Recently, I was chatting with a audiophile friend who told me that buying cheap audio equipment always ends in tears. But here's the thing, that's just not the case because you most definitely can pick up some excellent Bluetooth speakers for under $100/£100.
Big-name brands have looked at the budget end of the market and ploughed resources into manufacturing a wide selection of top-performing speakers that won't break the bank.
The speakers I’ve selected below all offer a combination of great sound, decent battery life, useful features and the kind of robustness you’ll want if you’re planning a trip to the park or the windswept wilds of the Scottish islands. Alternatively, there are some speakers that'll perform well above average when placed around your home.
And while my selection won't challenge the audiophile market, the speakers I've picked out offer awesome bang for your buck and deliver sound that punches well above their minuscule price point.
If you want my top pick straight away, I've gone for the Anker Soundcore Boom 3i - a speaker that boasts 50W of pure power with 16 hours of battery life thrown into the bargain.
Below, you'll find my top choice Bluetooth speakers for under $100/£100, along with a FAQ section to help in your purchasing decision.
Quick list
Not only does it look great in a rugged, outdoorsy kind of way, but the Anker Soundcore Boom 3i also packs a hell of a punch, delivering an impressive 50W of power. Add in cool features, including BassUp technology, IP68 waterproofing and Bluetooth 5.3, plus a reasonable 16 hours of battery life, and you have a brilliant all-rounder at a bargain price.
The third generation of the Wonderboom Bluetooth speaker can belt out some serious noise thanks to its Big Bass functionality - and if you're looking for something small but portable for outdoor use, this speaker is worth serious consideration. They also come in a variety of colours.
The pocket-size JBL Go 4 is an ideal choice if you're after a wee speaker that rocks pretty hard. It has an awesome wireless range, is well-built, drops into your pocket and you can hook it up to another Go 4 for stereo sound. There are also a load of colour variations.
Amazon have a range of smart speakers - and their Echo devices are among the cheapest and best around. Music from this fifth generation is great for the price and with Alexa voice assistance built in, you don't even have to move off the sofa to play your tunes, check out the weather forecast or find out the latest sports scores.
Boasting one of the highest waterproof ratings of IPX7, the TriBit Stormbox is perfect for slinging in a backpack for a day at the beach. Thankfully, it also sounds the business thanks to 2 x 12 watts of audio delivery, while the battery life of up to 20 hours means you can party deep into the evening.
Anker are doing some pretty nifty things in the speaker world and we really like their Soundcore 3. Design wise, it might be a little 'vanilla' but with up to 24 hours of battery life, an IPX7 waterproof rating and top audio delivery, for the price it's definitely worth a closer look.
Best overall
✅ Buy if you want a lightweight portable speaker that packs a punch: With 50W blasting out, this is a speaker that'll easily fill a room.
❌ Avoid if you want a speaker that’ll just play on and on and on: 16 hours of battery life from a full charge isn't bad at all, but I'd like it to be longer.
Sound: ★★★★★
Battery: ★★★★
Build quality: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★
Selecting a top Bluetooth speaker in the sub-$100/£100 category wasn’t an easy task, as there are some really great speakers at this price point. However, I think I've picked out a winner with the Anker Soundcore Boom 3i.
Available in a choice of colours, this modern-yet-rugged-looking speaker will look fantastic slung over your shoulder on days out. If you do take it on your travels, though, be aware that this thunder-box is likely to garner some serious attention: 50W of power and bottom-boosting BassUp 2.0 technology will see to that.
When the sun goes down, the Boom 3i creates a colourful light show which glows in time with your music – perfect for getting the party started. And don’t worry if you drop it in the sea, as this saltwater-resistant speaker will auto-correct to stay upright and keep your sound facing forward.
Yes, it’s true that some of its rivals offer more battery life, but 16 hours of playtime is still decent – making this Anker speaker a great all-rounder.
Best outdoor
✅ Buy if you want a top outdoor speaker: The Wonderboom 3 doesn't take long to charge and delivers a satisfying audio punch. Perfect for the outdoors.
❌ Avoid if you want sleek design: Colourful and distinctive it may be, but the bright design might not be for everyone.
Sound: ★★★★★
Battery: ★★★★
Build quality: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★
This is the third generation of the popular Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speakers and it's definitely worth a closer look if you're in the market for an inexpensive, portable speaker that does indoors and outdoors.
For its diminutive size, this little sound box is a real head turner, pumping out a generous amount of volume - and that's complimented with 360 degree audio and its Big Bass functionality - just activate Outdoor Boost and you'll get even more oomph, helping to drown out your next door neighbour's unruly kids.
Speaking of taking it outdoors, the Wonderboom 3 offers up to 14 hours of battery life – an hour more than the Wonderboom 2. It also has an IP67 rating meaning it's waterproof, dustproof - and it can float and stay submerged in a meter of water for 30 minutes making it pool party perfect.
Best portable
✅ Buy if you want a solid, pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker: The JBL Go 4 is such a handy size that carting around with you is no trouble at all.
❌ Avoid if you want something bigger: You might want a bigger speaker for taking your sounds with you.
