Best Bluetooth speakers under $100

The right Bluetooth speaker under $100 is hard to find. Most of us don’t mind if a speaker that costs less than $20 breaks because it was “good enough” while it lasted. You might even be able to afford to replace it. But the point of no return is when you spend $100. It starts to feel like an investment rather than an accessory for your phone. Bluetooth speakers under $100 need to be more than good enough; they need to be great.

What’s new?

• This list was updated on September 13, 2023, to ass the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) and the Skullcandy Kilo to our Notable Mentions, answer more frequently asked questions, and adjust formatting to our current style.
• As you should expect for this price point, there needs to be a certain level of durability and quality to the product. These aren’t cheap, and though they’re not the most expensive or best-sounding speakers you’ll ever hear, you still want to get your money’s worth. This list has a speaker for everyone.

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The JBL Flip 5 is the best Bluetooth speaker under $100

JBL has remained consistent with its Flip series, standing as our pick among the best Bluetooth speakers under $100. The Flip 5 is very similar to the previous model (the JBL Flip 4), but it makes improvements in a few key areas. This time around, JBL includes a USB-C charging input rather than the older micro-USB input. With the new input comes better battery life, around 9 hours and 30 minutes.  You get the same IPX7 rating as before, so you can fumble it into a pool with no problem.

One of the most egregious omissions from the Flip 5 is the missing microphone input. If someone calls you, you have to reach for your phone and can’t answer directly from the speaker. It’s also missing high-quality Bluetooth codec support, but you can use the PartyBoost button on the speaker to pair it with another compatible JBL product for stereo output.

The sound quality is pretty darn good here with its passive bass radiator system that improves the bass response. You won’t get much sub-bass from this cylindrical speaker, but that’s true for any portable option available. If you just want something that can party your backyard gathering or dorm parties, this is a great option.

For a small and packable speaker, check out the Bose Soundlink Micro

Bose is a company that you can usually count on the make some pretty good audio products, and the SoundLink Micro is no exception. It doesn’t sound amazing, but as something that can fit in your hand, it really isn’t meant to. This speaker is for people who tend to be a little rougher on their devices. Its IPX7 build makes it waterproof, while the rubber body makes it hard to scratch, get dirty, or break in general.

Battery life isn’t great at just over four hours (two hours short of the six hours that the company claims), but it does have a silicone strap that lets you attach it to everything from your beach chair to a backpack strap. Plus, it only weighs about 289g. making it a super lightweight and portable option for anyone looking for music on the go.

The UE WONDERBOOM 2 is the best waterproof speaker under $100

This is one of the most durable portable speakers under $100 on the market, and it’s a great option for anyone looking for an outdoor option. UE continues its streak of high-value audio with the WONDERBOOM 2. The new model brings 30% longer battery life (up to 13 hours) and increased bass. Additionally, you can pair two WONDERBOOM 2 speakers together for a wireless stereo experience — great for outdoor parties or camping.

The WONDERBOOM 2 is also a more rugged device than its predecessor, with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating. This means it can still handle being submerged in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes, but now it’s dustproof too. This durability, paired with the longer battery life, and the fact that it floats make this an ideal option for summer adventurers, people who want a decent shower speaker, and those trying to spice up a pool party. Its Outdoor Boost feature hammers this point home even further, which boosts the speaker’s maximum output.

The WONDERBOOM 2 has a virtually identical design to its predecessor, and that’s a good thing. It’s a squat tapered cylinder with prominent “+” and “-” buttons for controlling volume and three discreet buttons on the top for Bluetooth pairing, playback controls, and power. An elastic loop hangs off the edge of the speaker for when you want to hang it, rather than just lie it flat.

The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) is the best smart Bluetooth speaker under $100

The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) is the latest and greatest edition of Amazon’s Alexa smart speaker line. Once you download the Alexa app, you’ll be able to hook up the speaker with any other Alexa speakers you might have in your house and customize all of its settings. One important thing to note about the Echo (4th Gen) is that it is different than the other speakers in this article because it is not portable. In fact, it does not only operate over Bluetooth — while you can connect your smartphone to the speaker via Bluetooth, you will also want to connect it to your home’s Wi-Fi for access to the Alexa assistant.

The microphone on the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) does a great job at detecting the wake word even when music is playing loudly. The sound quality of this speaker is quite good, thanks to its tweeters and large woofer. The Echo (4th Gen) comes with all of the Alexa skills out there — it is compatible with plenty of music streaming services, including Spotify and Amazon Music HD. If you’re a smart home fanatic and have Philips Hue lights or an Amazon Firestick, you’ll be able to use the Echo (4th Gen) to control them.

The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 is another high-value product from the company

Anker’s Soundcore Flare line of speakers has seen huge success since its inception, offering speakers with high-quality construction and decent sound, all for less than $100 USD. That success continues with the Flare 2, which features new drivers that result in even louder bass and improved treble reproduction.

The Soundcore app allows you to adjust settings such as EQ or control the speaker’s dual-LED halo lights. If you have multiple Flare 2 speakers, you can connect up to 100 and really get your party started. Other notable features include an IPX7 waterproof rating and a 5,200mAh, a 12-hour battery that is rechargeable via USB-C.

The Flare 2, unfortunately, doesn’t include a 3.5mm input jack. However, for its durable and stylish build, coupled with its decent sound quality, the Flare 2 is a worthy adversary in the affordable Bluetooth speaker category.

For something super portable, check out the JBL Clip 4

The JBL Clip 4 doesn’t even bump up against the $100 budget, but it’s a great speaker for those who want to take their music everywhere. The integrated carabiner makes it easy to attach the Clip 4 to any bag, and its IP67 build means you can take it anywhere without worrying about breaking it.

