Finding the best portable Bluetooth speaker under $100 involves considering sound quality, battery life, build durability, and portability. Key features to look for include clean highs, decent bass, and a well-defined midrange. Durability and waterproof ratings (e.g., IPX7) are essential for outdoor use. A lightweight, rugged design ensures it withstands rough handling without compromising audio quality.
Our guide spotlights four winning Bluetooth speakers, selected from over 100 analyzed models and 1,149,026 reviews. We identified 92% of experts as unreliable, filtering out fake reviews using our proprietary Trust Score. This thorough vetting process ensures that our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers are trustworthy and accurate. The chosen products excelled by delivering top performance in sound quality, durability, and connectivity, ensuring you get the best value.
How Did We Rank the best Portable Bluetooth Speakers under $100?
Finding the best portable Bluetooth speaker under $100 involves meticulous research and analysis. Our guide is based on 1 required test result, 2 desirable features, and 1 crucial specification. We evaluated data from more than 200 sources, focusing on critical pain points and key performance indicators. By synthesizing expert reviews, customer feedback, and testing methodologies, we confidently present a curated list of speakers that offer the best bang for your buck. When you shop through our links, you’re backing our mission. Dive deeper to see how.
?️ Minimum Specifications
- Must cost less than $100
? Test Criteria
- Battery Life: 9 hours is the length of time this Bluetooth speaker can play before the battery goes flat.
? “Nice To Haves”
- Volume Output: Provides a dynamic and immersive sound experience, achieving volume output levels exceeding 91 decibels, delivering powerful audio performance.
- Low-End Roll-Off: Having a low-frequency roll-off below 60 Hz ensures the presence of subtle rumble in the bass, enhancing the immersive quality of your music or movie-watching experience.
Latest Updates
- 04/12/2024: Completely and thoroughly overhauled the guide to include the best portable Bluetooth speakers under $100 based on our True Score system.
Top Portable Bluetooth Speakers under $100 For 2024
Prices accurate at the time of publishing
To secure a spot on our list, a portable Bluetooth speaker under $100 must meet our stringent criteria for audio performance and quality. If it doesn’t meet these standards, it won’t be featured!
Best Overall
Runner Up
Best Value
Best Budget
Best Mid-Range
Premium Pick
Sony SRS-XB12
The Sony SRS-XB12 delivers clear high frequencies and decent bass in a compact, water-resistant design. It is ideal for personal or outdoor, on-the-go listening, and it offers added convenience from a built-in microphone and smart app support.
True Score
79785Experts
899kCustomers
Mixed Reviews
SAVE $30$59.99$29.88Snapshot
Reasons to Buy
- Aux port
- Smartphone-based voice assistants and speakerphone features
- Submersible waterproof and dust-proof construction
- Remarkably lightweight 0.4-lb design
- Excellent 13.3-hour battery life
Reasons to Avoid
- Lacks multi-device Bluetooth pairing
- Weak bass may not be suitable for movie enthusiasts
- Lacks EQ
- Doesn’t support stereo
Specifications
Battery Life 16 hrs Built In Microphone Yes Charge Time 4 hrs and 30 meters Size 74 mm (d) x 92 mm (h) Smart App Yes Speaker Pairing Yes Water Resistant Yes Wattage 10W Wireless Range 10 m All Specs
Test Results
Battery Life (Hours) 13 Volume Output (dB) 80 Low End Roll Off (Hz) 143 High End Roll Off (Hz) 17k All Retailers
- $29.88$60Save $30
Availability
Not availableFree Shipping
Yes - $39.93
Availability
In StockFree Shipping
No
Our Verdict
The Sony SRS-XB12 offers great value for those seeking a compact, portable speaker that doesn’t skimp on performance. Its solid battery life of 16 hours and water-resistant design makes it well-suited for on-the-go music enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, and anyone needing a reliable audio companion for travel, beach outings, or casual listening at home. Its built-in microphone and smart app support add to its versatility, making it a great pick if you appreciate convenience and functionality in a small package.
