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The best portable smart speakers for 2022

Smart speakers have become a staple of home automation, providing an on-demand voice assistant, the ability to control smart devices throughout your home, a hands-free calling option, a music device, and much more. But they do have their limitations -- most of them need a nearby outlet and aren’t easy to move.

We’ve got a solution for that: A select group of highly capable smart speakers that are also designed to be portable, with rechargeable batteries and other features. They are easy to move them around, while still getting the smart features you really want. Let’s check them out.

Bose Portable Home Speaker
Bose Portable Smart Speaker
Best for 360-degree sound
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Sonos Move
Sonos Move
Best for the outdoors
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Sonos Roam
Sonos Roam
Best for AirPlay 2 support
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Bose SoundLink Flex
Bose SoundLink Flex
Best for easy access to voice assistants
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Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)
Echo Dot 4th-Gen with Battery Base
Best budget smart speaker/base combo
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Cavalier - The Maverick Wireless Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant - Blue
Cavalier Maverick Wireless Smart Speaker
Best overall design
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Bose Portable Smart Speaker.

Bose Portable Smart Speaker

Best for 360-degree sound

Pros
  • Great 360-degree sound
  • Water resistant
  • Carrying handle
Cons
  • Bulkier than traditional Bluetooth speakers

Bose’s portable speaker is a true hybrid, a fully functional smart speaker that allows you to talk to Alexa or Google Assistant with ease, while still being entirely portable, all the way to its handle for easy carrying. The speaker supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, as well as Apple AirPlay (through which you can also use Siri). At only four pounds, it’s no trouble to take it with you to the home, office, or wherever you want it.

The Bose portable speaker uses an included USB-C cable for speedy charge times, and a full battery charge can last up to 12 hours. It’s also IPX4 water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about taking it outside on an adventure. And, of course, the Bose sound design doesn’t disappoint here with good use of an acoustic deflector to spread audio out in 360 degrees without compromising on sound.

Bose Portable Home Speaker
Bose Portable Smart Speaker
Best for 360-degree sound
sonos move review 8

Sonos Move

Best for the outdoors

Pros
  • Superb build quality
  • Integration with Sonos systems
  • Sounds especially good outdoors
  • User-replaceable battery
Cons
  • Sonos app doesn’t work over Bluetooth
  • Big size, big price

If price is no barrier and you want an excellent smart speaker that can follow you anywhere, the Sonos Move is one of the most impressive smart speakers on the market. It supports the Sonos app, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity for controlling your smart home, and Alexa voice assistant commands. The speaker has excellent audio for its size and uses Trueplay tech to adjust the sound based on what it senses about its location.

Speaking of space, you don’t need to worry about taking this speaker anywhere you want to go. Its IP56 resistance can deal with humidity, rain, snow, dust, salty ocean spray, UV rays, and extreme temperatures. If you’re going somewhere, you can take the Move along. All this, and the battery can support up to 11 hours of play time. Just keep an eye on the price and make sure you’re comfortable spending that much to get a portable speaker that can do everything.

Sonos Move
Sonos Move
Best for the outdoors
sonos roam portable speaker 1
Sonos

Sonos Roam

Best for AirPlay 2 support

Pros
  • Excellent design
  • Lightweight and portable
  • Totally water and dustproof
  • Very good sound for its size
  • Choice of smart speaker assistants
  • Wireless charging
Cons
  • No Bluetooth stereo pairing
  • Doesn’t work as a speakerphone
  • Less battery life than some other speakers

For those who prefer to spend much, much less on a portable smart speaker, Sonos also offers the Roam. It’s more the size of a traditional Bluetooth speaker, and easier to casually carry around as a result. But don’t worry — you still get access to Alexa and Google Assistant, along with AirPlay 2 support.

The speaker isn’t quite as rugged as the Move, but it does have enough water resistance so that you can take it outdoors without worrying about moisture or rain damage. It also includes Trueplay tuning to adjust audio levels for best results. One battery charge can last for up to 10 hours, and it’s small enough that you can use it on wireless chargers, too.

Sonos Roam
Sonos Roam
Best for AirPlay 2 support
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker in blue.

Bose SoundLink Flex

Best for easy access to voice assistants

Pros
  • Compact, portable design
  • Excellent IP67 resistance for all outdoor uses
  • Optimization technology based on surround spaces
Cons
  • Audio is a bit more limited compared to larger versions

This Bose speaker hews closer to a Bluetooth speaker with its compact design, outdoor-oriented features, and handy loop for hooking it onto a backpack or bike. The IP67 resistance is there to protect against any water, sun, or dust-related issues, and Bose’s own room-sensing technology can, like Sonos, optimize audio depending on where you put it.

