The best portable speakers with long battery life

Tronsmart's portable speaker falls into the category of inexpensive but high-quality devices for use at home or outdoors. It is available in several cute colors and is compact: the speaker does not take up much space in a backpack, fits in a bottle holder on a bicycle and fits comfortably in your hand. The package includes a small strap for attaching or wearing on the wrist. The device weighs only 450 g. A striking addition to the design is the multi-colored lighting in the upper part of the case, which flickers to the beat of the music and complements the atmosphere of the mini-party.

The speaker can be taken with you on trips, used while relaxing in nature or on the beach - the case has IPX7 water protection and is not afraid of rain, splashes of water, accidentally spilled drinks and even falls into water.

You shouldn't expect anything supernatural from a budget speaker of this size, but for its price it produces pretty decent sound. This is achieved by two speakers with a total power of 24 W with three passive radiators for improved bass. The volume is enough to fill the entire room with music. There is TWS technology for combining two devices into a single stereo pair and an equalizer in the proprietary mobile application, which allows you to customize the sound depending on the genre of music and personal preferences.

The speaker connects to the audio content source using Bluetooth 5.3. In addition, there is a card reader for “reading” microSD memory cards. At the same time, you can connect the audio system to two gadgets to quickly switch between them. This is especially convenient if the speaker is used by several people.

Despite its small size, the model boasts impressive battery life: one 4000 mAh battery charge lasts up to 24 hours of continuous operation. Although this indicator, of course, depends primarily on the volume and backlight. Tronsmart T7 Lite needs 4.5 hours to fully restore energy.

The portable speaker belongs to the Charge series, the main features of which are decent autonomy and the ability to recharge other gadgets. The capacious battery provides about 20 hours of continuous operation and is fully charged in 4 hours. But the main thing is that it can power not only the speaker, but also third-party devices - to do this, simply connect a dead smartphone or other equipment, as if it were a power bank. This function is useful in any conditions, but is more relevant when traveling outdoors, where there is no electricity and the ability to charge electronics in the traditional way.

But still, the main thing in any speaker is sound. The JBL Charge Essential 2 is a simple, single-channel audio system with one main speaker, a separate woofer, and two passive radiators for deeper bass. Thus, you shouldn’t expect surround sound, but the speaker is quite loud (the stated power is 40 W) and produces good sound for its price. Audiophiles will obviously not like the quality, but the model does not pretend to be a professional audio system. Essentially, this is an easy-to-use speaker that you can take with you to the beach, outdoor recreation, or just hanging out with friends indoors or outdoors. The presence of IPX7 water protection class confirms that sudden rain, splashes from the pool or accidentally spilled drinks will not affect the performance of the device. And there are no problems with portability: the model is not large, weighs about 1 kg and easily fits in your hand.

For connection, Bluetooth 5.1 technology is provided, which wirelessly transmits sound from any gadget: smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc. Understanding the controls will not be difficult, since there are only a few buttons on the case. Advanced settings are available in the proprietary mobile application, which allows you to remotely control the device through a connected device. Also a useful feature will be JBL PartyBoost - the ability to combine several speakers into one audio system to get loud, omnidirectional, surround sound.

The Marshall company knows a lot not only about high-quality sound, but also about the stylish design of audio equipment. The Marshall Emberton portable speaker looks so beautiful that you want to put it in a prominent place and show it off to your friends. It is quite compact and easily fits in the hand, but at the same time unexpectedly weighty - 700 g. There are grilles on the front and back, and the body material is pleasant to the touch and resembles leather. There is a control panel on top, consisting of a button for connecting to a sound source and a “wheel” for adjusting the volume and switching tracks.

The model is designed not only for home use, but also for active use in the fresh air. The case has IPX7 moisture protection, so the speaker is not afraid of rain, splashes of water and accidentally spilled liquids.

But Marshall products are loved not only for their design, but also for their signature high-quality sound. A pair of 2-inch 10 W drivers provide music playback from both sides (front and rear). Despite its compact size, the device produces powerful, rich sound with emphasized bass. In general, the speaker reproduces any genre well, but it is especially good when listening to rock, jazz and instrumental music. The volume reserve is enough for both an ordinary room and for gatherings with friends in nature. Bluetooth 5.0 technology is provided for wireless connection, and there is also a mobile application for control.

