The best Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes and are suited for various listening preferences, from on-the-go pool parties to stay-at-home listening sessions. Some are big and some are incredibly tiny, and the same can be said for their prices, but if you're here, you're in the market for a Bluetooth speaker under $100 that sounds good, but won't empty your wallet.
Luckily, there are tons of choices out there, so we've put together a list of some of the speakers we think are the best in this price range. When choosing, we looked at things like battery life, size, ruggedness, water and dust resistance (or waterproofing), sound quality, bass, volume, and other fun things like voice assistants or an ability to pair them with other speakers for bigger sound.
In our opinion, the best Bluetooth speaker under $100 is currently the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 because it bears the reliable Wonderboom brand name, is compact and waterproof (it even floats!), and is the best-sounding speaker on our list for the size. But there are other options, too. Let's check them out.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
Best Bluetooth speaker under $100 for most people
- Floats in water
- Totally waterproof
- Affordable
- Battery life could be better
Anyone who has ever owned an Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Bluetooth speaker will tell you how surprised they are at how big it sounds despite such a small package. The Wonderboom 2 was in this spot on our list, and while you can still buy that version, ( probably at a discounted price soon), the Wonderboom 3 is every bit as good to listen to, portable, and fun to use.
Available in gray, hot pink, blue, and black, the diminutive, cylindrical-shaped Wonderboom 3 is a rugged Bluetooth speaker with an IP67 dust and waterproof rating, which means when you're poolside, at the beach, or even barrelling down some rapids in a white-water raft, should the little thing take a dip it can withstand submersion in up to 3 feet of water for up to half an hour. Oh, and if you do happen to be boating, it floats.
Where there is an improvement over its predecessor, the Wonderboom 3 get's an additional hour of battery life for a grand total of 14 hours, which is still fairly standard for this category at about 10 to 13 hours. Wireless range is also still very good at up to 131 feet of range, depending on any barriers. You can also pair the Wonderboom 3 with another Wonderboom 3s for stereo sound, and pair up to two devices to it at once so you and a friend can take turns picking songs.
JBL Flip 5
Reliable and big JBL sound for the road
- Fully waterproof
- Surprisingly loud
- Great battery life
- Super portable
- No speakerphone connectivity
- No 3.5mm input
JBL makes great-sounding Bluetooth speakers. This is the way. The Flip 5 maintains this reputation by coaxing balanced, bassy, and clear sound out of a relatively small and portable package, all for under $100. In fact, the Flip 5 is one of the best-sounding Flips ever, perhaps outdone by the recently-released (but above $100) JBL Flip 6, which can actually be had on sale right now for just under $100, too.
Not only does it sound great, but it'll do it for a solid 10 to 12 hours, depending on how loud you play it. If you do explore the upper reaches of the Flip 5's volume, you'll be surprised by just how loud it gets. While sound is definitely solid indoors, outdoors is where this speaker really shines, and you don't have to worry about rain or splashes or even if it falls in the pool or lake — it's got an IPX7 rating, meaning it's fully dunkable. But beware: Unlike our pick for the poolside, the UE Wonderboom 3, the JBL Flip 5 doesn't float, so you may need to go for a swim if the Flip 5 heads overboard.
The Flip 5 has an excellent wireless range, and thanks to its PlayBoost feature, you can connect it with multiple other compatible JBL speakers. The only real drawbacks to the JBL Flip 5 is its lack of speakerphone compatibility and a 3.5mm input. Still, if all you need is a good-sounding outdoor Bluetooth speaker, this is a great choice.
Soundcore Flare Mini
Small package, fun light show
- Affordable price
- Decent sound for price
- Lightweight and small
- LED lights are fun and unique
- Doesn't work with the Soundcore app.
If you're looking for a Bluetooth speaker that offers a little extra fun and pizazz in addition to some decent sound and features, thee Soundcore Flare Mini ticks all of those boxes, and it's only $49. The cylindrical Flare Mini is small enough to take with you (5.5 x 3.4 x 2.8 inches), weights only 16.9 ounces, and for its size, it delivers some impressive sound from two 5-watt drivers set back-to-back with two passive radiators above them. It can also be paired with another Flare Mini for stereo sound.
But the fun comes in with the ring of eight colored LED lights that wrap around the bottom of the speaker that "phase, pulse, and glow with the rhythm of your music," with five lighting modes. It's not crazy bright, like the lava-lampy JBL Pulse 5, but it's enough to add a little more ambiance to your pool party, which (segue!) the Flare Mini is great for because of its IPX7 waterproof rating.
