Best Bluetooth Speakers under $200

Everyone has a different outlook on how much is too much when it comes to audio. What some people consider a steal, others consider expensive. Here at SoundGuys we’re very aware of this, and we try to make it easier for anyone looking for new audio products by having best lists for different price ranges. We’ve already done the best Bluetooth speakers you can get for under $50 and under $100, so now it’s time to up the ante. If you have a bit more to spend or are ready to make an investment in sound, these are the best Bluetooth speakers under $200 available now.

Editor’s note: this list of the best Bluetooth speakers under $200 was updated on July 27, 2020, to replace the product picks with what’s available on the market today.

The best Bluetooth speaker under $200 is the JBL Charge 4

This fabric-covered speaker is fully waterproof with a certified IPX7 rating, and you don’t need to worry about its durability. It also floats in water, so if you do drop it in the pool, it makes for an easy rescue. It is slightly bulky, but still portable enough to take with you to the beach or on a camping trip. The Charge 4 is very similar to the Charge 3, particularly when it comes to its sound. It is bass-heavy profile can occasionally masks vocals, but not so much that it is a problem, especially since most of us prefer that bass-heavy sound signature – overall, this speaker has great sound. Its Bluetooth connection extends up to 30 feet and its battery life is about 13 hours and 45 minutes, even though it is advertised as having 20 hour battery life. The speaker itself serves as a portable smartphone charger, and, of course, using this function will deplete the speaker’s battery.

The JBL Charge 4 has JBL Connect+ which allows you to connect up to 100 JBL speakers together to create a pseudo surround sound system. Unfortunately, if you have an older JBL speaker that doesn’t have JBL Connect+, such as the JBL Charge 3, there is no backwards compatibility and you can’t connect these older speakers to the new ones. If the ability to connect up to 100 speakers is not important to you, the JBL Charge 3 has JBL Connect, which allows you to connect a few speakers together for a stereo sound, and is a budget option. We didn’t select the Charge 3 for the top product is because it is likely to be discontinued soon.

What you should know about the best Bluetooth speakers under $200

What is an IP rating?

IP ratings stand for Ingress Protection ratings, and refer to how well a product is protected against water and dust. The X in IPX7, as an example, is a placeholder for dust-protection. So, if a product is rated IP67 for example, it has a 6 rating for dust and a 7 rating for water.

	Water-resistant	Waterproof	Can withstand
IPX0			Not water-resistant
IPX1	✓		Dripping water (1 mm/min) Limit: vertical drips only
IPX2	✓		Dripping water (3 mm/min) Limit: Device max tilt of 15° from drips
IPX3	✓		Sprays Limit: Device max tilt of 60° from sprays
IPX4	✓		Splashes, omnidirectional
IPX5	✓		Water jets (12.5 L/min) Example: Squirt guns
IPX6	✓		Strong water jets (100 L/min) Example: Powerful water guns
IPX7		✓	Complete submersion Limit: 1 m. for 30 min
IPX8		✓	Complete submersion Limit: 3 m. for 30 min

	Dust-resistant	Dustproof	Can withstand…
IP0X			Not dust-resistant
IP1X	✓		A solid object > 50 mm
IP2X	✓		A solid object > 12.5 mm
IP3X	✓		A solid object > 2.5 mm
IP4X	✓		A solid object > 1 mm
I5X	✓		Dust-protected, small solid objects won’t interfere with device operation
IP6X		✓	Any amount of dust, completely dust-tight

The sound quality of Bluetooth speakers doesn’t stack up to that of wired ones

If you consider yourself a true audiophile you may find that Bluetooth audio quality just doesn’t do it for you. That’s because wired audio quality is almost always better than Bluetooth audio quality due to Bluetooth codecs cutting out data and adding unwanted noise in the transmission process. To shrink the gap in quality between your Bluetooth speaker and your wired speaker, we recommend looking for aptX or aptX HD codecs, or, if you have an iPhone, the AAC codec. Keep in mind that this list of the best Bluetooth speakers under $200 factors in convenience, portability, and durability as well as audio quality.