If you enjoy personally listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and vocal-centric music, it has a best-in-class high-end roll-off at 16974.66 Hz, meaning it can reproduce higher frequencies with clarity. The low-end roll-off at 142.54 Hz suggests it handles bass well for its size, although it may not satisfy those looking for room-shaking bass. The volume output isn’t stellar at 79.7 dB, but it’s still suitable for personal listening and small gatherings.
It’s similar to Marshall Willen since they both have great high-end roll-offs for vocal clarity and similar battery lives and ranges, but the SRS-XB12 stands out for its ultra-portability and better bass.
If you prioritize compact size, ease of use, and the ability to enjoy vocal-centric content in various settings, the Sony SRS-XB12 is a strong choice. It may not match the volume and bass of larger speakers, but its high-end roll-off performance and features like water resistance and smart app compatibility make it versatile for everyday listening, travel, and outdoor use.
Which Criteria Matters for the Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers under $100?
By focusing on these criteria (1 required, 2 nice to have), anyone can quickly and easily compare these Bluetooth speakers and how they’ll perform. This helps you make an informed decision and purchase a Bluetooth speaker that is right for you.
CRITERIA | RANGE | REQUIRED | DEFINITION |
---|---|---|---|
Battery Life (Hours) | > 9 Hr | Yes | The length of time a Bluetooth speaker can play before the battery goes flat. |
Low End Roll Off (Hz) | < 60 Hz | No (nice to have) | The point at which bass response starts to fall sharply, causing it to rapidly become inaudible. |
Volume Output (dB) | > 91 dB | No (nice to have) | The maximum volume that a Bluetooth speaker is able to output when turned to max. |
Our Trusted Data Sources
We looked at 57 Bluetooth speaker reviewers and only 9 are trustworthy (60%+ Trust Score). The three we have listed below are our most trusted for Bluetooth speakers.
- Becca Fischer – Rtings, MuckRack
- Michelle Powell – TechGearLab, MuckRack
- Brent Butterworth – Wirecutter, MuckRack, LinkedIn
Interested in a comprehensive analysis of our data sources? We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a detailed list of every Bluetooth speaker review website we’ve identified, organized by their respective Trust Scores from highest to lowest. But we didn’t stop there. We’ve meticulously reviewed each publication and verified the data by checking whether the authors have bio links to MuckRack or LinkedIn. We’re committed to not only checking the facts but ensuring their veracity.
Bluetooth Speaker Test Data & Results
1. Battery Life Test Results
Your Bluetooth speakers are more than likely going to be battery powered. They might not run solely on battery power, but it is more common than not for Bluetooth speakers to be able to play without being plugged into a wall. That means, you’ll want your speaker to be able to play for as long as possible without having to be plugged in to charge, so even if you forget your charging cable, you’re not shackled to 4 hours of play time.
It’s for this reason that we recommend that Bluetooth speakers have at least 9 hours of playtime – enough to get you through a full day of playing your speakers. That said, there’s no upper limit to battery life – the more you can get “under your belt”, the better. If your speaker can deliver more than 17 hours of battery life on a single charge, you’ve got more than enough for two days and change, which is plenty of time to remember you need to plug the speaker in.
Battery Life
> 9 Hours
Acceptable range of performance
Definition: The amount of time speakers can play before the battery dies.
Units of Measurement: Hours
Tools to Measure: Timer
Why It’s Important:
Battery life is what keeps your speaker going when you’re out and about, otherwise your speaker can’t survive heavy usage in a day or a weekend.
Battery Life (in hours; higher is better)
2. Volume Output Test Results
Volume Output
>91 dB
Acceptable range of performance
Definition: The maximum volume that a Bluetooth speaker can hit at 100%.
Units of Measurement: dB (Decibels)
Tools to Measure: Sound level or decibel meter
Why It’s Important:
Max volume is how you ensure you’ve got enough volume to hear your music at a party without audio becoming heavily distorted.
