Best Bluetooth Speakers under $200 for 2018 – Buyer’s Guide

Have you ever wondered what someone living a thousand years ago would think if they walked into a modern American living room? Clean, fresh-smelling people with shaved faces sit on a strangely soft piece of furniture, staring at black, shining slates that glow with a strange, bluish light. We are straight up living in the future, people. Stop and think about how ape-crazy it is that you can tell your phone that you feel like listening to music, and 20 feet away a song will start up for you. With new tech like Google Assistant and Alexa, you literally don’t even have to lift a finger.

Okay, once you scrape your brain-mush off the floor, think on this: The amazing technology we’re talking about is so easy on the wallet that it can be found in practically any household across the country. We’re looking at Bluetooth speakers you can buy for less than $200 that are more advanced than the spaceship that took Neil Armstrong to the moon. Mind blown.

So, here’s our list. We did the hard work for you—you’re welcome—and compiled a lineup of the 11 best Bluetooth speakers for less than $200. Now go and hug your smartphone. It does so much for you.

1. Bose SoundLink Mini II

Bose SoundLink Mini II Bluetooth Speakers

Best for Big Sound, Little Body

Bose gives us all the feels with the SoundLink Mini II. It sounds so much larger than it looks, and the battery lasts for 10 whole hours of continuous play time. We love the included charging cradle—it’s so easy to charge you’ll barely even have to think about it. This Bose speaker looks great in both carbon and pearl, and it comes with optional covers in cute colors like electric green and navy blue. An integrated microphone makes hands-free calling a cinch, and party mode allows two devices to connect via Bluetooth at the same time. Of course, none of this would mean anything if we didn’t let you know the best part—this speaker sounds legit. Especially great at pumping the lower bass tones, it also keeps mids and highs clear and rich.

2. Denon HEOS 1 HS2

Denon HEOS 1 HS2 Bluetooth Portable Speakers

Best for Durability

Denon made this impressive speaker to really last. Not only is the silicone material water-resistant, but also the body of the speaker is protected from environmental factors like humidity. That means the quality of the sound—which, by the way, is beautifully balanced and full—stays consistent through hours and hours of use. And you can take it with you just about anywhere, no worries. The speaker features adjustable equalizer settings suited for different kinds of sounds, so you don’t get rattling bass or overly edgy high tones. We also love the HEOS app that makes playing our favorite tunes easy!

3. Bose SoundTouch 10

Bose SoundTouch 10 Bluetooth Speakers

Best for Home Use

This is one of the smartest Bluetooth speakers we’ve seen. It connects to your fav music through Amazon Prime, Pandora, Spotify, etc. and boasts one-touch access with customizable presets—no phone fiddling needed. It also works with the highly rated SoundTouch app, and it connects easily to other Bose speakers for personalized playlists in every room! Heads up, this is NOT a portable speaker. You’ve got to plug this bad boy in, so it’s the perfect speaker for connecting audio in your smart home, you smart cookie.

4. JBL Flip 3

JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth Speakers

Best for Beach Bums

For starters, this speaker just plain looks cool. We dig the cylindrical shape and unique colors like bright yellow and turquoise. It’s rugged. It’s water-resistant. It’s compact. It sounds awesome. A built-in mic makes it perfect for digital assistants like Alexa or Siri. And it even has noise cancelling technology for the best speakerphone experience you’ve ever had. Enjoy the tight bass and clear highs, all through a super convenient Bluetooth connection. And for this kind of price, we’re picking our jaws up off the floor.

5. Beats Pill+

Beats Pill+ Portable Speakers

Best for Techies

You’ve seen the iconic Beats headphones. Now Dr. Dre has blessed the masses with another powerful audio product that has us drooling—a simple, sleek Bluetooth speaker that kind of looks like, yeah, a pill. We’re pretty excited about the Pill+, which is engineered with the same acoustic tuning and function that the pros use in sound recording. We love that the battery holds 12 hours of play time, but we really love the quick charge function, which gets a full charge in only three hours. This speaker simply sounds awesome, with a really nicely balanced sound, tight bass, and full range. And a purchase might help fund Dr. Dre’s golden toilet seats or something, and we’re all about donating to a good cause.

