Which? Don't Buy wireless and Bluetooth speakers

A terrible Bluetooth speaker can sound so tinny that you won't even want to turn it on, or the battery could be so poor that it won't even last through your favourite album. 

Our expert testing makes sure you get great sound – with great affordable options among our recommended wireless and Bluetooth speakers.

Join Which? to find out which wireless and Bluetooth speakers we've named as Don't Buys.

What makes a Don't Buy speaker?

Our in-depth testing means we can confidently tell you the speakers that offer awful sound quality, are tough to use and will make a mess of your music.

A Don't Buy speaker is likely to do exactly that – with very poor audio quality that may include weak or distorted bass, dull and muffled sound, and hissing high frequencies that make music listening a chore.

Don't Buys may also be awkward to set up and use - including making adjustments to sound quality, and may be lacking in key or important features, or manage these poorly.

Not many speakers rate poorly enough to be Don't Buys, but you can be sure those that do are ones to avoid.

How we test wireless and bluetooth speakers

Which? has reviewed the latest wireless and Bluetooth speakers, including models by Bose, JBL, Sony and Sonos, to help find the best speaker for you.

• Our lab experts and discerning five-member professional listening panel put every speaker through the same set of tests, including for sound quality, setup, ease of use, connectivity and advanced features – so you'll know exactly what to expect.
• We give every speaker a Which? test score so you can immediately see at a glance which are the best and worst, plus how each model compares regarding features and specifications.
• Our tests cover a range of brands, prices and speaker types, including wi-fi, Bluetooth and multi-room speaker systems, as well as smart speakers with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant - for these, see our best smart speakers.

Our Best Buy speaker recommendations deliver great audio regardless of what you are listening to. We also find plenty of wireless speakers that fall short in our tests - from big brand names with small sound to stylish models that put form over function.