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The best Bluetooth speakers under $200
If you are looking for a great wireless, portable party speaker that doesn’t cost more than $200, you’ve come to the right place.
August 21, 2025
Dave is a lifelong musician with over 20 years of experience performing, recording and touring. When he’s not bringing his real world, hands on audio experience to SoundGuys, you’ll find him rehearsing with his progressive metal band Neck of the Woods, quoting endless movie lines and biking around Vancouver’s seawall.
You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a great Bluetooth speaker. Whether you’re heading to the beach, setting up a backyard BBQ, or just want something solid for your living room, plenty of speakers under $200 offer impressive sound, durable builds, and all-day battery life. In fact, many of the models we’ve tested in this range punch well above their price point—with balanced audio, smart features, and water resistance that make them easy to recommend.
In this list, we’ve rounded up the best Bluetooth speakers under $200 based on our lab testing and real-world use. From bass-heavy party speakers to compact options that fit in your backpack, there’s something here for every kind of listener. Let’s break down which ones actually deliver on their promises, and which ones fall flat.
Compare table
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- Compare tableProductVotes
- 23 total votes23 total votes
$100
7.7
8.0
4.5
9.0
9.0
- 20 total votes20 total votes
$140
7.7
8.0
4.3
9.0
9.0
- 7 total votes7 total votes
$168
7.0
7.0
6.0
9.0
6.0
- 6 total votes6 total votes
$160
6.9
7.0
4.5
8.0
8.0
- 4 total votes4 total votes
$80
6.8
8.0
0.0
9.0
9.0
- 6 total votes6 total votes
$170
6.8
8.0
0.0
9.0
9.0
- 5 total votes5 total votes
$130
6.7
7.5
0.0
9.5
9.0
- 12 total votes12 total votes
$50
6.7
8.0
0.0
9.0
8.5
- 3 total votes3 total votes
$130
6.7
7.0
5.3
8.0
6.0
- 4 total votes4 total votes
$140
6.6
8.5
0.0
7.5
8.5
- 20 total votes20 total votes
$90
6.6
8.5
0.0
8.0
8.0
- 7 total votes7 total votes
$150
6.4
7.0
0.0
9.0
9.0
Product chart
The chart above compares our top Bluetooth speaker picks based on price and performance.
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Our Verdict on the Top 7 Products
If you need more power and enhanced durability for adventures, the JBL Flip 7 and JBL Charge 6 are excellent choices, both featuring IP68 ratings for improved water and dust resistance, drop-proof designs, and a 7-band customizable EQ through the JBL Portable app; the Flip 7 is more packable while the Charge 6 delivers a good amount of low-end strength and longer battery life in our tests.
For a rugged speaker built specifically for fresh and salt water, the Soundcore Boom 3i is an easy recommendation, offering 50W output, a 9-band custom EQ via its app to overcome its dark out-of-the-box sound, and built-in party lights.
Stepping up in size for more robust sound, the Anker Soundcore Motion X500 provides impressive low end with 40 watts of stereo sound and a unique three-driver layout that helps it deliver a relatively full sound and appear bigger, while the EarFun UBOOM X is a budget-friendly party speaker with 80W of stereo playback, built-in RGB lights, a 10-band customizable EQ, and a handy built-in battery bank for charging devices, though it is quite heavy.
How we test the best headphones and earbuds
To gather information about how well each of the earbuds and headphones work, we subject each product to a number of objective tests. We use a Bruel & Kjaer 5128 acoustic measurement system to test headphones and earbuds in our SoundGuys lab. The ear canal of the artificial head was created by averaging and smoothing 3D models of individual ear canal features from the MRI scans of 40 different people.
We perform the following testing to determine the best headphones and best earbuds:
- We run sequences to determine the best fit of the headphones, and if there are any manufacturing issues with the product.
- We measure the headphones’ performance and compare the frequency response to our industry-validated SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve to give context to readers.
- To rate sound quality, we use the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics. These are virtual mean opinion scores as calculated by a powerful machine learning model based on the input of real listeners.
- We play several samples of shaped noise over loudspeakers to test noise canceling and record with our artificial head. We take samples with ANC on, ANC off, and with the headphones off the head. After subtracting the appropriate curves from each other, we can see how well the headphones block out noise.
- To evaluate microphone quality, we play pre-recorded spoken Harvard sentences from a calibrated artificial mouth in our test chamber, either with or without simulated background noises, simulated reverberant spaces, or artificial wind.
- To measure battery life, we play back music through the headphones or earbuds peaking at 75dB(SPL), a safe and realistic listening level.
In addition to objective testing, our team of audio experts uses each of the headphones and earbuds to evaluate the experience of using the product. By wearing the headphones in day-to-day use, we evaluate the comfort, noting any pain points. We also make sure to try out each of the features that the headphones have to offer, such as using the equalizer in the companion app.
Using a combination of subjective and objective testing, we score each product. To learn more about how we evaluate headphones and earbuds, check out our in-depth explainer on how we test.
Why you should trust SoundGuys
Here at SoundGuys, we’ve been testing audio products for over a decade. Our team comprises audio product experts who have tested hundreds of different headphones, earbuds, and speakers. Moreover, our team comes from diverse backgrounds and a wealth of expertise, including audio engineering, film production, journalism, podcasting, music production, and even touring musicians.
Everything we recommend results from our objective measurements and great subjective experiences. Ultimately, we want you to enjoy your purchase or, at the very least, leave our site with a little more knowledge about the inner workings of audio. To see why you can trust us with your purchase decision, make sure to check out our ethics policy.
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