NEED TO KNOW

Battery Technology has improved so much that I wouldn’t recommend a speaker with less than 10 hours play time. The larger portable designs can manage over 24 hours, and some even have USB ports for charging your phone while on the go.

Connectivity The Sonos Roam can connect to Wi-fi for at-home use, and Bluetooth when out of range. Most speakers just have Bluetooth, with a 3.5mm port for wired connections to music players. The latest Bluetooth 5.0 has a 120-metre range, compared to version 4.2 which only manages 30 metres.

Weatherproofing If a speaker is IPX4 rated, it is splashproof and ideal for garden use. IPX7 speakers can cope with plenty of rain and abuse, while those rated IP67 are also dustproof. And if you fancy swimming with your speaker, Ip68-rated models can be submerged for 30 minutes.