Though the Clip 4 is small, it gets plenty loud and sounds pretty good. Its sound quality isn’t going to match that of something larger, particularly in the bass frequencies, but it gets the job done. This little speaker is easy to use thanks to its large tactile buttons, and it has a long battery life, clocking in at about 10 hours.

Best Bluetooth speakers under $100: Notable mentions

• Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) ($49 at Amazon): If you aren’t quite convinced by the necessity for a smart home speaker, this is a great way start out on the cheap. Teh latest generation of Amazon;s Echo Dot serves as your music speaker/kitchen timer/trivia searcher, all in one compact globe.
• Anker Soundcore Flare Mini ($42 at Amazon): If you want to save a little cash money, the Flare Mini is the little sibling of the Flare lineup: similar build quality, smaller form factor, and less powerful drivers.
• Anker Soundcore Motion+ ($99.99 at Amazon): Though this speaker is technically over $100, Anker often puts it on promotion bringing it just below the triple digits. This Bluetooth speaker has an IPX7 rating and can be paired with a twin speaker for stereo sound. Though its default sound signature isn’t as bassy as we’d like it to be, the speaker has a useful companion app that you can use to customize the EQ.
• Anker Soundcore Select Pro ($109.99 at Best Buy): It’s new, so we haven’t tested this boombox style speaker yet or found enough reviews to wholeheartedly recommend it, but with an IPX7 rating, 16 hours of music on a single charge, and fun lights, there’s no reason to not consider the Anker Soundcore Select Pro.
• Jam Hang Up ($349 at Amazon): This compact speaker looks a bit like the Bose SoundLink Micro, but instead of a semi-elastic strap, it features an adhesive pad that sticks to nearly any flat surface. At the time of publishing, it retails for less than $20.
• JBL Go 3 ($39 at Amazon): This tiny speaker from JBL is well under $100 and offers a lot for being so cheap. It has an IP67 rating, lasts over 10 hours on a single charge, and sounds decent.
• JBL Flip 6 ($99 at Amazon): A solid successor the the JBL Flip 5, the Flip 6 brings a more durable IP67 rating alongside JBL’s signature sound and it’s just as easy as ever to sync this Bluetooth speaker with your devices.
• Skullcandy Kilo ($39 at Amazon): This is a great barebones portable speaker that you can clip onto a backpack or a tent, perfect for playing music with small gatherings on the go.
• Sony SRS-XB13 Extra BASS (on the product’s website) and Sony SRS-XB23 EXTRA BASS ($69 at Amazon): Both of these speakers have IP67 ratings and strong bass responses. The SRS-XB23 is a bit pricier because it is compatible with the Sony Music Center app, and you can adjust its EQ settings. It’s also just a larger speaker. On the other hand, the cheaper SRS-XB13 has a 16-hour battery life, whereas the pricier speaker’s battery life is 12 hours.
• UE BOOM 3 ($129 at Amazon): This speaker builds off the success of the UE BOOM line of speakers, offering an IP67 waterproof and dust-resistance build that floats, a portable design, and powerful drivers to help fill your backyard with music.

What you should know about the best Bluetooth speakers under $100

Ingress protection (IP) ratings denote how dust- or water-resistant a given product is. Oftentimes, something will be rated IPX4 — or something of that nature — and the “X” serves as a placeholder for the less commonly awarded dust-resistant rating.

Although we’re looking at speakers to reproduce your favorite songs, it’s important to remember that a $100 USD budget won’t buy the best sound quality on the market. If you want something that sounds incredible, you’ll have to compromise on portability for a good pair of desktop speakers or a home theater soundbar setup.

Since these are Bluetooth picks, you should know that Bluetooth audio quality can’t hold a candle to that of wired. This is less pertinent to waterproof speakers than it is to wireless headphones or true wireless earbuds, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for AAC codec support if you’re using an iPhone or aptX for Android phones.

How we chose the best Bluetooth speakers under $100

If a speaker made it onto this list, then you can be sure we’ve had firsthand experience with it, and in many cases put them through our entire review process. Whittling down an entire product category to only a handful of recommended items takes a lot more work than you might expect. For one, not everyone is after the same kind of product. Just like how sound is different to every person, some products might check all of the boxes for some people and not for others. This is how we approach the second aspect of our best lists: categories.

We also consider what other people are saying about a product. We review a ton of stuff here at SoundGuys but let’s be real: We can’t review all of them. So how do we remedy this? Research, research, research. In addition to the vast personal network of reviewers we’ve built in our time around the block, we’ve dug through forums, read reviews, scrolled through comment sections, and done everything we possibly can to gather as much information about a product we haven’t reviewed before putting it on a list. Even if we’ve reviewed a product, we’ll give our picks a gut check by seeing what the community or former colleagues we trust have to say.

When we made our picks, we wanted to make sure that anyone buying them would be happy with their purchase, and that means a hard look at what makes a good Bluetooth speaker. For most of us, that means a speaker that sounds good, isn’t too expensive and can withstand being used in a setting where anyone might want to listen to music.

Why you should trust SoundGuys

In addition to the fact that this site is all of our day jobs, each writer at SoundGuys has accumulated years of experience reporting on the consumer audio market. Having kept a finger on the pulse of Bluetooth speakers for several years allows us to be able to figure out what’s good, and what’s best avoided.

These best lists may not always reflect your experiences, but they are our earnest attempt to get the right product onto your wish list. We do this because we genuinely want you to be happy with your purchases — none of our writers see a dime from partnership deals or referral purchases — and nobody here is allowed to benefit from steering you towards one product or another. While this site does make money from referrals, the individual writers are paid based on their work regardless of whether or not people click that “buy” icon. They will never even know if anyone did, though I suppose the site going under might be a big tell.

Frequently asked questions about Bluetooth speakers under $100