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Take your music anywhere with one of these top-rated wireless speakers

There’s no need to get caught up in a tangle of wires when you want to listen to music in different rooms of your house or out in the garden. Investing in a great Bluetooth speaker means you can bring your music with you wherever you go with ease.

There's never been more choice of models, and just like the best smart speakers some will even let you control them using your voice via Alexa and Google Assistant.

Here are our top picks:

We test Bluetooth speakers in the same way you’d use them. We look at how easy they are to use, the quality of the sound for a range of genres (including rock, pop and jazz), how long the battery lasts, and how much control you get over music. We also test out all of the extra features, like built-in voice assistants and smartphone apps.

This is Bose’s top-of-the-line portable speaker. It’s lightweight, versatile and sounds fantastic, with plenty of powerful and punchy bass. It’s also stylish and both rain- and drop-proof. We love the 360-degree design which means you get the same listening experience no matter where you stand in the room. It even doubles up as a smart speaker. Overall, there's not much more you could want from a portable speaker.

• Connections: Bluetooth and 3.5mm audio • Battery life: 15 hours • Speaker output: Not stated • Bluetooth range: Not stated • Voice assistant: Yes • Dimensions: 18 x 6.5 x 6.5 cm • Weight: 540g

This portable speaker is one of the smallest in Bang & Olufsen's line-up, but it still provides a clear and loud sound with punchy bass. It looks premium, feels premium and has a carry strap and is splash-proof, so you can use it outside. We also like the “one touch” button that connects the speaker to the last device it was connected to and instantly plays the last song you heard. A very reliable investment.

• Connections: Bluetooth, USB-C • Battery life: Up to 18 hours • Speaker output: 280W • Bluetooth range: Not stated • Voice assistant: Yes, Alexa • Dimensions: 13.3 x 4.6 x 13.3 • Weight: 558g

Here, you get louder, punchier sound than with other Ultimate Ears models, and 20 hours of listening time. It may be heavier than others on this list but the waterproof speaker still floats in the pool or bath. The 'magic button' lets you play your favourite playlists from Apple Music or Deezer in one tap. It's not too expensive and you can pair it with other Boom and Megaboom speakers (including previous versions) for an even louder sound.

• Connections: Bluetooth • Battery life: Up to 20 hours • Speaker output: Not stated • Bluetooth range: Up to 45m • Voice assistant: No • Dimensions: 22.5 x 8.7 x 8.7 cm • Weight: 925g

The Sonos Move is best suited to those with other Sonos devices. Thanks to the built-in wifi, it can join up to your existing multi-room system. You’ll be able to play music from any room in your house, as long as you’re connected to the same network. The voice assistant means that you can use the wifi to find out the weather or check the news hands-free, too. It is heavy, at 3kg, but it’s manageable to move around the house.

• Connections: Bluetooth, wifi • Battery life: 10 hours • Speaker output: Not stated • Bluetooth range: Not stated • Power: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery or charging loop • Voice assistant: Yes • Dimensions: 24 x 16 x 12.5 cm • Weight: 3kg

This tiny portable speaker is the lightest in our roundup. It has seriously impressive sound and delivers when it comes to bass - something some bigger portable speakers struggle with. We like that it can be used as a speakerphone to take calls and that it lets you talk to your phone’s voice assistant, although it doesn’t have one built in. The powerful bass has meant a compromise in battery life though - it only lasts up to six hours, which is about half as much as other Bose speakers.

• Connections: Bluetooth • Battery life: 6 hours • Speaker output: Not stated • Bluetooth range: 9m • Voice assistant: Only through your smartphone • Dimensions: 9.83 x 9.83 x 3.48 cm • Weight: 290g

With impressive sound and an extremely powerful bass, this speaker is ideal for parties or events. It allows two devices to be connected at once, so multiple people can control the playlist. Even better, the speaker will automatically fade one connection down before fading the other one in, so it feels slightly more seamless. On test, we were impressed by the clear sound and we loved the adaptive EQ feature that tweaks the sound to suit your surroundings. The battery lasts for up to 24 hours and takes just under three hours to fully recharge. It’s heavy though, so may be best limited to house use.

• Connections: Bluetooth, Optical and 3.5mm audio • Battery life: 24 hours • Speaker output: Not stated • Bluetooth range: 45m • Voice assistant: No • Dimensions: 36.4 x 19 x 19 cm • Weight: 5.9kg

This is a cheaper option from Ultimate Ears compared to others on this list. It still sounds great but lacked a punchy bass during testing. It can connect to other Ultimate Ears Boom speakers (including previous generations) for a more powerful sound in every room of the house, and friends can also connect their phones to it at the same time. It’s waterproof and will float, too.

• Connections: Bluetooth and 3.5mm audio • Battery life: 15 hours • Speaker output: 8W • Bluetooth range: 45m • Voice assistant: No • Dimensions: 18.37 x 7.3 x 7.3 cm • Weight: 600g

Bluetooth is the quickest and easiest way to connect your smartphone and speaker together. It doesn't require much power so the portable speaker can use a rechargeable battery rather than a wired connection. Both devices have to be within range of one another though (usually anywhere from 10m up to 45m) and the music won't continue playing if your smartphone receives a call or if you switch to a different app.

If a speaker has wifi, you can control the music from anywhere (as long as both devices are connected to the same network), whether that’s within the same room or not. It also means you can take calls or use your smartphone without the music being interrupted.

On the whole, wifi speakers are mains-powered, although there are some that include a rechargeable battery too.

Battery life: Bluetooth speakers can last anywhere between five to 24 hours from one charge. The louder they’re cranked up, the quicker the battery will drain.

Size and weight: You’ll appreciate a smaller, lighter device if you’re using your Bluetooth speaker on the go - also look out for a handle or strap. Bigger, heavier speakers will have a much more powerful sound and are better suited to home use.

Speaker output: The number of watts a portable speaker can put out ranges from under 5W up to around 300W. This doesn’t refer to how good the sound quality is though, rather the volume. The more wattage you have, the louder the sound can go without suffering from any distortion. Not all brands provide this information because of the confusion between sound quality and volume.

Voice assistants: Some Bluetooth speakers come with built-in Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa, so you can use your voice to control the music, ask for the weather and find information on the web.

Pairing two or more speakers together: Bluetooth speakers usually won’t have the same volume capabilities as wired home speakers, but some will let you pair multiple speakers together to boost the sound. They either do so in tandem with each other or to create a left and right stereo sound.

Waterproofing: There are a lot of waterproof Bluetooth speakers (some even float), making them good for the temperamental British weather or to use by the pool on holiday.