It’s pretty vital to travel with good sound.
We’ve tried out dozens of different Bluetooth speakers for this site, and we also continue to read all speaker reviews from top consumer test organizations, tech sites, and bloggers around the world. It’s not easy to pick just one travel Bluetooth speaker from the heap, but if we had to do it, here’s the current winner we’d take on any trip.
The Best Travel Speaker
Why: An even mix of punchy, dynamic sound in a small, nearly indestructible waterproof cylinder; the overall best portable replacement for a full speaker system
But: While we think the Boom 3 is the best speaker for its size and price, there are also cheaper, smaller options discussed below that are quite worthwhile (though with less loudness and bass)
This article gets regular updates from sweaty, human travel writers
Who pays you to write this crap? Are you corrupt?
We have received free speakers on occasion from manufacturers (who have no input on what we write) for review. Some of of those speakers sounded terrible, as noted below (Dodocool, Rise, etc.). Some of them sounded good. Ultimate Ears, for its part, only woke up and sent us a free speaker after we had been buying them with our own money and recommending them for years.
Why the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Is Our Favorite Travel Speaker
We’ll discuss its main road-worthy features first, then its sound — including a meta-take on critics views of this versus other portable speakers.
Features of the Boom 3: Rugged, Ready to Travel
This is not a feature-rich speaker, but it does include everything we find essential for use anywhere.
Waterproof, dustproof, drop-proof
No you’re not actually going to listen to your speaker underwater. But with the Ultimate Ears Boom 3, you could. The IP67 waterproof rating means that the unit is rated to be immersed under a meter of water for up to 30 minutes with no damage. This is a specific and meaningful claim (with legal implications) under the conditions of the International Electrotechnical Commission’s standards.
In our test it sounds fine in the bathtub, but really, just put it next to your bath, shower, or pool. We do like knowing that we can easily wash it when needed, and that the odd splash of water won’t hurt it, but the 7 rating in waterproofing (meaning it can be submerged) is a bit overkill.
The 6 in the rating also means that it is “dustproof” and meets the standards for keeping dust out of the unit — an extra level of protection that is rare in such speakers, even those that are rated as waterproof.
The “drop-proofing” is a vaguer claim from Ultimate Ears that meets no specific standards, but the company claims that the Boom 3 passed various drop and durability tests. We were not so interested in testing this particular claim, but clumsier Amazon reviewers report that they’ve dropped it with no problems or even scratches. (The same was reported with its predecessor UE Boom 2.) And prior to picking up a Boom 3, I myself was using, dropping, and bumping an (ancient-model, long discontinued) UE Mini speaker from the same manufacturer for many, many years and to this day it plays perfectly. The battery still works great too.
Convenient Charging and a 15-hour Battery for Long Parties Away from a Power Source
This is not the longest battery life for a quality small travel speaker (the Fugoo Tough described below goes for 40 hours) but the Boom 3 has more battery time than most reasonable people will ever need. (We also recommend carrying a backup battery for devices when on the road, which could be used to charge a speaker in a pinch.) The Boom 3 lasts for 15 hours of constant use. In the real world, I used it without charging for a two-week trip that included several spurts of use in (3-4-hour) car trips, and use in hotel rooms, showers, little improvised dance parties, and more with more battery to spare at the end.
The Boom 3 charges via a standard mini USB-B port, and you may be traveling with other devices using the same cable, like a Kindle for your language learning or your headphones. It’s too bad that the Boom 3 doesn’t use USB-C, like modern phones, but most other Bluetooth speakers are still on USB-B (micro) ports as well.
Hang Loop
If you’ve seen our commentary on toiletry kits, you know that we’re obsessed with the utility of being able to hang things while travelling, and staying in cramped quarters.
You can use a carabiner—or, my favorite, a travel hook—to attach your Ultimate Ears Boom 3’s hang loop to a backpack, a fence, a chair, a towel hook when you’re the shower… this is a very small but incredibly convenient feature. At least I think so; I always seem to run out of space to set stuff out on when I’m staying in weird corners of the world.
