The kitchen is one of the best spots in the house for a smart speaker. There’s nothing like listening to music or podcasts on demand while you are cooking, cleaning, or entertaining. And since people move around a lot in the kitchen, it’s nice to have a wireless speaker that can keep up and be repositioned wherever the action is. These speakers deliver excellent, room-filling sound that makes them perfect for the kitchen counter!
Note: Some speakers are called wireless because they are completely portable, and others are called wireless because you can connect them via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to play audio. We’ve included a mixture of both on our list, but you should make sure your speaker is exactly as portable as you want before you buy!
Best wireless kitchen smart speakers at a glance:
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Bower & Wilkins Formation Wedge
- Naim Mu-So Qb v2
- Audio Pro Addon C3
- Sonos Roam
- JBL Clip 4
Bose Portable Smart Speaker
This Bose speaker combines portability with excellent sound, making it one of the best choices if you want wireless sound for your kitchen. While it’s not an Echo, it does come with Alexa and Google Assistant voice compatibility so you can still use it to ask questions, work out measurements, add items to a shopping list, and much more (as well as play music from a variety of audio services like Spotify or Apple Music).
The Bose speaker also comes with a carrying handle for easy transport or quick repositioning, and the 360-degree speakers make it easy to fill the whole kitchen with sound. The battery lasts for up to 12 hours before needing a recharge, too. Also, the speaker has IPX4 water splash resistance, so you don’t have to worry about it while washing the dishes.
Bower & Wilkins Formation Wedge
If you have an ear for sound quality, you may want a speaker that has truly impressive audio. The Formation Wedge, with its slightly UFO design, delivers incredible sound with two tweeters, two midrange woofers, and a six-inch subwoofer all in one system.
The Formation Wedge is an example of a wired speaker that’s called “wireless” because it supports Wi-Fi connections and Bluetooth 4.1, so you don’t need any cable attachments to play music. It also includes an app that allows you to adjust the EQ settings, volume, and more. There are few better options for powerful sound!
Naim Mu-So Qb v2
This stately speaker is made for music: It connects wireless to your network via Wi-Fi (you can also choose an Ethernet connection for more reliability, although Ethernet ports in a kitchen are rare). The controls are also easy to use, and it supports both Apple HomeKit and Google Home for easy app control and voice commands. The power speakers and digital processor ensure that you get the most out of every song, regardless of genre.
We’re also fans of the Naim speaker’s easy touch controls on the top of the model. That placement makes it easy to quickly adjust the sound on the fly when you are in the kitchen and don’t want to use voice commands.
Audio Pro Addon C3
This highly portable 25W speaker features a classic design with a built-in carrying strap so you can move it to wherever you are working. The durable legs can grip surfaces to keep the speaker from slipping. It’s another model that works with Alexa, so you can give a wide variety of voice commands from the kitchen and control your other smart devices with a basic request.
The Pro Addon C3 comes with a powerful battery that can last up to 15 hours. The speaker can connect via both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi depending on how you’d like to stream — as well as provides support for Spotify Connect and similar technologies.
Sonos Roam
There’s a range of excellent portable Bluetooth speakers that are designed for outdoor use: Since that involves specs like water resistance and dust-proofing, that also makes these speakers excellent for the kitchen counter. The Roam is also compatible with other smart home features, including support for AirPlay 2, Alexa, and Google Assistant, along with its own dedicated app for wireless control.
The Sonos Roam also uses “Trueplay” tech to balance sound. It’s also quite impressive just how much audio this smart speaker can put out — even with other competing noises like a running fridge or dishwasher. The battery lasts for around 10 hours before needing a recharge, via either USB-C or a wireless charger.
JBL Clip 4
Not everyone has several hundred dollars to throw at a kitchen speaker, which is why this JBL speaker is also a great choice for those who’d like to save some money. The device is small enough to hang on a hook or wear it on a belt loop while you work, but has impressive sound nonetheless. It’s also available in a variety of colors in case you have something specific you’d like to match. The battery lasts for up to 10 hours of playback time, too. The JBL Clip 4 also has the highest waterproofing of any speaker on our list at IP67, making it totally safe for all kitchen activities (including some sink-related accidents), plus dust-proofing that makes it safe to use around flour, etc.
What is the best speaker with a screen to have in a kitchen?
There are also many excellent wired smart speakers with screens to choose from too, if you don’t mind anchoring the speaker to an outlet. You can even choose something like an Echo Show 8 to add a smart display so you can watch shows or cooking tutorials for a new dish. If you really want to move the speaker around, look into battery packs or cases that include built-in batteries. This solution can be an effective workaround to make a wired speaker portable.