Sound: ★★★★½
Battery: ★★★½
Build quality: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★½
Over the summer months, I’ve been pootling around Scotland in my camper van, exploring the Outer Hebrides, Perthshire and the Borders. Tucked away in one of the overhead lockers is the small but brilliant JBL Go 4 - a portable speaker I picked up brand new for less than $50/£35.
The JBL Go 4 is an upgrade from the still excellent JBL Go 3, but the battery life has been upped from its 5 hours to 7 hours on the newer model. A full charge takes around 3 hours which is slightly longer than the previous model’s charge time, but not significantly so.
For the price, the JBL Go 4 is a cracking little pocket-sized speaker. Sound is punchy despite its lower power output, it’s robust, feels great in the hand, it's made from recycled materials and it’s waterproof.
One neat feature the previous model didn’t have is the ability to pair your JBL Go 4 with another unit for proper stereo audio. The Go 4 is also available in several colours (my Go 4 is the blue and orange model in the picture) and given the price, I’m seriously considering getting another.
Best for Alexa
✅ Buy if voice control is important: All Amazon speakers have Alexa voice functionality, but the price here makes this a great option.
❌ Avoid if you want an outdoor speaker: The Echo Dot is designed for indoor use only, so bear that in mind before buying.
Sound: ★★★★½
Battery: N/A
Build quality: ★★★★½
Overall: ★★★★½
There's a reason why the Amazon Echo (5th Generation) sells like hot cakes – it's brilliant. Not only does it look snazzy with its spherical form factor and colourful glowing rings, it's a treat for the ears, too, filling the room with precise, meaty sound.
Whether you want to stream music from your device via Bluetooth, or subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited and ask Alexa to play something from its 100 million track database, you'll be in your element.
As the Amazon Echo (5th Generation) runs on mains power only, it can't be taken to the beach or park, and that'll obviously be a major washout for some. However, if you're looking for something that'll blast out the tunes while you unload the dishwasher, this glorious globe is hard to beat.
Best for festivals
✅ Buy if you want a diminutive, durable speaker festival use: The Stormbox Micro 2 is a god size for stowing in a backpack
❌ Avoid if you want serious power: With only 10W of power, this speaker won't cut it if you need big audio.
Sound: ★★★★½
Battery: ★★★★½
Build quality: ★★★★½
Overall: ★★★★½
If you’re heading to a festival and have a lot of stuff to carry, you won’t want to lug around a big speaker. As its name suggests, the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 is ideal for these situations, its compact size making it easy to stash away inside bags, pockets and the like. There’s even a clip for attaching it to your belt or backpack.
But tiny equals tinny, right? Not in this case. While this 10W speaker isn’t exactly going to get the party rocking, it does feature something called XBASS, which provides a surprising amount of clout at the lower end.
The Micro 2 has an IP67 rating, meaning it’ll withstand dust and up to three feet of water, while 12 hours of battery life should be more than enough to keep you going back at the campsite after the headliner has left the main stage.
The TriBit Stormbox Micro 2's final trick up its sleeve is that is also has a built-in power bank, enabling you to top up your juice any time you like.
Best battery
✅ Buy if battery life is important: With up to 24 hours from a full charge, the Soundcore 3 is a long-lasting option.
❌ Avoid if you want more power and range: While battery life is top notch, power and range are weak compared to some of the competition.
Sound: ★★★★
Battery: ★★★★★
Build quality: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
While the design of the Anker Soundcore 3 doesn't exactly blow us away (those symbol-shaped controls on the top of the device are a bit childish for our liking), and other speakers on this list offer more power and better wireless range, this brick-shaped boom box has a lot going for it. Twenty-four hours of battery life will ensure that the party continues well into the next day, while IPX7 weatherproofing will enable it to carry on playing even if the heavens open.
Best of all, with a pair of pure titanium diaphragm drivers tucked away under the bonnet, the Soundcore 3 delivers the kind of stereo sound quality that you might expect from a speaker costing three times this price. An ideal option for music lovers and money savers everywhere.
FAQ
Getting a Bluetooth speaker for under $100/£100 is obviously great value, but it'll mean nothing if the speaker in question doesn't do the things you want or need it to. So don't part with your hard-earned cash until you've checked for the following:
Do speakers under $100/£100 run on battery power?
If you're planning on listening to music at a festival campsite, local park or out on the patio, you'll need a speaker with a built-in battery - something most of the speakers on my list have.
Obviously, the more battery life a speaker offers, the better. Anything over the eight-hour mark can be considered very decent and it's always worthwhile looking at how long a speaker takes to charge. Many speakers take a few hours to charge and some offer quick charge functionality.
Mains-powered speakers are a great option, but in general, these tend to more expensive and above $100/£100.
How portable are speakers under $100/£100?
No one is going to want to take a Bluetooth speaker on a outdoor jaunt if it's heavy, unwieldy and therefore impossible to carry. So, if you want music on the move, make sure the device you've been eyeing up is light enough to carry around.
A carry handle can be useful, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker. Many speakers under $100/£100 are a great size and rugged enough to be chucked in a backpack, including the pocket-sized JBL Go 4 which I've taken with me all over the country and it shows absolutely no signs of wear and tear.