The Boom 3’s Dedicated Apps: Equalizer, Pair Multiple Speakers, and More
You can use the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 without installing any special apps as a simple Bluetooth-connected speaker. But you’ll want the relevant Android or iOS app for your phone as they add quite a bit of functionality.
- The “block party” features allows three people to share/fight for DJ-rights to the speaker.
- You can remotely turn the speaker on and off, which turns out to be quite convenient for making sure you save battery when the speaker is a bit further than you’d like to reach, or for turning it on to find it by sound if misplaced.
- Customize the EQ to your taste.
- Use the speaker as a musical alarm.
- Connect multiple Boom 3 speakers for bigger sound. You can also connect 150+ Ultimate Ears Boom, Boom 2, Megaboom, and Megaboom 3 and have them all blasting music from your little old phone.
Portable Size and Weight
The Boom 3 is a very packable 2.9-in. (7.3 cm.) diameter cylinder and is 7.2 in. (18.4 cm.) tall. It weighs 1.34 lbs. (608 g.).
The Feature It Lacks: The Boom 3 Is Not a Smart Speaker
If you want a speaker you can chat with (ask about the weather, news, control a smart home) that is similar to the Boom 3, you can see our comparison of it with the Ultimate Ears Blast. But note that we wouldn’t really recommend any smart speaker, at least in terms of travel, as all smart speakers currently only work when connected to WiFi.
We also think that smart speakers are a bit gimmicky and not all that useful; if you want an assistant we’d just talk to the one built into any modern smart phone. And for a home unit, go instead for a (much more useful) unit with a screen like the Echo Show or Google Home Hub for your home.
How the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Sounds
The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is, as you may expect, the third in a series. The previous versions, the UE Boom and UE Boom 2, were both revolutionary hits with reviewers when released with tech press, audiophiles, and international consumer and testing organizations. These were the first speakers to really do 360-degree audio and they packed an incredible punch for their small size.
The competition has caught up, definitely, and plenty of other portable Bluetooth speakers sound wonderful. But the Boom 3 has improved over the Boom 2 too. Thus far the critics have been heaping praise on the new portable party guy from Ultimate Ears, saying that its sound has a bit better performance at top volumes. Since speaker tastes are subjective, our meta-take is always to look for an overall consensus in this way rather than taking just our ears or any other one critic’s tastes as gospel.
And overall the experts think that the Boom 3 sounds fantastic. Its 2-inch drivers and 2×4-inch passive radiators punch out powerful sound and relatively deep bass for such a small unit with little risk of distortion. It’s an impressive feat of engineering and it doesn’t — like certain competitors, hike up the bass end to try to cover sloppy performance. The sound is balanced and rich, clear and sweet in the mids, and often described as “punchy” or “dynamic”.
Of the many Bluetooth speakers that I’ve personally listened to, the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is the best sounding of its size, and certainly has the most convincing bass — not quite as deep and pleasing as high-end home bookshelf speakers, but it’s getting well close, which to my mind is fantastic for someone who is rarely in my living room enough to enjoy those.
The speaker goes quite loud (up to 90 dBA) and doesn’t have issues with distortion or odd mix effects when it gets up to its limits. Pushed to the max it was uncomfortably loud in a large interior living room/dining area, and could certainly serve as the sound system for a house party if needed.
Also crucial for good sound in practical outdoor settings or larger rooms is the Boom 3’s 360-degree output. No matter which side of the speaker you’re on, it sounds the same. The speaker is designed to be placed in the center of the action, and be equally enjoyable from any side. This means you can take a party to go and place the speaker in the center of the action, and it will sound great to everyone.
Downsides of the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 (But Not Enough to Hold Us Back)
- There is always a trade-off between a speaker’s size and its ability to deliver convincing bass and volume, so of course some larger Bluetooth speakers do sound better, especially on the bass end. In this article we focus on portable units and compare the Boom 3’s sound to them; we separately cover bigger, less portable Bluetooth speakers here. The Boom 3 is to most ears the best-sounding speaker with the features and the size that a traveller wants, but you might also compare it to the Megaboom 3 if you’re willing to carry about twice the weight.
