People love to celebrate and complain about our increasingly-connected technology in equal measure. Yet, whether you’d like a chance to tune out texts and phone calls with some entertainment, or you never want to miss a message, a Bluetooth speaker is a great way to expand the options available from your wireless device of choice. To be clear, these little wireless wonders of sound and function have had an extremely rocky road. If you’re looking for pure audio nirvana, you’ll likely want to invest at least $200 in the latest and greatest.
However, the technology pulling it all together has experienced a drastic decrease in cost over the past few years. Yes, that’s right. You can get your own, fully-functional and not-at-all-frustrating little chunk of bluetooth speaker for less at $50!
This list should give you some ideas about what to look for. But to share some of the methodology, the first tip is to browse around for the best *and* most-reviewed options available. A 5-star rating looks great, but if that’s based on 5 reviews, you’d be better off with the product with 500 reviews and a 4-star rating. In the wild west of wireless speaker offerings, there is absolutely safety in numbers.
At this price range, you should expect to find rechargeable battery packs, speaker-phone functionality, and some extra emphasis on delivering the bass notes your phone can’t.
1. OONTZ CURVE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER ULTRA PORTABLE WIRELESS FULL 360 DEGREE SOUND
Jumping up a little in the price range is where you’ll find the best deals and the most-recently discounted high-technology. Oontz uses this same, pod-like form factor as conventional “low-end” Bluetooth speakers, and gives the whole design a sturdy, attractive finish. And if you’re the sort that needs a speaker phone that won’t embarrass you in a business meeting, the Curve brings clear and crisp functionality without looking like it’s meant for playing Justin Bieber songs. (Of course, it can do that, too. No judgements.)
2. OONTZ ANGLE 2 PLUS PORTABLE WIRELESS WATER RESISTANT BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
The “Angle 2” from OontZ is a great example of why the company has built such a committed following. Rather than the classy finish of the Curve, the Angle 2 is the rugged speaker you’ll want to bring wherever your journey takes you. It’s important to note that water *resistant* isn’t the same as “water-proof,” but this design does a great job of keeping the normal threats of moisture and dirt away from the electronics inside. And you’ll be happy that it does, because the sound, battery life, and build quality are all extremely impressive for the price. You’ll find some minor trade-offs when compared to fancier options, but if you’re going out into the wilderness, you might appreciate a sturdy device that won’t bring you to tears if tragedy strikes.
3. BEARDED BLUE PREMIUM STEREO BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
On the opposite end of the “rugged, weather-resistant” scale is this offering from Bearded Blue. With the shift if focus, you get more emphasis on sound reproduction in a sleek, attractive package. Billed at one point as the “thinnest speaker on the market,” its 8 hours of battery life and shiny alloy casing makes this a great option for household listening. It won’t look out of place in most modern settings, and it might even class your place up.
4. TMVEL MASTIAQUA NFC PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER, WATER RESISTANT/WATERPROOF SHOCKPROOF AND DUSTPROOF
Now we’re getting into “yesterday’s best Bluetooth” territory. With so much competition from all sides, the industry can’t help discounting their last, best tech. So it is with the MastiAqua, a rubberized beast of water/dust/shock-proof beauty that doesn’t compromise on sound or battery. With 8-10 hours of battery life, and a nifty NFC syncing pad, a quick bump of an NFC-enabled device is all you need to begin using the speaker. A gimmick, sure. Yet, with this many options available to you, these unique “gimmicks” can actually represent real value if you appreciate the functionality they offer.
5. TMVEL AQUAMASTI RUGGED WIRELESS SHOCKPROOF 100% WATER RESISTANT/WATERPROOF 10W SPEAKER
Their name may be unpronounceable, but Tmvel knows their way around a solid, sturdy speaker design. And with the Aquamasti, they’ve thrown everything they do well into a small, absurdly overpowered package. It’s like they hit their 10-*18* hours of listening time, realized it still wasn’t enough, and put in an option to charge your devices from its giant battery. They made a case that was as “fill-in-the-blank”-proof as humanly possible, and then jammed a 10 watt speaker system inside to justify the protection. You’ll find plenty of bass and volume for your money here, with few concerns about damaging your investment.
Best Bluetooth Speakers 