Fortunately, there are still valuable smart features here, including Bluetooth connectivity, settings management through the Bose Connect app, and a voice assistant button that lets you immediately access Siri or Google Assistant housed in a nearby mobile device. The battery is also impressive, lasting up to 12 hours on a single charge. If you’re most interested in a relatively affordable speaker for the outdoors, this is a great option.

Bose SoundLink Flex
Bose SoundLink Flex
Best for easy access to voice assistants
Echo Dot in Mission Base.

Echo Dot 4th-Gen with Battery Base

Best budget smart speaker/base combo

Pros
  • Charming new design
  • Great audio quality for its size
  • Alexa Guard protection
  • Affordable cost
Cons
  • LED clock should be default

At first glance, the 4th-gen Echo Dot may be an excellent little smart speaker but doesn’t seem portable at all. The secret is pairing it with a battery base -- there are many options, but this version from Mission Cables is one of the best. With a battery base (our example lasts up to five hours on a charge), you can take the orb-like Dot anywhere you want…as long as you keep it inside.

This may be an especially good option for the Kids version of the Echo Dot, which can now keep up with their activities around the house. Of course, adults can also appreciate the ability to have a voice assistant speaker ready to answer questions, play music, add events, and always be ready to listen.

Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)
Echo Dot 4th-Gen with Battery Base
Best budget smart speaker/base combo
The Cavalier Maverick Wireless Smart Speaker.

Cavalier Maverick Wireless Smart Speaker

Best overall design

Pros
  • Beautiful metal and leather design
  • Powerful 20W dual-driver speakers
  • Comes with charging base
Cons
  • Fairly expensive
  • Better indoors than outdoors

Cavalier’s Maverick speaker is a bold addition to the smart speaker family with one of the most stylish designs, featuring machined-edged metal, real leather, and acoustic fabric. Inside the 20W speaker are two drivers and dual passive radiators that help produce rich sound around the home. Alexa is built right into the service as your voice assistant and general smart home control. Plus, the speaker supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.

But there’s one more feature we really like here — the speaker comes with a matching base that you can plug into a central outlet. While resting in the base, the Maverick charges its 10-hour battery, but you can pick it up and take it with you at any time when you’re ready to move. Switching between a central hub and an on-the-go speaker sounds like the best of both worlds to us!

Cavalier - The Maverick Wireless Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant - Blue
Cavalier Maverick Wireless Smart Speaker
Best overall design

Editors' Recommendations

Amazon’s pocket-sized Echo Dot smart speaker is 50% off today
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Every house could use at least one smart speaker. They're fun, useful, and, thanks to Amazon Echo deals, extremely cheap. Right now you can grab the 3rd Generation Amazon Echo Dot for just $20 after a 50% discount. If you've ever thought about buying one, now is the time. Read all about the cool things you can do with an Echo Dot below.

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Save $30 when you buy an Echo Studio and Echo Sub together
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If you're outfitting your house with a bunch of new smart home tech, the price is probably adding up. If you're looking for ways to save some cash, Best Buy has a great bundle for anyone looking for both the Amazon Echo Studio and the Echo Sub. Right now when you buy both you get a $30 price cut, paying only $300 instead of $330. It's not a massive discount, but if you were planning on buying both anyway, make sure you take advantage of Amazon Echo deals like this.

Why you should buy the Amazon Echo Studio and Echo Sub bundle
Amazon makes some of the best smart speakers around and while many people focus on the smaller Echo Dot range, the Amazon Echo Studio is a fantastic smart speaker for anyone looking for more power. It offers an immersive, 3-dimensional soundscape so you can enjoy studio-quality audio that comes from every direction. It uses spatial audio processing technology in conjunction with its five speakers so you get powerful bass as well as improved clarity, dynamic midrange, and crisp highs. There's also Dolby Atmos technology to add space, clarity, and depth to your listening experience.

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Best Buy’s deal of the day is $130 off a Dyson cordless vacuum
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If you're still lugging around your old vacuum, unplugging and replugging it in every new room, it's time to upgrade to cordless. Right now you can grab the Dyson V7 Advanced Origin cordless vacuum for only $270 after a $130 discount at Best Buy. We're not sure how long this discount will stick around, so act quickly. Read on to hear about why you'll love it, then click 'Buy Now' and head over to Best Buy.

Why you should buy the Dyson V7 Advanced Origin cordless vacuum
Dyson is a brand that's known worldwide for its household devices, which includes some of the best vacuums in the market. The Dyson V7 Advanced Origin is one of its most popular products, and it's got an average rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 stars on Best Buy. The cordless vacuum features powerful suction to be able to pick up all kinds of dirt and debris, and it comes with a detangling Motorbar cleaner head with hair removal vanes to deal with pet hair. Like the best Dyson vacuums, the Dyson V7 Advanced Origin offers advanced whole-machine filtration with the capability to trap particles and allergens, with a washable filter that may be used over the cordless vacuum's lifetime.

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