- It’s a bit expensive. You can certainly spend less and still have a great-sounding and robustly durable travel speaker (see below).
Buying Options for the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 and Scoring the Best Prices
In addition to the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 at Amazon, you can check for it on Best Buy, although we haven’t thus far seen better prices there. Amazon sometimes has different prices depending on which color you buy, so you may want to click around to different colors if you’re flexible.
We wouldn’t recommend buying a used Boom 3 —or any other battery-containing electronic device — as there is no telling how many cycles the battery has already been through at the time of purchase. You may end up having to replace the battery too soon (though our experience with Ultimate Ears batteries has generally been quite good).
Protecting Your Boom 3: Carrying Cases
The Boom 3 is an incredibly rugged speaker and we don’t think it really needs a case (we do travel with our cables neatly stored and protected in aSkooba Cable Stable however).
But we know that lots of our readers do buy cases. Such cases do at least provide a nice way to organize and protect the charging cable and keep it alongside the speaker. Our readers’ top three picks are below.
A Larger Travel Speaker—with Even More Volume and Bass: The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
We’re all about travelling light so we’ve focused this article on speakers that are about the size and weight of the Ultimate Ears Boom 3.
If you think you can carry more, you’ll also be able to get more volume and better sound — this is a basic law of speaker tech.
Our rugged, larger travel speaker recommendation is the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3. In our direct comparison of the Boom 3 and Megaboom 3 we note that they’re almost identical in terms of design but the Megaboom 3 offers a bit more soundstage and performs better on the bass end. It goes deeper, and its lows on bass-heavy tracks are more full and convincing.
Otherwise it’s nearly the same as the Boom 3, so if you’re willing to carry a bit more weight (and pay a slightly higher price), this would be the one to go for.
The Most Rugged Bluetooth Speaker We’d Recommend—and with a Crazy Long Battery Life
The Fugoo Tough is designed to withstand snow, mud, shocks, and submersion underwater. It has an IP67 rating just like our main pick and a removable jacket that suggests it’s going into war — It’s not going to have any issues with being dropped, bumped, or kicked around.
Of the speakers we recommend it also has the most battery life: 40 hours.
Overall it doesn’t get near as many accolades for sound as our main pick, but it’s not too bad either. Several reviewers quite like how it handles music, while another faults it for lack of bass and volume.
Fugoo sells basically the same speaker in Sport, Style S, and Fugoo Style versions, but the Tough version is the only one that might make sense for some travellers as it is the most indestructible of the lot, and that’s what Fugoo has going for it in comparison to other options. We have done a full analysis of the differences between these Fugoo speakers. And we have a more complete comparison of the Fugoo, UE, and Bose lines of speakers.
The Best Smaller Bluetooth Speaker (Slip it in a Pocket, Clip it to Your Pack): Bose Soundlink Micro
At about half the size and weight of our main pick, the Bose has introduced a clippable, pocketable marvel that still somehow manages to deliver signature Bose evenness and clarity, and even enough loudness to fill a room or work for outdoor listening.
The Bose Soundlink Micro measures 3.87 inches (9.8 cm) square and is 1.37 inches (3.5 cm) thick; it weighs 0.64 pounds (.29 kg), making it one of the lightest speakers we’ve ever recommended. It’s fully IPX7 waterproof and has a very durable rubberized chassis.
The tech critics and audiophiles who have reviewed it tend to agree that its clarity is great and there is even somewhat of a soundstage and a solid bass end; it’s widely held to be the best-sounding small speaker of its size.
The main complaint it gets is its price; this costs more than most such tiny speakers. And the battery life of six hours may deter some (though if you’re carrying your own spare USB battery in your pack you don’t have to worry).
Overall, if you’re someone who is into extremely light packing and you need your tunes on the go, this is the speaker to go for.
See also our comparison of the Micro with the Bose Soundlink Color II.
The Best Cheap, Small Clip-on Speaker for Travel: The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2
The Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 is half the price of the Bose Soundlink Micro above, and to some sounds even better. I personally have loved listening to most music on it, as it really excels in delivering a full, well-rounded impression of the mid-range that you’d normally get from a much larger speaker.
