other speakers.

Between the low price point and the wide array of colors, it's the best Bluetooth speaker for the money, bar none. It doesn't get incredibly loud, but it's enough for a party or small barbecue—all without a touch of distortion.

Most impressive? It's waterproof (rated to IPX7, which you can learn more about in our guide to what waterproof ratings actually mean), a big improvement over the original Anker Soundcore, which was already one of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers of all time. If you want a Bluetooth speaker on a budget, this is the one to get.

Get the Anker Soundcore 2 at Amazon for $29.99 with coupon

Other Bluetooth Speakers We Liked

Aomis Sport II ($32.99 with coupon at Amazon): This was a surprisingly good, cheap Bluetooth speaker that came in second in our roundup of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers. We'd recommend going with the Anker Soundcore or the waterproof Soundcore 2, but this is a good alternative—just clip the on-page coupon to get the price this low.

Bose Soundlink Revolve ($179 at Amazon): This Bose wireless Bluetooth speaker has a lot going for it, including excellent sound quality and a cool design. But it's also $179 on Amazon right now—the newest Bose Revolve+ is actually even more expensive at $249. We just think the JBL Flip 4 is a better option for the money. The Bose will sound better in most instances, but for nearly three times the price that's a tough sell.

Anker Soundcore Flare+ ($99.99 at Amazon): This $99.99 waterproof speaker ($79.99 on sale now and then) doesn't offer a ton more than the other Soundcore models. But it has flashing LED lights on the bottom that sync with your music, which might be worth it if you are using this at a party.

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered with our lab-tested roundups of all the best products. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Prices are accurate at the time this article was published, but may change over time.

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