The best smart speakers for 2025
Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi | Assistance support: Amazon Alexa, Sonos voice control | Maximum wattage: 10W | Battery life: 10 hours | Height: 6.6″ | Width: 2.3″
While many people are happy with a few speakers strategically placed throughout the house, you may want something that works both outside and inside. Luckily, there are speakers that combine voice control and powerful music playback performance with portable, weatherproof form factors. For my money it’s hard to beat Sonos Roam for pure versatility, not to mention audio quality.
When used indoors, the Roam works like any other Sonos speaker. It fits into an existing multi-room Sonos setup, but you can also get a pair for stereo playback. Like most other Sonos speakers, it works with the Sonos voice assistant or Amazon Alexa and supports virtually every major music service available. Due to its small size it sounds very good; It’s quieter and not quite as clear as the Sonos One or Era 100, but still offers surprisingly rich bass and pronounced highs.
Because the Roam was designed for mobile use, it has a battery and Bluetooth so you can take it anywhere and use it far away from your WiFi network. And its small size makes it easy to take anywhere, both around the house and on the go. It’s also the first Sonos speaker to be fully waterproof, dustproof, and dropproof, so you shouldn’t have to worry about taking it to the pool or beach.
The Roam has a battery life of around 10 hours, regardless of whether you use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. There are other portable speakers that last longer. So if you really want to drain the battery, another option might be more suitable.
Another wireless portable speaker option is priced at $449 Sonos Move 2. It’s much larger and louder than the Roam, which isn’t surprising given its significantly higher price. It’s a nice upgrade over the previous Move, with dual tweeters for more detailed sound, a battery that lasts more than a day, and redesigned touch controls on the top. It also has a line-in jack via USB-C, so you can connect a turntable if you’re using it inside. If you’re willing to sacrifice portability for performance and better sound quality (and can afford it), the Move 2 is more satisfying than the Roam.
A better choice than the Move unless you already have other Sonos products, it’s priced at $399 Bose Portable Smart Speakers. It supports Alexa and Google Assistant commands and because it can connect to Wi-Fi, you can ask your favorite assistant to play music from Spotify, Amazon Music and other services. In addition, it produces well-rounded sound, features an IPX4 design with a convenient carrying handle, and lasts up to 12 hours on a single charge.
Bose also has a good alternative to Roam. The $149 SoundLink Flex Supports Siri and Google Assistant commands and features an IP67 design that’s about the size of a small clutch bag. It produces bright, dynamic sound and can also be combined with other speakers for stereo sound – it’s excellent and slightly cheaper than the Roam.
Even though this guide is about smart speakers, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention all the solid portable speakers on the market that either have limited or no smart features. We have a complete guide to the best portable Bluetooth speakers. So if you’re all about portability and less about an ecosystem of connected speakers, there are plenty of options worth exploring.