On the battery end of things, the Flare Mini is actually pretty good for its size and price, clocking in at up to 12 hours per charge, depending on the volume you have it at and how much you use the lights. It'll charge back up in three and a half hours, too. Unfortunately, the Flare Mini doesn't work with the Soundcore app for customization, which is a bummer. But, Soundcore also makes a slightly bigger version, the Soundcore Flare 2, for roughly $35 more, that has a few more bells and whistles.
Oontz Angle 3
Best Bluetooth on a budget
- Excellent price point
- Good battery life
- IPX5 water resistance
- Impressive bass for the size
- Not too rugged
Let's not beat around the bush: We picked the Oontz Angle 3 because you simply won't find a cheaper Bluetooth speaker that isn't a piece of junk. The fact that it actually has decent sound quality considering its price and size is amazing. The Angle 3 has many of the features available from our other picks, like 12- to 15-hour battery life, excellent wireless range, and speakerphone compatibility — you'll just pay a lot less for them. It even has IPX5 water resistance, which won't be ideal around bodies of water like pools or beaches, but protects against splashes — and you can even rinse it off if you're gentle with the water pressure.
With rubberized end caps, the Oontz Angle 3 can stand up to some abuse, too, though again, ruggedness is not its primary mission. Even so, its modest footprint delivers clear and surprisingly loud audio quality, which is ideal for situations where your phone or tablet's internal speaker just isn't up to the task of sharing music or YouTube videos. Though not a champ in the bass department, if you stand the Angle 3 on its end, you'll give the passive bass radiator on the bottom some girth to work with, and it will sound richer and fuller.
Tribit StormBox Micro 2
A tiny but tough waterproof speaker
- IP67 weather resistance rating
- 120-foot Bluetooth range
- Can be paired with another Micro 2
- Super portable
- Not much to look at
While the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 might not win any awards for being cute or fancy in its design aesthetic, if you're a camper, hiker, or cottage dock swimmer, you're likely not too fussed about what it looks like — as long as you can enjoy some nice-sounding tunes while not stressing about destroying some delicate electronics. And for $60, the StormBox Micro 2 is about as stress-free as you can get.
With an IP67 weather-resistance rating, the Micro 2 can fend off dust and take a dip up to a meter of water with no problems. On top of that ruggedness, the sound is decent for its size and price, and it is surprisingly loud and clear for something so small – and it doesn't distort at higher volumes, which version 2 gets a bit more of than its predecessor at 10 watts.
Volume controls, which sit atop the unit, are straightforward and simple, and a multifunction feature lets you toggle through songs, activate the smart assistant, and take phone calls.
The Micro 2 also gets a battery boost from the last version, going from 8 hours to 12 hours of playtime, and this time out you can also use it to charge other devices, too. The Micro 2's Bluetooth 5.3 tech allows an even longer range for the speaker, this time up to 120 feet. The StormBox Micro 2 can also be linked to another Micro 2 for stereo sound.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Some Bluetooth speakers are huge, powerful devices, such as the Sonos Move, which can rock an entire house if you let them! How powerful it is will depend on its size and level of amplification. Given that any speaker that costs less than $100 isn't likely to pack a lot of power, you may want to check our list of the best Bluetooth speakers or best wireless speakers for products that can really get the party started.
Yes. All of these Bluetooth speakers have built-in batteries and, of course, a Bluetooth wireless connection, which is the minimum you need for outdoor use. But be aware that there are other considerations: How loud does it get? A small Bluetooth speaker may not pack enough power to be heard over other sounds. Is it waterproof enough? Some of the speakers on our list are splash-proof, but if you're going to spend real outdoor time with a wireless speaker, we strongly recommend that it be fully waterproof (IPX7 or better).
There are some Bluetooth speakers that do work directly with voice-based assistants. But there's a catch: Smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant normally only work over Wi-Fi, which means that if you're using your speaker somewhere where there's no Wi-Fi, you won't be able to use these assistants over just a Bluetooth connection.
As a rule, Bluetooth speakers do not include a traditional AM or FM radio. If this feature is important to you, there are an increasing number of bookshelf stereos and boom boxes that have radios and Bluetooth too, but they won't be as small and as portable as a regular Bluetooth speaker.
Yes, though it's a rare combo. In such a case, you're usually talking about a full boom box that has a Bluetooth connection.
Easily. Today's Bluetooth speakers aren't actually that expensive. Manufacturers try to price them right around the $100 mark when possible to help appeal to a wide range of consumers. It's only when you get to full soundbars or high-end options like the Echo Studio that prices start rising significantly above this level.
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