Are speakers under $100/£100 loud enough?
Some cheaperr Bluetooth speakers struggle to hit decent volume levels, but all the products I've highlighted above cut the mustard when it comes to delivering audio power at noisy events such as a party or a barbecue.
Look for something with decent wattage and check if the speaker has an 'outdoor' setting that boosts the volume to help drown out al fresco racket. Some also come with bass boost functionality to help elevate the beats.
In my experience, even Bluetooth speakers with fairly low wattage perform well - after all, we're not always going for raucous volume.
Are speakers under $100/£100 waterproof?
If you're heading outside and are planning on blasting out a few tunes, you're likely to face a whole range of adverse weather conditions, so make sure that your outdoor speaker is adequately protected by checking the product's IP rating.
All the products in my list above offer some form of weatherproofing, but some are more robust than others. Find out more about what the different weatherproof ratings mean so you can see at a glance if your chosen speaker is watertight and dust proof.
Do speakers under $100/£100 have a good wireless range?
Wireless range refers to the maximum distance your phone, tablet or laptop can be from your Bluetooth speaker before the signal starts to go awry. So, if you're planning to strut around the house and garden doing your best Angus Young impersonation, you might want a speaker that's up to the task. Happily, all the products in this guide offer good wireless range – especially the JBL Go 4, which is good for around 69 metres/226 feet.
How we test the best Bluetooth speakers under $100/£100
When testing the best Bluetooth speakers under the $100/£100 mark - or any Bluetooth speaker for that matter - there are several steps that myself and the wider Louder team take to ensure it makes the cut for one of our guides.
We're all music lovers first and foremost here at Louder, so we've got loads of experience playing music through a variety of different systems, leaving us in an excellent position to be the judge of truly great sound.
Of course, the first port of call is to test the sound of the speaker itself. To do that, we'll run a series of our favourite reference tunes through it to see how it reacts. These are songs we know incredibly well, professionally mixed and mastered for the best sound quality possible. Whether it's pumping bass from a hip-hop track or jangly guitars from an indie anthem, these mixes will be personal to the reviewer and used to test a multitude of sound systems.
We also put the speakers through their paces by using a variety of streaming services to see if we can make out any discernible differences between them.
We then look at the features the speaker has beyond the sound itself. Does the Bluetooth connectivity operate quickly and efficiently? Are there enough methods to control it on the unit itself? We'll test each of these to ensure they work properly.
Next, we'll look at the durability of the unit. We want to know that it's capable of putting up with a bit of rough and tumble, as inevitably a Bluetooth speaker will find itself to be the heart of the party, and wireless ones might well be taken on holidays too. We'll examine the speaker to see that it's well put together, with no blemishes on the finish or out-of-place components.
Finally, we have to think of the battery life of any Bluetooth speaker if applicable. We'll test a speaker from full charge to no charge, no matter how many albums it takes. This allows us to get a realistic view of the battery life, which may well be less than the manufacturer specifies.
Why you can trust us
⚡ Louder was established in 2017 and founded on long-running brands including Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Prog (launched in 1986, 1998 and 2009 respectively)
⚡ Over 80,000 products reviewed on site, from music listening tech to albums and box sets
⚡ Our reviewers are all passionate music fans who draw on decades of testing experience
Louder’s reviewing team consists of music fans, musicians and professional product testers, who between them have accumulated decades of product reviewing experience, writing thousands of words on music listening gear across thousands of reviews on Louder. Our tests also inform our buyer's guide - just like this one.
As lifelong music fans, we're serious about the tech we listen to our favourite artists on. We want them to sound incredible, giving us all the detail those bands intended us to hear, and deliver the perfect balance of bass, mids and highs.
We're looking for pure immersion in our chosen sounds, whether it's a classic '70s rock album, or a cutting-edge noise band.
And we tested the loudest Bluetooth speakers under $100/£100 with albums we know inside and out, and that we've listened to on a variety of systems already, so we know exactly what we should be hearing and when we're being short-changed by lacklustre audio.
Meet the experts
Paul has spent the past nine years testing and writing about gadgets and technology for the likes of Louder, T3 and TechRadar. He might not have the wealth or the looks of Tony Stark, but when it comes to knowing about the latest cool kit, Paul would surely give Iron-Man a run for his money. As for his musical leanings, Paul likes everything from Weyes Blood to Nirvana. If it's got a good melody, he's on board with it.
Scott has spent 36 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 11 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog.
Latest updates
09/09/25: The guide has been updated to include three new products: Anker Soundcore Boom 3i, TriBit Stormbox Micro 2 and the JBL Go 4. All Bluetooth speakers included in the guide now have "At a glance" boxes along with star ratings. The FAQs has been updated, while sections on how we test and why you can trust the Louder team are now featured. Finally, a "meet the experts" section has been added.
Read more
You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
- The loudest Bluetooth speakers: Shake your foundations
- Best speakers for home use: Sleek and stylish speakers
- Best outdoor speakers: Sound systems that'll rock the outside world
