Ultimate Ears has once again come out on top for the best portable speakers, scoring five stars across almost all categories including overall satisfaction, battery and charging performance, value for money, user friendliness, durability and design, and scored four stars for sound quality.
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 491 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 fourth year running, 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 28% of our survey respondents owning a speaker that is waterproof.
Out of those surveyed, price was the main factor for 30% when deciding which speaker to purchase, while 43% purchased their speaker when on sale. While only 18% of respondents chose their speaker for a specific type of sound, 38% still researched and compared speaker brands before purchasing. So, for many of us, choosing a great portable speaker isn’t a purchase decision taken lightly and it always helps to compare a range of speakers to find the right device to suit your needs and budget.
Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for over 5 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 over 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.
Meet the Research TeamCanstar 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, 491 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:
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