It’s also significantly cheaper and more portable than my top-choice Boom 3. While it can’t come anywhere near delivering the powerful bass and immersiveness of my top travel speaker pick, if I were just slightly less snobby about sound, or if I needed to lighten my load, I’d happily carry the Stormbox Micro 2.
It charges via USB-C (how modern), so you can use it with the same USB-C travel charger that you likely already use for your phone and perhaps laptop and other devices. The new version adds to that the ability to charge a phone or other device off of the speaker’s battery—a lifesaver after a long flight.
Add to that Bluetooth 5.0 and full IP67 waterproofing, and it’s hard to find any objection.
Other Travel Speaker Options (Not Our Top Picks)
A Quieter but Excellent-Sounding Travel Bluetooth Speaker: Bose Soundlink Color II
The Bose Soundlink Color II is the small-to-mid-sized Bluetooth speaker to get if you want a decent soundstage and the smooth mids and trebles that the Bose universe tends to provide.
The Color II not as loud, and doesn’t kick out as much powerful bass as some of the other options, but the critics and consumer organizations report that holds it own and is excellent for filling a room with clean, detailed sound. We offer a full comparison of the Soundlink Color II with the other Bose speakers.
The Color II is directional, meaning that it sounds best when you’re right in front of it, and it’s spash-resistant (but not waterproof) and has a rubberized body so is expected to survive drops well. Overall, that makes it a nice-enough speaker to travel with, but the Boom 3 seems like a better deal to us.
The Bose Soundlink Color II measures 2.2 x 5.0 x 5.2 inches (5.6 x 12.7 x 13.2 cm) and weighs 1.2 pounds (.544 kg).
Generally Well-Liked: The JBL Flip 6
We think that the JBL Flip 6 is a good speaker and a slight improvement on the JBL Flip 5 (see this review for full thoughts). It could be a decent in-between-priced pick if your budget falls between our main pick and the cheaper pick above.
A Few More Notes…
The AYL Portable Mini Capsule Speaker System is not actually a bluetooth speaker, but connects via a mini cable. It’s really small and really cheap, and considering that sounds decent according to some. If you have a modern smartphone or tablet, though, your sound may already be better directly from that.
We completed a comparative meta-review of the differences between the Bose Soundlink Revolve II and Bose Soundlink Revolve + II, which we think are both quite fine Bluetooth speakers but perhaps not what we’d want to take on the road, as they’re not as waterproof and dustproof.
As of this writing there are a couple of reviews out there of the Oontz Angle 3, but no serious comparisons to other speakers by anyone who is an expert in audio. This speaker is quite popular on Amazon, and most reviewers there seem to be enjoying their purchase as a functional and loud-enough option for “rocking out in the shower” or listening to audio books. We can’t recommend this over the other cheap options (above) until we see more written about it or try it out ourselves, but it may be another good option at the lowest price point.
The Rise MiniBoom Wireless Speaker is a tiny, palm-sized and well-built speaker that would be a great road companion if it sounded better. Unfortunately, I found the sound at high volumes to be so harsh and unpleasant that I didn’t even want to use it for listening to podcasts — the sound from my Pixel phone itself was actually more even and listenable. If you lower the volume and listen to music, there is a bit more body and presence than a cell phone’s own speaker, but unsurprisingly not the clarity of the larger speakers we review here, and the sound is muffled. I wanted to love this speaker for its small footprint and obvious convenience as a minimalist travel accessory, but unfortunately the sound quality for me is overall not worth adding to one’s bag (or even pocket).
The SOL Republic Deck was pretty well-liked by some reviewers, though they weren’t in completely in love with it or anything. It is long and thin, and its price has dropped significantly, so it could now be considered a decent cheap option, but still not as good as our other cheap picks above.
Wrap-Up: And the Best Speaker for YOUR Travels Is…
With Ultimate Ears speakers especially, it’s very worth clicking over to Amazon and checking out prices for various colors in order to get the best deal, as they vary widely at times.
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