How to choose a Bluetooth speaker that still sounds good in a year
Battery claims, IP ratings and codec support explained in plain language, plus the three specifications that actually change how a speaker sounds.
Start with where you will use it
A speaker for a bathroom shelf and one for a rooftop party are different products. Decide on the room first and most of the specification sheet answers itself.
What the IP rating really means
The first digit covers dust, the second water. IPX7 means thirty minutes in a metre of fresh water — fine for a poolside knock, not for the sea. IP67 adds full dust sealing, which matters more at a beach or a building site than most people expect.
Battery numbers are measured optimistically
Quoted battery life is almost always at around half volume with the lights off. At a realistic listening level, assume roughly sixty per cent of the number on the box. A speaker rated for twelve hours will comfortably see out an evening; one rated for five will not.
Codecs matter less than placement
AAC and aptX are worth having, but moving a speaker off the floor and away from a corner changes the sound far more than any codec will. Try that before spending more.
Three things worth paying for
- A replaceable or long-cycle battery, because that is what fails first.
- USB-C charging, so you are not keeping one ageing cable alive.
- A physical pairing button, which saves a surprising amount of irritation.