Which is better: Bluetooth or wifi speakers?
Bluetooth is the quickest and easiest way to connect your smartphone, laptop or tablet to a speaker – you’re probably used to using Bluetooth if you’ve connected wireless mice, keyboards, overear headphones or wireless earbuds. 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. Bluetooth speakers will also play notification sounds from your device if it’s not muted.
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. Both types of speakers can play your favourite playlists from the best music streaming services, but a wifi option will enable you can take calls or use your phone without the music being interrupted.
Wifi speakers are typically mainspowered, and many of the top models appear on our list of the best multiroom speaker systems, although some now include a rechargeable battery too, like the Sonos Roam. Like the top smart speakers, some wifi options can also be controlled using your voice, via Alexa and Google Assistant.
How do I know if a speaker is waterproof?
Several portable speakers are now designed to withstand almost all the conditions you encounter outdoors, including a sudden downpour. This is a feature we’d prioritise, and we’ve made sure every model featured on this list is waterproof.
When shopping around, we recommend you look for the IP (ingress protection) rating of any device. This is an international standard and the most straightforward way to understand how protected any gadget is from potential dangers like dust and water.
The rating will always have the two letters “IP” followed by two numbers, such as IP67. The first number (ranging from 0 to 6) tells you how much protection there is from solids like dust or dirt. The higher the number, the better it is at keeping these things out. The second number (which goes from 0 to 9) is all about how protected the product is from liquids. The same logic applies – the higher it is, the higher the level of protection.
A common IP rating you’ll see here is IP67, for example, and this means a product will be capable of keeping out both dust and water – it indicates full solids protection and waterproofing that suggests it can be submerged for up to 30 minutes at one metre. If you see something with IP45, then, it is still protected, but just a little less impressive at keeping out both dust and water.
You may also see a rating like IPX7. In this case, the X tells you there isn’t specific testing information against solids (as the X is in place of the first number). However, the lack of testing doesn’t necessarily mean less protection. When looking for the best performers, we’d look for ratings like IP68 (this is completely dusttight and able to be submerged in water beyond one metre), IP67, IP57 and IPX7.
What should I look for when buying a portable Bluetooth speaker?
There are loads of speakers available when you browse the digital store shelves, and we know the amount of selection can be overwhelming. Here’s what to consider before buying:
Battery life
Portable Bluetooth speakers can last anywhere between five and 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. For this guide, we’ve focused on lightweight speakers that weigh under 1kg — if we’re taking a speaker with us in a bag we’ll try to pick up one that’s under a kilogram, while we might be okay with a slightly heavier weight when it has a good handle.
Connectivity and companion apps
We would look for at least Bluetooth 5.0 when you’re looking at a new portable speaker. While we wouldn’t want you to get lost in different Bluetooth specifications, it’s worth knowing that the numbers represent advancements in the Bluetooth standard.
Over time, the features, range, speed and connectivity of Bluetooth see significant improvements. Bluetooth 5.4 might be the latest version available, but it’s not in that many products yet — anything from Bluetooth 5.0 and onwards should be great for connectivity. You might also find the ability to connect other wired devices with an auxiliary cable, and onboard wifi can make for a better connection for music playback, but it isn’t available in most portable speakers.
The ability to connect your speaker to a companion app is something we’d keep an eye out for, too. Through this app on your phone or tablet, you’ll be able to update the speaker’s firmware, customise its equaliser to get the music sounding just how you want it to, and may also be able to enable voice assistant functions and link speakers together for a multiroom audio experience.
Voice assistants
Some Bluetooth speakers come with builtin 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. We see this as more of an added extra than a musthave feature in portable models, but if it’s something you’d use, look out for this on the specification sheet.
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.
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