Best Bose speakers 2023: portable, multi-room, wireless

Best Bose speakers 2023: portable, multi-room, wireless
(Image credit: Bose)

The best Bose speakers are serious pound-for-pound performers. You get a premium build quality, intuitive controls and some bold, expressive audio. Even the small ones tend to impress. Either way, with so many deals flooding the internet, now's a great time to buy the best Bose speakers.

How to choose the best Bose speaker for you

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

In the past, we've criticised Bose's lack of support for hi-res audio files, but the latest models now support the likes of FLAC and WAV. Some models even support Amazon Alexa voice commands and music services like Spotify and Deezer too.

If you're looking to create a wireless multi-room system, the SoundTouch range is Bose's answer to a Sonos set-up. It's comprised of three speaker sizes – 10, 20 and 30 – that can be linked together to create room-filling sound. 

The Bose speaker range covers a range of prices at the more affordable end of the market but, generally, the more you spend, the more powerful and dynamic the sound. 

Right, now for the fun bit. Here's our pick of the best Bose speakers you can buy... 

(Image credit: Bose)
Splashproof Bluetooth speaker with 360-degree sound.

Specifications

Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth
Battery life: 12 hours
Connections: 3.5mm headphone jack, Micro USB
Dimensions (HWD): 152 x 82 x 82mm
Weight: 660g

Reasons to buy

+
Omnidirectional delivery
+
Solid, punchy sound
+
Portable and feature-packed

Reasons to avoid

-
Rivals offer more detail
-
Not especially rugged
-
Pricey

This multi-talented speaker gave us goosebumps with its bright, bold dynamic sound and refined performance. IPX4 water-resistant, it boasts a superb 12-hour battery, making it ideal an outdoor speaker

Bose has managed to extract huge performance from its cylindrical design, which pumps out 360-degree sound in an effort to eliminate sweet spots. The clever design even includes a pressure trap to reduce distortion.

It comes with a raft of features, including a dedicated button that allows you to tap into your phone's voice assistant (even if your phone is in another room). If you're looking for the best portable Bose speaker, grab one of these. 

Read the full review: Bose SoundLink Revolve

Best Bose speakers 2023: portable, multi-room, wireless

(Image credit: Bose)
Affordable multi-room starter speaker.

Specifications

Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Battery life: Mains only
Connections: 3.5mm aux input
Dimensions (HWD): 21.2 x 14.1 x 8.7cm
Weight: 1.87kg

Reasons to buy

+
Smart, compact design
+
Big, clear sound
+
Abundance of features
+
Multi-room

Reasons to avoid

-
Slightly coarse treble
-
Midrange hardens up at high volume
-
App lacks some features

This might be the smallest and most affordable speaker in Bose's multi-room range, but we think it's also the best. Considering that it's the size of a carton of juice, the detailed, spacious sound - underpinned by deep, rich bass - is pretty darn impressive.

Bose has done a decent job of simplifying its user interface, so grouping this speaker with others in the SoundTouch collection is a cinch. There's support for Spotify Connect and Deezer, plus you can stream FLAC files from your favourite device. 

Fan of Tidal? Unfortunately that's not supported. If that's not a deal-breaker, the SoundTouch 10 is an is an excellent standalone speaker that can be spun out into a multi-room system. 

Read the full review: Bose SoundTouch 10

Best Bose speakers 2023: portable, multi-room, wireless

(Image credit: Bose)
Palm-sized Bluetooth speaker that wows with weighty bass.

Specifications

Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth
Battery life: 10hr
Connections: 3.5mm aux input, Micro-B USB
Dimensions (HWD): 5.1 x 18 x 5.8cm
Weight: 680g

Reasons to buy

+
Full-bodied sound
+
Weighty bass
+
Portable

Reasons to avoid

-
Lows Lack precision and agility

This diminutive speaker is just 5.1cm high, but you'll get a shock when you pick it up: it feels more like concrete than aluminium. The advantage of the stout build is that it translates into hefty bass that belies the size of this tiny Bluetooth speaker

The sound is warm, natural and expressive – without slipping into boombox territory – and the design is sleek. Buttons are kept to a bare minimum: power, volume and Bluetooth pairing (it remembers the last eight devices paired, making it a welcome guests at playlist parties).

The one area where this speaker doesn't quite hit the mark is the bass, which could be tighter. That said, this impressive, picnic-friendly speaker is plenty loud enough for a bedside table or a dinner party.

Read the full review: Bose SoundLink Mini II

Best Bose speakers: Bose Smart Soundbar 900

(Image credit: Bose)

4. Bose Smart Soundbar 900

An impressive-sounding Dolby Atmos soundbar and wireless speaker

Specifications

Inputs : HDMI eARC, optical
Streaming: wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2
Audio formats: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus
Dimensions (hwd) : 5.8 x 105 x 11cm
Weight: 5.8kg

Reasons to buy

+
Expansive breadth
+
Sleek design
+
Clear vocal projection

Reasons to avoid

-
No DTS support
-
Noticeably processed sound
-
Not as Atmos-y as the best

If you're looking for the best Bose speaker that also doubles as a Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Smart Soundbar 900 is just the job. Its wraparound metal grille and polished, impact-resistant tempered glass top give it a refined look while nine channels of amplification ensure plenty of oomph.

