In This Guide
Weighing up Bose’s 2026 speaker range
Since Dr. Bose started the company back in 1964, Bose have released some amazing speakers. Over 50 years later their company motto is still ‘creating better products through research‘. If you’ve read any reviews of Bose wireless speakers, you’ll know they’re a company what take an incredible amount of pride in their products.
This guide covers the best Bose wireless speaker systems out there, comparing everything from features to price. Where possible, we’ll also compare prices on the Bose range of Bluetooth speakers.
Not sure which speaker is right for you? Read on!
Quick guide: the SoundLink Revolve is the best all-rounder for the garden, kitchen and travel. The SoundLink Micro is the pick if you want the smallest, toughest speaker to clip to a bag or handlebars. The SoundTouch 10 is a Wi-Fi speaker for the home. Bose has released newer models since these (including the SoundLink Flex and Revolve II), so it’s worth checking the current range too.
TL;DR Version: Bose SoundLink Revolve is fantastic. It’s extremely well built and the sound quality showcases the very best of Bose’s heritage in a modern Bluetooth speaker. It’s portable, loud and easily the best of the bunch. Find out more on Amazon.
#1 Bose SoundLink Revolve
Battery life: 12 Hours
Who’s it best for? Anyone looking for a really good quality wireless Bose speaker that’s light and compact.
The Bose Soundlink Revolve is part of Bose’s wireless speaker systems and the smaller brother of the Revolve+. It’s an extremely portable speaker that plays from a wide range of sources and has the quality that Bose are known for. Weighing at under 700 grams, it’s not hard to carry with you, or stuff in the suitcase for holiday time!
But does it sound good?
If you’ve read any of the long list of positive reviews on places like Amazon, you’ll know what to expect from the Bose Revolve. For starters, this speaker has a seriously loud output (when you need it) with great sounding bass. Something that’s normally lacking in portable speakers.
The sound quality is what you’d expect from Bose – rich, detailed and realistic. Although Bose isn’t generally the cheapest speaker on the market, in this case, you get what you pay for.
What’s so good about the Bose SoundLink Revolve speaker?
One thing Bose is good at and that is staying at the edge of design and tech. The Revolve is packed with awesome gadgetry. Take the sound for example. It’s blasted out in a 360 degree range so that you don’t have to be positioned just right to get the best sound.
You can also answer calls thanks to the built in mic, and use your phone’s voice assistant (Siri or Google Assistant) through the speaker’s voice button.
It’s tough, it’s sexy and it’s built to last
One of the best things about this portable Bose speaker is the design and how solid it is. The seamless aluminium case is way better than the plastic casing speakers you’ll often find on portable Bluetooths. It’s also waterproof up to IPX4 level. That means it can be heavily splashed (although it likely won’t survive a plunge of doom to the bottom of a swimming pool!)
In short, great quality and one of those products you just want to get hold of.
What other cool stuff can the Revolve do?
If you get a second one of these, or have a friend with one, you can connect them wirelessly and have stereo sound. It works with the Bose Connect App or you can simply use the built in controls. You’ll also find a trusty old Aux port here, to connect any devices that you have which aren’t Bluetooth.
Revolve vs. Revolve Plus
So Should you get this or the bigger (and more expensive) Revolve+? The Revolve is a smaller build so it’s a better choice for anyone looking for a more portable speaker. It will slip in a bag or suitcase without taking up much room or weight (662 grams to be precise!).
On the Resolve+ side of things, it has a much louder volume and a cracking, deep bass. Price-wise, there’s a fair jump of around the £100 mark.
Verdict: The Revolve is a brilliant little speaker that’s not only portable but has some serious volume and great all round sound (no pun intended). The 360° audio is genuinely useful, especially for for parties. And the light weight means you can take it anywhere you go. We love this speaker.
- Brilliant, solid design
- Realistic, detailed sound
- Light enough to carry around
- Looks fab
- Good bass ad volume for small Bluetooth speaker
- Long battery life
- Can’t compete with the Revolve+ in terms of volume and bass
Where’s the cheapest place to buy the Bose Revolve
Here’s some of the current deals and best offers for this Bose audio system
#2 Bose SoundLink Micro
Battery life: 6 Hours
Who’s it best for?: Anyone who wants a super-small speaker with a full range of sound, they can take anywhere.
Bose’s SoundLink Micro lives up to it’s name. It’s TINY! But unlike a lot of mini Bluetooth speakers, the sound doesn’t suffer because of it’s compact profile. You’re getting the full Bose package here.
Can a mini Bluetooth speaker really sound good?
The Bose SoundLink Micro has a full range of sound and whether you’re out and about, or just chilling with it on your desk or bed, it sounds equally good.