6. Bose SoundLink Color II

Bose SoundLink Color II Bluetooth Speakers

Best for Style-Conscious Audiophiles

We are really digging the features of the SoundLink Color II. First off, the design and colors are aesthetically pleasing and it looks more expensive than it is. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. NFC pairing is an awesome touch, alongside Bluetooth, of course. The battery offers 8 hours of continuous play, and dual drivers give a really great audio quality with rich, balanced tones. It’s hard to find small Bluetooth speakers that can accurately reproduce sound, and we’ve hit the jackpot here. The SoundLink cranks up quite loud, but it manages to avoid distortion. We also like that two devices can pair simultaneously, that the integrate speakerphone makes for easy hands-free calls, and that the rubber housing is water-resistant. Oh, and the price makes us smile, too!

7. JBL Charge 3

JBL Charge 3 Bluetooth Speaker under 200 Dollars

Best for Everything but the Kitchen Sink

JBL keeps hitting it out of the park with their impressive Bluetooth speakers. The Charge 3 takes it to a whole new level with 20 hours of continuous play, complete waterproofing, and simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity with up to three devices at once! JBL speakers can also be daisy chained for a surround sound experience (or more volume for that dance party). And, true to its name, the Charge 3 doubles as a charger for your device. Don’t care who you are, that’s handy. This speaker boasts clear, balanced sound, and it can really pump the bass for hip-hop sessions. It’s less than two pounds for extra portability, and it comes in your favorite (bright) colors so it’s easy to spot when the sand blows over it. Because we KNOW you’ll want to take this baby to the beach.

8. UE BOOM 2

UE BOOM 2 Bluetooth Speaker

Best for Living Loud

Ka-BOOM! We can hardly handle all the awesomeness this speaker is dropping. It comes in a couple classic colors and a few, ahem, more exciting ones, like BrainFreeze and Cherrybomb. Pairs easily with Echo Dot for digital assistant use, and it boasts the ability to connect 50—yes, 50—speakers together wirelessly. So get out your credit cards, because prom just went wireless! In other news, the design of the UE BOOM 2 allows for excellent 360° sound, the battery lasts for 15 hours of play time, and the Bluetooth range is an impressive 100 feet. But wait, there’s more. It’s waterproof and shockproof. Like, completely. The Bluetooth pairing is instant and smooth. And it sounds excellent. Boom goes the dynamite!

9. Sony SRSXB3 Speaker

Sony SRSXB3 Speaker under 200 Dollars

Best for Long Nights

Sony didn’t cut any corners here, and it shows. This portable Bluetooth speaker packs a solid punch when it comes to laying on the bass but still keeping it tight. The rechargeable battery lasts a full 24 hours! And it includes a USB port to charge your devices. Sony has built this speaker with volume in mind, and you can really turn it up. We appreciate the excellent range of sound the SRSXB3 can reproduce, with super clear highs and lows you can feel. Cutting edge LDAC grants high-quality audio transmission, meaning some of the crispest and best sounding tunes possible in a Bluetooth speaker. The speaker is splash-proof, too, so you can rest easy at the pool. And the low price means saving pennies for grownup things… like another one. Did we mention you can pair two together via Bluetooth?

10. RIVA Turbo X RTX01B

RIVA Turbo X RTX01B Bluetooth Speaker

Best for Fancy Folks

Oh, it’s pretty. This little award-winning speaker boasts an incredible 45 watts of power, customizable equalizer settings for up to 100 dB, a microphone with noise cancellation, and over 26 hours of continuous play time between charges. Speaking of charges, it includes a USB for charging devices. We love the different modes—a special mode for vinyl, a separate one for extreme volume (with no distortion!), and one for hi-res audio. The design of the speaker lends itself to balanced, rich sound that fills an entire room—not just the space in front of the speaker. This is a premium speaker with a bargain price tag.

11. B&O PLAY S3

B&O PLAY S3 Bluetooth Speakers under 200

Best Steal of a Deal

This sexy speaker is built to last—and sound great the whole time. Durable polymer material gives this ruggedly designed Bluetooth speaker an acoustic consistency that’s unmatched in its price range. Experience the beautiful, clear, crisp sounds of a high-end B&O speaker without the negative side effects… like bankruptcy. At only $97, we might even consider buying two for an amazing surround-sound setup (consider that these speakers used to run around $300!). The unique design of the Beoplay S3 means peak power of 240 watts! We also love that the speaker cover can be changed out to match your style, whether it’s dusty rose, bright blue, or forest green. Join us in the lap of luxury, before the price hikes back up again!

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