As you'd expect from Bose, there are lots of connectivity options and features on board, including a single HDMI eARC port, optical in, ethernet and a USB socket. For music streaming, there's wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast (a retroactive firmware update). You also get support for both Amazon’s Alexa and Google assistants.

Sound-wise, you're guaranteed an impressively wide soundfield, clear forward projection and bright character. Many listeners will likely be very pleased with its responsive cinematic performance but it does have a tendency to add its own tonal colour to music.

All in all, the Smart Soundbar 900 is a smart choice.

Read the full Bose Smart Soundbar 900 review

Best Bose speakers 2023: portable, multi-room, wireless

(Image credit: Bose)
The most powerful SoundTouch multi-room speaker.

Specifications

Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Battery life: Mains power only
Connections: 3.5mm aux input
Dimensions (HWD): 24.6 x 43.5 x 18cm
Weight: 8.4kg

Reasons to buy

+
Powerful, spacious presentation
+
Good sense of timing
+
Decent low-end authority

Reasons to avoid

-
Coarse treble 
-
Hardness at high volume
-
Control app is slight disappointment 

The 'big daddy' of the SoundTouch speakers is undeniably chunky, but impresses with it's dynamic sonic ability. Bass is punchy and Bose's 'Waveguide' technology does a great job optimising the performance of the drivers, creating a big, room-filling sound. 

It's designed to be used as part of a Bose multi-room system, so pairing is simple and intuitive, and there's plenty of streaming support including Spotify Connect and Amazon Music. Bose has also added support for Amazon Alexa voice commands.

Compared to a Sonos system, you might find Bose's control app a bit fiddly but this is a well-equipped and accomplished wireless speaker. 

Read the full review: Bose SoundTouch 30 series III

Best Bose speakers 2023: portable, multi-room, wireless

(Image credit: Bose)
Solid, mid-sized multi-room speaker.

Specifications

Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Battery life: Mains power only
Connections: 3.5mm aux input
Dimensions (HWD): 18.8 x 31.5 x 10.4cm
Weight: 3.2kg

Reasons to buy

+
Good detail and dynamics
+
Intuitive app
+
Multi-room potential
+
Impressive scale

Reasons to avoid

-
No hi-res support
-
Needs more services
-
Overbearing bass

Pitched between the smaller SoundTouch 10, and bigger SoundTouch 30, this compact offering delivers solid, insightful midrange performance. It's not shy when it comes to bass, either. Great if you're throwing a wild house party; perhaps not great if you're casually listening to Simon & Garfunkel. 

Like it's two cousins, the SoundTouch 20 series III is compatible with a decent range of streaming services including Spotify Connect, Deezer and Amazon Music. Controls are simple, with six presets offering convenient, one-touch access to your favourite music. 

There are better standalone Bluetooth speakers, but if you have your heart set on a Bose multi-room system, the SoundTouch 20 represents good value for money.   

Read the full review: Bose SoundTouch 20 Series III

Best Bose speakers 2023: portable, multi-room, wireless

(Image credit: Bose)
Good sized smart speaker with big, weighty sound.

Specifications

Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Battery life: Mains only
Connections: Aux-in
Dimensions (HWD): 160 x 142 x 102mm
Weight: 0.9kg

Reasons to buy

+
Big, weighty sound
+
Goes loud without hardening
+
Google Assistant and Alexa

Reasons to avoid

-
Poor detail
-
Timing is underwhelming
-
Lack of dynamic range
-
Cluttered and confused

Not the best for a classic, quality, hi-fi-type sound but the Bose Home Speaker 300 will certainly add some beef to your listening. Part of the wider Bose smart speaker family, it's voice-enabled through both Alexa and Google Assistant and can be used as a unit of a Bose multi-room set-up too. It also supports AirPlay 2.

Sound-wise, you're looking at a mono system here through a single, full-range driver which fires downwards into an acoustic deflector to spread sound 360 degrees from its ovular chassis. It definitely gives an even and impressively weighty performance that will please many but, if you're after something sonically more refined, this may not be the smart speaker for you.

Read the full review: Bose Home Speaker 300

How we test speakers

Here at What Hi-Fi? we review hundreds of products every year, including no small amount of speakers of all shapes, sizes and types. So how do we come to our review verdicts? And why can you trust them?

The What Hi-Fi? team has more than 100 years experience of reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics. We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Bath, where our team of expert reviewers do all our in-house testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency. We always ensure we spend plenty of time with the speakers, trying them with different electronics, in different positions and with different music. 

All products are tested in comparison with rival products in the same category, and all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than a single reviewer, helping to ensure consistency and avoid individual subjectivity.

From all of our reviews, we choose the top products to feature in our Best Buys, such as this one. That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended below, or on any of our other Best Buy pages, you can rest assured you're getting a What Hi-Fi?-approved product.

Tom is a journalist, copywriter and content designer based in the UK. He has written articles for T3, ShortList, The Sun, The Mail on Sunday, The Daily Telegraph, Elle Deco, The Sunday Times, Men's Health, Mr Porter, Oracle and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include mobile technology, electric vehicles and video streaming.