MAKE THE MOST OF MUSIC ON THE GO

1 FIND THE RIGHT SIZE

All the portable, batterypowered speakers you’ll come across are small-ish, but some are smaller than others. If you’re getting a speaker to sit by the pool then you’re going to want a larger model than if you’re getting a speaker to fix to your backpack for a hiking trip, so pick a size based on your intended use.

2 CHECK THE AUDIO OUTPUT

All of the speakers that you’re considering for purchase should tell you how loud they can get when turned up to the max (and check the reviews in this regard too). Different scenarios need different maximum volume levels, so decide what you’re going to use your speaker for and make a choice accordingly.

3 THEY’RE NOT JUST FOR MUSIC

These on-the-go speaker units are usually associated with music playback, but that’s not all they can handle: you can stream pretty much any audio you like from your phone (or another device), so you can get your podcasts, audiobooks, radio stations and so on playing through these gadgets as well.

4 DON’T IGNORE THE EXTRA FEATURES

High-end portable speakers like the ones we’re looking at here will come with plenty of extra features – including smart assistant support, on-board audio tuning, fast charging and more – so make sure you read all the way through the specs lists before making a decision.