Ultimate Ears has taken out top spot for the best portable speakers, scoring five stars across almost all categories including overall satisfaction, sound quality, value for money, durability, user friendliness and design, and scored four stars for battery and charging performance.
Our ratings compare a range of portable speaker brands based on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about their portable speakers before you shop around. It’s like asking for recommendations from other Aussies, but all in one place!
Canstar Blue surveyed 673 Australians for their feedback on the portable speaker(s) they’ve purchased in the last two years. This refers to speakers that are portable and typically run off a battery.
Survey respondents are asked to rate their satisfaction with their portable speaker brand from zero to 10, with zero meaning extremely dissatisfied and 10 meaning extremely satisfied. Portable speaker brand satisfaction is rated on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
To qualify in the ratings results, brands must have received a minimum of 30 responses to be included. Therefore, not all portable speaker brands in the market will be compared in this survey. Brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customers ratings.
For the third year in a row, Ultimate Ears has taken out the top spot for the best portable speakers. However there are many other brands on the market offering portable speakers with a range of features and at different price points. Considering how you plan on using your speaker may help you to choose which device will be best for you.
Some speakers may take portability to the next level with compact sizing and features like clips and straps so you can easily carry your speaker when you go camping or hiking. Some speakers might also include water resistance, with 33% of our survey respondents owning a speaker that is waterproof.
Other speakers might focus on audio quality fit for a loud party, or work at striking a balance between easy portability but loud enough for larger spaces so you can carry it around the house. In fact, home was the most popular place to use a portable speaker with 77% of those surveyed using their speaker at home inside and 61% using it at home outside. This is compared to 28% using it at the beach, 21% using it at the park and 21% using their speaker at the pool. So, no matter your needs, there is likely to be a portable speaker at the right price point for your needs.
Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for the last 4 years, with a dedication to providing Aussies with all the information they need to make better purchasing decisions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University and has a decade of professional writing experience in print and digital media.
Meet the Editorial Team
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased new portable speakers (i.e. Bluetooth or wireless speakers, etc.) in the last three years – in this case, 673 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
Here are past winners of Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers – Portable Speakers ratings:
Best-Rated Earphones - January 3rd
There are a huge variety of music and audio apps for Android, catering to just about every type of user. We’ve compiled a list of eight of our favourite music apps to help you sing along, …
– Read more
Best-Rated Earphones - March 2nd
Music is one of those things that’s so crucial to many, with a tune, melody or the sultry tones of that one artist enough to turn your whole day around. But when it comes to …
– Read more
Best-Rated Earphones - January 20th
From listening to our favourite podcast on the commute home, to blasting hours of catchy tunes at the summer BBQ party, a good playlist is music to our ears. But if you’re an iPhone user, …
– Read more
Best-Rated Computers for Business - October 12th
Whether it’s for creating music, watching movies, streaming and gaming, video meetings, or just day-to-day use, having a good set of computer speakers can provide a major difference for those big on their audio. And …
– Read more