Wireless Bluetooth speakers are enjoying a huge market in India right now. There are some really great products coming out in all shapes and sizes. And while some of them are sort of cumbersome to carry round, some pride themselves on their portability, and fit easily inside your bags. What’s more, being wireless, they don’t even require you to carry any cables around. You will find good Bluetooth speakers in all price categories, but this list is based on our extensive research and ratings, with the final result being the best bluetooth speakers worth including in this list of 2018. We review and update this list every few months in order to update the price, pictures and even products in this list if need be.
Ultimate Ears of UE makes some really high-quality speakers, and its Boom 2 line is just top-notch. This portable speaker comes in a variety of fresh colours, and offers incredible sound across a huge volume range. Due to its shape, it’s able to provide omnidirectional sound moreover. Another highlight of the UE Boom 2 is that it’s waterproof, and can survive even after being submerged in water completely. Lastly, it can be paired with one more UE Boom 2 to get the stereo sound effect.
The Bose SoundLink RevolvePlus is the ultimate powerhouse which provides 360-degree audio. It has been fitted with a durable aluminium body that also happens to be water resistant. Capable of keeping the entire party going on its own, this extremely advanced speaker offers around 16 hours of battery life for wireless playback. And though the SoundLink Revolve Plus is no Google Home, it does feature a multi-function button which gives you voice input for Siri and Google Now.
Hardened rock music fans won’t be able to say no to this one. The Kilburn kills it with its appearance, which is inspired from the iconic amplifiers which the same company makes. A big design decision is the inclusion of three old school dials up top for controlling the volume, bass and treble. This speaker’s got a rather large and bulky body, but it can still be classified as portable. Additionally, the Marshall Kilburn offers superb sound along with a top-notch bass experience, while boasting of 20 hours of battery life.
This one from Sony is a complete powerhouse. The SRS-XB40 has been made especially for those who enjoy EDM. If its bass doesn’t feel enough for you, you can always push its Extra Bass button to boost it furthermore. When it comes to battery life, this portable speaker takes the cake with its 24-hour capability. When it’s turned off, its looks might not impress you, but once you fire this thing up, its amazing multi-coloured line light starts dancing to the beat, along with a flashing strobe near the drivers.
Here’s yet another completely waterproof speaker from our list. The Charge 3 from JBL allows you to connect 3 smartphones or tablets at a time, to take turns for playing the music. Apart from being a portable speaker, it can also serve you as a power bank thanks to its large battery which can do 20 hours of music playback in one complete charge. The Charge 3 is able to dish out really loud music with strong bass. Its compact design makes it very easy to carry around in your backpacks.
If excellent sound quality is what you’re looking for, the Bose SoundLinkColor II is for you. It’s one of the best sounding Bluetooth speakers out there. TheSoundLinkColor II happens to be splashproof, allowing you to use it during pool parties with no worries. Moreover, it even features a soft-touch silicone exterior, which helps it stay safe from minor drops and scratches. And like most speakers from Bose these days, this one also holds onto a multi-function button for giving voice input to digital assistants like Siri and Google Now.
Size is everything when it comes to portability, but also keep an eye on the weight of the product you’re buying. A heavy speaker, no matter how small, will also increase the bulk in your backpack, which will make its portability aspect go down a notch.
Durability is another aspect that must be considered. A lot of speakers offer water resistance these days, which is great for those who go out on adventures a lot, or even for those who like to have a speaker handy during their pool parties.
If you’re an audiophile, check if the speaker is ideal for the kind of music you’ll be playing on it the most. No doubt, most high-end devices dish out serious sound quality, but they can sometimes be more suited for particular kind of music, which is something important to look out for.
PRODUCT NAME | PRICE |
SOUND |
PORTABILITY |
BATTERY |
VFM |
EXPERT RATING |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UE Boom 2 | 10,934 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8.5 |
Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus | 24,500 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8.6 |
Marshall Kilburn | 16,450 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8.4 |
Sony SRS-XB40 | 13,553 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8.3 |
JBL Charge 3 | 10,990 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7.9 |
Bose SoundLinkColor II | 11,500 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7.9 |
We’ve curated this list based on our own expert reviews, overall user reviews from shopping websites like Amazon and Flipkart, and expert reviews from trusted websites like Trusted Reviews, CNET and Digital Trends.
As far as the weighted averages of our final expert scores are concerned, the split is: 50% for expert reviews, 25% for expert reviews from our trusted websites, and 25% for user reviews.
For example, in this list, the Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus— our favouriteportable speaker in India by far — had a score spilt of:
Expert review: 8.6/10
Expert reviews from trusted websites: 8.3/10 (CNET, Tech Radar and Trusted Reviews)
User reviews: 9.2/10 (Amazon and Flipkart)
Overall expert score: 8.6/10 (rounded off)