Best portable Bluetooth speakers

The Charge 3 (AU$230) is the solid all-rounder of Bluetooth speakers. It lets you wirelessly connect up to three phones or tablets so you and your friends can take turns running the music, while the built-in 6,000-mAh rechargeable power bank gives you 20 hours of playtime and lets you charge your phone by plugging it into the speaker. 

Want a Bose speaker under $200? The Bose SoundLink Micro (AU$170) is pocket-sized and fully waterproof, but it'll give you way better sound than other cheaper speakers the same size. With a built-in microphone for speakerphone calls, it's the perfect travel buddy. 

One of the long-standing staples of the Ultimate Ears range, the Megaboom (AU$350) has serious sound output for its size, with 20 hours of battery life and a wireless range of 33 metres. Plus it's waterproof, so singing in the shower just got better. 

The Pulse 3 (AU$300) is definitely the best Bluetooth speaker option if you want something eye-catching. With 12 hours of wireless playtime, the speaker also lets you create customisable 360° light shows (and it's IPX7 waterproof too). 

Ultimate Ears' Wonderboom is a small and powerful speaker ideal for taking on the go. At AU$130 it's at the more affordable end, but you'll still get waterproof sound and 10 hours of battery life. 

Bose's SoundLink Revolve (AU$299) offers the kind of audio quality you'd expect from Bose in a smaller, portable package. It also has a 12-hour battery life with an in-built microphone for speakerphone calls. 

If you like the Revolve, but you want to go bigger, try the SoundLink Revolve Plus. CNET's resident audiophile David Carnoy gives this speaker top points for superior sound quality, calling it "arguably the best-sounding Bluetooth speaker for its size." At AU$439, it's certainly on the pricier end, but it's water-resistant with a 16-hour battery life and a built-in microphone for speakerphone calls. 

Sony has the Bluetooth speaker for smart home fans. The LF-S50G (AU$299) is a 360-degree sound speaker with Google Assistant built in, so you can use it to request songs and ask questions while you rock out. 

At the top end of the Ultimate Ears range is the UE Megablast (AU$379). The Alexa-enabled speaker, offers voice control over Wi-Fi (including music requests and the full range of Alexa skills) as well as 16 hours of battery life. And it's fully waterproof (Alexa, let's go swimming). 

Fully waterproof, 12 hours of playtime, echo-cancelling speakerphone -- the JBL Flip 4 (AU$150) packs a lot of features into a well-priced package. 

The Bose SoundLink Colour II (AU$199) brings even better sound than its predecessor, as well as 8 hours of battery life and speakerphone capabilities, all in a water-resistant (and colourful) body.