Obviously there’s a trade off in size when it comes to bass. This isn’t going to blow the roof off, but there’s nothing missing here from the sound spectrum. It sounds incredibly detailed and wee think you’ll be impressed as we are.
It’s well designed and hard to break
Unless you dropped this thing off a building (please don’t try that) you’ll probably have a hard time damaging this mini speaker. Bose have made a small, portable speaker with a very tough casing. It won’t even mind being dropped in the bath, thanks to its fully IPX7 waterproofing.
The Micro won’t bust wide open if you drop it either. The casing is extra tough and it’s been designed with rigorous use in mind.
Happy outdoor as indoors
If you’re looking for a good quality speaker you can take travelling, walking or even on your bike handlebars, this is a good one to go for. The tear-proof strap will secure the speaker to handlebars, backpacks or even your shower.
This speaker comes in an unusual selection of black, dark blue and ‘OMG’ bright orange.
What else is good about the Bose Micro?
This Bluetooth speaker has a range of around 30 feet. You can control it with your voice by connecting it to one of the voice assistants out there (like Amazon Echo / Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri). If a pal has one you can set up party mode for more volume and some sweet stereo sounds – perfect for impromptu parties or outdoor get togethers.
Verdict: For the size, this Bluetooth speaker has seriously good sound. In fact, we’d be hard pushed to find something this small on the market that can beat it. Bose have done a fantastic job here. If you want something really small and portable but liove good sound, this is it.
- Teeny compact size
- Extremely tough design
- Looks great
- Fully waterproof
- Attaches to… pretty much anything
- Bass won’t blow your mind
Where’s the cheapest place to buy the Bose SoundLink Micro
Here’s some of the current deals and best offers for this Bluetooth speaker from Bose
#3 Bose SoundTouch 10
Who’s it best for? Anyone looking for a great sounding wireless speaker for the home, especially if you want to get into Internet radio.
The best Bose Bluetooth speakers to use around the home would have to be the SoundTouch ‘family’ of speakers. The smallest and most compact of them being the SoundTouch 10. This is a wireless Bluetooth speaker that plays a whopping range of sources, including Internet radio stations.
What does the SoundTouch 10 sound like?
Before we get into all the stuff you can do with the SounTouch 10, let’s focus on sound. This is a compact speaker – the smallest in this family of speakers from Bose. But don’t underestimate this one. The sound it’s capable of far outreaches what you’d expect from something this size.
The acoustics are top notch here, whether it’s your bedroom, living room or a student hall. Bose’s usual detailed sound can be found here in spades, with gorgeous mid and top end. The bass is good but not as deep as we’d have liked (expected for this size).
Is Internet radio any good?
Ever craved tens of thousands of stations to listen to? Well you’re getting them anyway with the Bose SoundTtouch 10 speaker! Using your home’s Wifi, it accesses each and every radio station out there on the web. The audio is actually good quality and, if you’re into radio, you’ll enjoy many happy hours discovering new stations you never knew existed.
Other sources
Internet radio not your thing? This speaker does the ‘other stuff’ well too.
Stream music over Bluetooth or Wifi to the speaker, or go old school with the included Aux port. You can also play tunes from any service like Spotify and Amazon music, or just access your own music collection.
Voice control is also well implemented on the SoundTouch family of speakers. It’s super-easy to connect something like the Amazon Echo and give voice commands to Alexa. There’s something satisfying to lying back and telling Alexa to play something relaxing.
Verdict: Whether this is the start of a multi-room sound empire, or you just want some decent audio in your living room, the SoundTouch 10 is perfect for this. Highly recommended.
- Great quality sound
- Looks good
- Compact enough to fit anywhere
- More radio stations than you’ll ever need
- Integrates superbly with Alexa
- Not as much bass as we’d like
Check the support status before you buy
Bose has been changing how it supports the SoundTouch range, including winding down some of its cloud-based features. Before buying a SoundTouch speaker, check Bose’s website for the current status of the app, internet radio and music services, and whether the features you want will keep working. Bluetooth and the aux input work regardless.
Where’s the cheapest place to buy the Bose SoundTouch 10
Here’s some of the current deals and best offers for this Bluetooth speaker from Bose
Portable or home speaker: which type do you need?
- Portable Bluetooth speakers (Revolve, Micro, SoundLink Flex) have a battery, are water resistant and connect straight to your phone. They suit gardens, kitchens, travel and parties.
- Home Wi-Fi speakers (SoundTouch, Home Speaker range) plug into the mains and stream over your network. They sound bigger and don’t depend on your phone, but they aren’t meant to be carried around.
If you want both, many people buy one of each: a Wi-Fi speaker for the living room and a portable one for everywhere else.
Water resistance explained
Water resistance is given as an “IP” number. Both numbers matter, but the second shows water protection.