Another strong point of the speaker is its autonomy - one battery charge lasts up to 20 hours of playback at medium volume settings. And just 20 minutes of fast charging provides 5 hours of operation. Monitoring the battery charge level is very simple: the indicator on the case consists of 10 bars, that is, if one of them goes out, it means minus 10% of the charge.

To summarize, Marshall Emberton is not distinguished by advanced capabilities and versatility: it doesn’t even have the usual speakerphone and connectors for a wired connection. But it has its own original style, supported by high-quality sound, convenient controls and good battery life.

Sony's portable speaker belongs to the middle price segment and stands out for its stylish design. There are several colors to choose from (discreet and brighter), the body has an original shape with fabric inserts and a matte finish that is pleasant to the touch. Thanks to its pentagonal shape, the audio system can be placed vertically or horizontally - it stands firmly in place and will not roll off the surface. The model can hardly be called compact: its dimensions are 238x105x119 mm and its weight is 1.3 kg. However, it is convenient to carry in your hand or backpack. Thanks to IP67 protection, the speaker is not afraid of dust and moisture: you can take it with you to the beach, park or forest. What's more, Sony says the device has been tested to withstand shocks, scratches, drops and shaking, so it can withstand vigorous everyday use.

The manufacturer calls the X-Balanced Speaker Unit speakers one of the features of the model. Unlike most competitors, they do not have a round membrane, but an oval-oblong one. This provides clear sound without distortion. Dual passive radiators help produce powerful bass, while a linear cone distributes sound evenly over a wide coverage area. As usual, Sony doesn't specify the speaker's power, but overall it produces nice, rich sound and is loud enough to fill an entire room or host an outdoor party with family and friends. You can adjust the settings depending on the audio content or personal wishes using the mobile application after connecting the device to a smartphone or tablet.

The Sony X-Series SRS-XE300 uses only wireless connectivity via Bluetooth 5.2 to connect to a sound source—one available USB-C port is used only for charging. But if you wish, you can synchronize two or more speakers and arrange a real disco - the manufacturer allows you to combine up to 100 devices into a single audio system. In addition, a hands-free function with noise-canceling technology is available. For privacy purposes, the microphone can be turned off at any time - there is a separate button on the case for this.

Another trump card of the model is autonomy. The built-in battery provides up to 24 hours of music playback on a single charge. The Battery Care feature will help prevent overcharging and thereby extend battery life. And fast charging in just 10 minutes adds 70 minutes of battery life.

The Philips speaker immediately attracts attention with its stylish and original design: the manufacturer added several textures and shades, as well as smooth lines so that the device would not be embarrassing to show to people. At the same time, this is a fairly large model weighing under 2 kg, which fits in a backpack, but takes up a lot of space in it. Therefore, the package includes a nice strap with which you can carry the speaker in your hands or on your shoulder.

The audio system can safely be called universal, since it will accompany you anywhere: to the beach, on a trip to other countries, to an outdoor party, to a gym class, etc. Two high-frequency speakers with a total power of 40 W with passive radiators provide clear, pleasant sound with a volume reserve sufficient for both home use and a small party. And the IP67 protection class means that the speaker is not afraid of dust, weather surprises and force majeure such as rain and accidental falls into water.

Users will also appreciate additional features that enhance ease of use. Multi-connection via Bluetooth allows the speaker to synchronize with two gadgets at the same time to listen to music alternately. The built-in microphone allows you to answer phone calls and communicate with your interlocutor hands-free. Thanks to TWS technology, two audio systems can be combined into a single stereo pair. The package includes two cables - USB-C and USB-A.

In addition, a big plus of the model is its autonomy: one charge is enough for a whole day of continuous operation, and it takes 4.5 hours to fully charge the speaker itself. A capacious 5000 mAh battery is ready not only to ensure long-term autonomy of the audio system, but also to share energy with other discharged gadgets. Simply put, the speaker can act as a PowerBank and charge smartphones and other third-party devices.