Find your groove with the right portable speaker

From volume quality to ease-of-use to shockproof, we break down the most popular portable speakers to suit you and your mobile.

Gone are the days of listening to CDs at parties, huddled around the household speakers waiting for Fall Out Boy to break our hearts again.

We’re moving toward a more mobile, wireless economy, a mobile world and a more mobile way of listening to music. And while the radio still holds a place close to our hearts, streaming the good times is increasingly gaining traction. 

With all the music we ever wanted available at our fingertips, any situation can be turned into a party. But you don’t just want to listen to sounds, you want to listen to quality sounds. Thankfully, portable speakers are plentiful, small in size and pack a real punch.

With so many options, it’s tough to know what to look for. Do you aim for durability? For volume level? Pure sound quality? Or maybe you’re after the longest battery life?

We had a quick scan through what’s available on the market and realised, there’s a lot. Really, there’s a lot. So, we’ve picked out some of the best from leading brands to help you make a call.

Perfect for: party people

This speaker will get you moving. Big sound is the go with the Sony SRS-XB501G. It’s portable enough to easily move around, and it takes over a room when you turn it up.

Google assistant is also built in, so you can choose songs simply by speaking once you’ve downloaded the app and have everything set up. You’ll be hit with a larger price tag on these, but if a pumping party is what you’re after, give it a closer look.

Perfect for: the fashionista

If you love aesthetics, this is definitely one you should keep in mind. With exposed subwoofers on either side, simply choose your favourite bass-heavy song and watch the speaker go to work (you can literally see the vibrations). If you’re sitting there thinking, that’s so unnecessary, just wait until you try it. Trust us, it’s a lot of fun.

Don’t be tricked, though, this isn’t a form-over-function device. The JBL Charge 4 advertises  it’s water resistance  and that it can actually charge your phone with plenty of battery life left for itself.

Credit: Optus.com.au

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Perfect for: on-the-go

Adventurers, tune in here. Commonly referred to as “UE”, these are some of the most popular portable speakers – and for good reason. This is your built-for-purpose speaker without compromising quality. Designed to be rugged and powerful in sound and competitive in price, the UE Boom 3 is a definite go-to.

Perfect for: the maestro

Maestros, this is your symphony. Beloved in the speaker game, Bose have always been known for quality. The sort of speakers that premium cars have installed. Imagine the home speaker systems of old, brought into handbag-sized functionality – that’s the Soundlink Mini II. 

Built to take whatever life throws at it, but consistently delivering top-of-the-range sound. The downside here, however, is its lack of waterproofing. But, if you’re looking at this one, you’re most likely looking for a portable inside speaker.

Perfect for: the tech head

Love getting techy? Google Home is the perfect combination of top-of-the-range tech, and portability. This is the option for someone who’s looking for more than just a playback device. Curious about flight tickets? Ask Google Home. Get details on the weather, current affairs, anything you want, Google Home has you covered (it is Google after all). 

It also has a massive song library, so all your favourite tracks are just a softly spoken word away. Plus, it’s got some decent quality sound coming out of it, too even though it’s not the biggest blaster on the playground 

Phone speakers have come leaps and bounds over the years and can really hold their own. You won’t be playing music at the volume of an actual speaker, but you’ll still be grooving all the same.

For those of us who don’t want to carry an extra item around, it’s worth looking at smartphones that have great speakers – the ultimate all-in-one devices.

The latest phones from these leading manufacturers are great picks. Shocking, that we’d be recommending them, we know. But let’s be honest, they’re the leading phones on the market for a reason. 

—Leighton H