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Summer is on its way, and the essential gadget you need to bring the vibes to any al fresco gathering is a good speaker. Something compact, portable, with good battery life and the ability to deliver some meaty sound when required. We've tested a whole load of Bluetooth speakers here at TechRadar, and many of our favorites — from the likes of JBL, Sony and Tribit — have been treated to a big discount to coincide with the sun finally coming out.
I've rounded up our top picks below. Any of these speakers would make a banging summer party companion: almost all come in well under £50, pack a punch when it comes to sound quality, and are water- and dust-proof too (although do double-check your particular pick's weatherproofing credentials before you take it for a dip). Oh, and they're also pleasingly colorful, so you won't lose them in your garden.
Tribit Stormbox Micro 2
The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 earned a perfect five stars in our review, with Audio editor Becky Scarrott crowning it "the best-sounding and most fully-featured mini Bluetooth speaker we've had the pleasure of testing". It's one of the priciest speakers featured here, but if you value great sound quality, it's worth splashing that extra cash.
JBL Go 4
The JBL Go 4 holds the #2 spot in our best Bluetooth speaker ranking, and is the winner when it comes to outright bang for your buck, delivering decent audio in a convenient, compact, waterproof and extremely wallet-friendly package. The sound quality isn't up there with what the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 can deliver, though.
Sony SRS-XB100
The Sony SRS-XB100's relatively short feature list might disappoint at full ticket price, but with the current hefty discounts it's a much more appealing proposition. On test, we praised the "satisfying bass and mids" as well as "surprising volume for its size". You can see how it compares to the above pick in our Sony XB100 vs JBL Go 4 face-off.
JBL Clip 5
The JBL Clip 5 scored a near-perfect 4.5 stars in our review, delivering "great detail" alongside "impressive volume and bass". While all my other picks are designed to be sat flat on a surface, this puck-shaped speaker is topped with a carabiner, enabling you to clip it up high — perfect for outdoor and party use.
JBL Go 5
The JBL Go 5 is the new-and-improved version of the Go 4 above, and at current prices will set you back about a tenner more. We haven't tested the Go 5 yet, but based on what we know so far it's a solid upgrade, with JBL promising louder volume, deeper bass, and longer battery life.
Alternatives
Not found the Bluetooth speaker of your summer party dreams yet? I have some final suggestions for you. Both the Tribit Stormbox Mini+ and Stormbox 2 earned 3.5 stars in our reviews, as did the cheerfully named Happy Plugs Joy speaker, and all are discounted right now. Finally, although the Anker Motion Boom doesn't have an official TechRadar review yet, our Audio editor flagged it as a bargain worth checking out — this current deal represents a super-low price for the size.
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