The UE Megaboom 3 is a great pool party companion

The Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 has an IP67 rating and is ultra portable. It has the size and shape of a water bottle, so you can store it in your cupholder when biking down to the beach. The speaker produces 360 degree sound, and while its sound quality isn’t the absolute best, you can customize the EQ on it with the BOOM app if you don’t like its preset.

The Megaboom 3 allows you to pair up to eight Bluetooth source devices, and has Bluetooth multipoint, meaning you can connect up to two source devices at the same time. This means you and your friend can take turns picking the music at your pool party. With the BOOM app, you can connect over 150 UE speakers using the PartyUp function, and this is backwards compatible with all previous generation BOOM speakers.

The best Bluetooth speaker for your home is the Sonos One (Gen 2)

The Sonos One has the native smart assistants Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and you can activate them via your voice. While this speaker supports Bluetooth Low Energy to simplify the initial setup process, it streams audio from your smartphone over your home’s WiFi, not Bluetooth. The speaker is humidity resistant, so you can put it in the bathroom, but it does not have any official IP rating.

The sound quality of the Sonos One is great. It has two digital amplifiers, a tweeter, and a dedicated mid-woofer, so it produces well-balanced sound across the board. Some might find that it is a bit bass-heavy, but its bass response doesn’t mask the mid frequencies. If you buy two Sonos One speakers, you can connect them for stereo sound. Additionally, the Sonos One second generation is backwards compatible with the first generation Sonos One for this function as well as surround sound.

If you often play the host, get the Bose SoundLink Revolve

This speaker offers fantastic omnidirectional sound, though, omnidirectional sound is always a bit spread out compared to directional sound, making it less “rich” in quality. However, if you throw parties often, omnidirectional sound is ideal, and it has deep bass, making for a consumer-friendly sound signature. In addition, you can pair this speaker with one other compatible Bose Bluetooth speaker and use the Bose Connect app to enable either Stereo Mode or Party Mode. You can also pair your Bose SoundLink Revolve with Bose Home speakers using Bose SimpleSync.

The Bose SoundLink Revolve has an official IPX4 rating, so it can handle splashes, but you shouldn’t submerge it underwater. It’s also super durable, and you can drop it tons of times without it denting in any way. This speaker is portable and offers up to 12 hours of battery life.

If you want a smaller and cheaper option, go with the JBL Flip 4

If the JBL Charge 4 seemed a little bulky and pricey for you, the JBL Flip 4 is a wonderful alternative. It has great loud sound for such a small speaker, and is fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating. Its sound signature is balanced and has a pleasing booming bass response, but is not quite as bass-y as the Charge 4. The main downside of the JBL Flip 4 is its battery life. If you use it on maximum volume, it only lasts about 4 hours, whereas if you use it on 50-75% volume, it can last up to 12 hours. If you plan to take it outside, it is possible that you will need it on maximum volume.

The JBL Flip 4 offers JBL Connect+, so you can link up to 100 JBL speakers that have this functionality, but it is not backwards compatible with JBL Connect speakers. Additionally, while the Charge 4 has the ability to charge your smartphone, the Flip 4 does not.

Notable Mentions:

• Bose SoundLink Mini II: If you like Bose but want a more directional sound and less bass-y sound than the Bose SoundLink Revolve, go with this little speaker. It is an older model, so it doesn’t feature app compatibility and you can’t pair multiple for stereo sound, but it’s audio quality is focused and great for personal listening.

Why you should trust SoundGuys

Each writer at SoundGuys has accumulated years of experience reporting on the consumer audio market, and our staff adheres to a strict ethics policy. We never use ads or sponsored content on the website, so you can trust that our opinions are honest. SoundGuys’ survival depends solely on readers enjoying their purchases. We pride ourselves on transparently outlining objective facts, while accounting for the subjective experience to contextualize an audio product’s performance. When we do misspeak, we correct and own up to it.

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