Maximum volume is the most straightforward test to grasp when it comes to Bluetooth speakers: it simply refers to the loudest level at which the speaker can play. However, the importance of having a high maximum volume might not be immediately obvious. Beyond the ability to fill rooms with sound or serve as party speakers, higher maximum volumes play a crucial role in ensuring audio clarity at typical listening volumes.
This concept is known as “headroom.” Adequate headroom in a Bluetooth speaker means it can reproduce sounds at a level that is both loud enough and clear enough, ensuring that your usual listening levels for music or podcasts are crisp and free from distortion. Your Bluetooth speaker should have a minimum of 85 dB of maximum volume, but 91 dB or even higher is ideal. The higher the maximum volume, the better the speaker is at delivering sound that can fill increasingly large spaces without sacrificing sound quality.
Volume Output (in dB; higher is better)
3. Low End Roll Off Test Results
The low-end roll off is key in determining how deep the bass on your Bluetooth speaker will sound. A Bluetooth speaker with a roll off that doesn’t start at a sufficiently low frequency leads to bass that sounds weak or is missing entirely, which makes music sound weak. Essentially, the deeper the bass can extend before rolling off, the more robust the sound.
For the majority of Bluetooth speakers and typical usage scenarios, aiming for a roll off that begins no higher than 60 Hz is advisable. However, the lower the frequency where roll off begins, the better the bass experience. It’s important to understand that there’s a limit to how low the roll off can go, so expecting Bluetooth speakers to achieve roll off points in the teens might be unrealistic. It’s also important to remember that Bluetooth speakers don’t have subwoofers and are also generally small, which limits how deep their bass can get.
Low End Roll Off
< 60 Hz
Acceptable range of performance
Definition: The point at which bass begins to sharply decline and becomes rapidly inaudible.
Units of Measurement: Hz (Hertz)
Tools to Measure: Oscilloscope
Why It’s Important:
If bass takes longer to start rolling off, it’ll generally be more present in your speaker’s output, which will give music much more “punch” and depth.
Low End Roll Off (in Hz; lower is better)
The Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers under $100: Mistakes To Avoid
- Ignoring Sound Quality: While budget speakers may not match the audio quality of higher-end models, don’t sacrifice too much on sound quality. Much like when looking for the top small Bluetooth speakers, search for the best Bluetooth speakers with balanced sound, clear highs, and decent bass for an enjoyable listening experience.
- Overlooking Battery Life: Portable speakers rely on battery power, so ensure that the model you choose offers adequate battery life, ideally over 9 hours, for your needs. Avoid speakers with short battery life that require frequent recharging, especially if you plan to use them for extended periods away from power sources. For more well-regarded options, check out our Anker Soundcore 2 review and Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 review, although the latter is slightly outside this guide’s price range.
- Neglecting Durability: Portable speakers are often used outdoors or in rugged environments, so durability is crucial. Avoid flimsy or poorly constructed speakers that may not withstand bumps, drops, or exposure to moisture. Look for speakers with sturdy build quality and, if possible, water-resistant or waterproof ratings. Although not cheap, party speakers are usually very durable and waterproof as well, with some great examples being our review of the JBL Partybox 110 and the JBL Partybox 710.
- Ignoring Connectivity Options: Check the connectivity options offered by the speaker, including Bluetooth version, auxiliary input, and NFC (Near Field Communication) compatibility. Ensure that the speaker can easily connect to your devices and supports the features you need for convenient playback. For those using auxiliary inputs, the best RCA cables can enhance audio quality by ensuring a clean, stable connection that minimizes signal loss.
The Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers Under $100 Tests Compared
Product | True Score
|
Battery Life
|
Volume Output
|
Low End Roll Off
|
High End Roll Off
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 |
|
|
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| $61.77 $100 $38 |
| 79 |
|
|
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| $79.99 $120 $40 |
79 |
|
|
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| $79.99 $110 $30 | |
79 |
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|
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| $29.88 $60 $30 |