- IPX4 (Revolve) – protected against splashes from any direction. Fine by a pool or in the rain, but not to be dropped in water.
- IPX7 (Micro) – can survive being submerged in shallow water for up to 30 minutes. Good for the beach, the shower and boat trips.
Remember that water resistance covers freshwater. Rinse off salt water, chlorine and sand, and let the speaker dry before charging it.
Pairing two Bose speakers for stereo
Two identical speakers (or compatible models) can be paired to play in stereo or party mode. Party mode plays the same sound on both for a bigger effect, and stereo mode makes one the left and one the right channel. The Bose Connect or Bose Music app walks you through it in a few taps. Put the speakers about 1.5 to 3 metres apart, facing the listening area, for the best stereo image.
Getting more from your battery
- Charge the speaker fully before a long trip, and use a proper USB charger or power bank.
- Playing loud drains the battery much faster than quiet listening, so don’t expect quoted battery life at maximum volume.
- Turn the speaker off, rather than leaving it on standby, if you won’t use it for a few days.
- Avoid leaving it in a hot car or direct sun, which shortens battery life.
- If it will be stored for months, leave it about half charged.
Where to put a Bose speaker for the best sound
- On a hard, flat surface near the middle of a room. Soft surfaces absorb sound.
- A little away from walls. Bass gets stronger the closer a speaker sits to a wall, so if it sounds boomy, move it out.
- Off the floor, where possible, so the sound travels over furniture.
- Standing the Revolve in the middle of the room makes best use of its 360 degree design.
Bose or a rival brand?
Bose is known for a smooth, easy-to-listen-to sound and very solid build. Rivals such as JBL, Sony, Ultimate Ears and Anker offer more bass or lower prices, and some include extras like lighting. If you’re mostly after a good all-rounder that will last for years, Bose is a safe choice. If you want the loudest speaker for a party, take a look at our house party speaker guide.
Bose Wireless Speakers – BUYER’S GUIDE
Here’s a quick guide to all things Bose speaker related that we’ve found.
Charging up a speaker
You charge up the Bose speakers with a USB lead from any powered USB port, or from a USB wall socket, as you would a mobile phone. Some of the Bose products also have their own charging cradle, although you might need to fork out extra cash.
Why Bose over any other speaker?
Bose are an interesting company with a long, rich history. You can read more about Dr. Bose (the founder and creator of Bose) here. He was disappointed with his first hi-fi and went on a quest to create realistic sounding consumer audio products. To this day, Bose are a good brand that produce some high quality products. In short, you’re buying a good brand and a reliable product.
Can you use your voice to control Bose speakers?
Using your voice to change tracks and generally tell your equipment what to do is convenient and a lot of fun. Maybe one day AI will strike back and rebel against these menial tasks but for now, virtual assistants are a great way to access your favourite music. To do this you’ll need to connect the speaker to something like Google Home Mini with Bluetooth.
Aux Inputs are still very useful
One thing you might want to get on your new wireless speaker, and something most of the Bose bluetooth speakers still have, thankfully, is a good old fashioned AUX input. This is a 3.5 mm jack input that lets you connect anything from your TV to your Amazon Alexa and play the audio in fine quality through your Bose speaker.
Doing this is a great ideal, especially for flat screen TVs, if you don’t already have something like a sound bar. They’re notorious for flat, cheap, tinny sound and playing your movies through your Bose speaker makes for a much better experience.
Anything with a headphone out can be connected safely to your Bose speaker via the AUX in.
Bose are not the cheapest wireless speakers – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing
If you’re after a really cheap Bluetooth speaker then Bose probably isn’t the brand to go for (unless you can get an obscenely good deal on Good Friday or Cyber Monday!) Bose are more about quality. But what does that mean?
Cheaper quality speakers from unknown brands (yeah, you know the kind!) often miss out parts of the sound spectrum, or have some other flaw – such as weak bass or distortion somewhere, or just a limiter range of sound. Bose is a ‘proper’ brand that knows how to make even their smaller, portable speakers have seriously good sound.
Bose speaker FAQ
Can I use a Bose speaker with my TV?
Yes, using the aux input or a Bluetooth transmitter. It will sound much better than TV speakers, but a soundbar or a Bose TV speaker is designed for this. See our soundbar guide.
How long do Bose Bluetooth speakers last?
With reasonable care, many years. The battery is the part that ages: after a few years of regular use, run time falls, and some models can’t be easily replaced.
What is Bluetooth range?
Usually around 9 metres (30 feet) in open space, but walls and people shorten this. Keep your phone within the same room for the most stable connection.
Do Bose speakers work with Alexa or Google Assistant?
It depends on the model. Some newer Bose speakers have voice assistants built in. On others, you use your phone’s assistant through the speaker.
