Over the past eight years, I’ve reviewed dozens of portable speakers from every top brand. And I can confidently say that Sonos makes three of the best portable speakers of them all.
There’s Sonos Play, the brand’s newest portable and the Goldilocks of its lineup in size, sound and features. The Roam 2, a Toblerone-shaped speaker that’s small enough to go anywhere. And the Move 2, a powerhouse that doesn’t sacrifice bass performance.
They all share what I’ve come to think of as one of Sonos’ key characteristics: sound that is better and bigger than you’d normally expect from a speaker of its size. It has that typical Sonos quality: clear, well balanced and a joy to listen to.
They’re pricier than most of the competition, but they have features most don’t: seamless transitions between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so the music doesn’t skitter as soon as you step out of Bluetooth range; built-in Amazon Alexa for music and non-music tasks alike; full protection from water and dust. And Auto TruePlay, a unique feature that automatically tunes your speaker for the best sound each time you change its location.
The beauty of these speakers is how much more they can do through the Sonos app: you can join two speakers as a stereo pair, play the same (or different) music in every room in your home and create playlists that span multiple services, to name a few.
I’ve tested nearly every Sonos product and taken its portables everywhere from my backyard to tropical islands. Here is my guide to all three models to help you decide which is best for you (and which to skip).
The little one
Sonos Roam 2
$179
The Goldilocks one
Sonos Play
$299
The big one
Sonos Move 2
$499
The little one:
Sonos Roam 2
Sonos
Roam 2
from $179
What’s it best for? Traveling, adventuring, vacationing, commuting
Why we love it:
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Classic Sonos sound in the most totable package
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Smarter than any other speaker this size
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Doesn’t look like a rugged outdoorsy speaker
At a hair under a pound, and around the same length as an iPhone 17 Pro Max, the Roam 2 is ultra portable. I’ve thrown it in a backpack and barely known it was there.
With an IP67 rating, it’s a fully dust-and-waterproof speaker, so it can survive sand from the beach or accidental dunks in your pool. (Just keep in mind that it won’t float, so you’ll need to dive in after it.) Despite that toughness, it looks sleek and sophisticated whether you get it in black, white, olive or the two Roam-only hues: sunset (a burnt red) and wave (pale blue).
Its Wi-Fi connectivity lets you use it as a hands-free smart speaker via Amazon Alexa or Sonos Voice Control, an unheard-of feature in a fully portable speaker this small.
Another superpower: it’s one of the only Bluetooth speakers with wireless charging. I typically leave it on a 10-watt Qi-compatible charging mat, which gives it the same ease of use as the Move 2 at home. If you want a customized look, Sonos’ $49 Roam magnetic wireless charger matches the Roam’s triangular shape.
It’s a shame that… For its size, the Roam 2 does underperform similar Bluetooth portables like the JBL Flip 7 and Beats Pill (both cheaper at $150). It has less power and its bass isn’t as deep or resonant. Battery life is also on the low side: if you stick with Bluetooth and play music at 50% volume, you should get up to 10 hours of playing time, compared to the Flip 7 (up to 14 hours) and the Pill (up to 24 hours). If you use Wi-Fi or play it louder, I’ve had it last as little as five hours.
Worth it or skip it? Skip it if you don’t have immediate use for perks like Wi-Fi and wireless charging. Everyone else would be better off considering competitors like the aforementioned JBL Flip 7 and Beats Pill.
Specs
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Weight: 0.95lbs
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Battery life: Up to 10 hours
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Water/dust resistant? Yes/yes (IP67)
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Powerbank (to charge external devices): No
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User-replaceable battery: No
Sonos
Roam 2
from $179
The Goldilocks one:
Sonos Play
Sonos
Play
$299
What’s it best for? Groups and parties of any size
Why we love it:
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Best balance of sound quality with portability
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Share the Roam’s full dust and waterproofing
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Shares the Move’s replaceable battery and 24-hour lifespan
When I began testing the newly released Play, I kept looking around the room in search of a much larger speaker, whether it was playing nuanced jazz and classical or raucous rock, rap and hip-hop. When it comes to sound quality, the Play delivers what its price tag promises.
In Bluetooth mode, you can group up to four of these speakers for simultaneous playback, which means that as your get-together grows from just a few friends to a full-on block party, your sound system can grow right along with it. I’ve enjoyed using a set of stereo-paired Play speakers for gatherings in my living room.
When I’m working at home at my desk, I grab and place them on either side of me; It’s like having my own private dome of sound without the hassle of dealing with a set of wired speakers. The included USB-C charging cradle keeps the Play fully charged, and an extra $19 line-in adapter lets you use the speaker with a turntable or any other analog device.
Sonos Line-in Adapter
And Sonos says it’s not meant for TV use, but I tried it with our little 19in kitchen TV and it worked fine.
Why do I call it the Goldilocks of the three? It weighs less than half as much as the Chihuahua-weight Move 2, yet it shares the Move’s impressive replaceable battery design and its 24-hour lifespan. And it boasts much better sound than the pint-sized Roam 2, while offering the same drop protection and full, IP67-rated dust and waterproofing of Sonos’ smallest speaker.
It’s a shame that… When it comes to charging, the Play is a picky eater: it needs at least an 18-watt USB-C source (and up to 45 watts for fast charging), which meant the basic 10-watt brick I’ve been using with my iPhone wouldn’t work, and my laptop’s USB-C port? Fuggedaboudit. Sonos doesn’t include an adapter in the box, so you may have to buy one. The brand sells 45-watt units for $29.
Worth it or skip it? Still worth it. The Play is not only loaded with Sonos’ best features, but also the perfect starting point for anyone thinking of starting a Sonos multi-room sound system. Small, powerful, flexible and smart – not a bad combo for $299.
Specs
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Weight: 2.87lbs
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Battery life: Up to 24 hours
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Water/dust resistant? Yes/yes (IP67)
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Power bank (to charge external devices): Yes
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User-replaceable battery: Yes
Sonos
Play
$299
The big one:
Sonos Move 2
Sonos
Move 2
from $499
What’s it best for? Everything everywhere all at once
Why we love it:
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One of the most powerful portable speakers
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Hardy build and replaceable battery should make it last
If the Roam 2 is a jetski, the Move 2 is the megayacht of the Sonos lineup. It’s the company’s biggest and most powerful portable speaker. A single Move 2 is probably all you need to fill any room in your house (unless you’ve got a ballroom).
What makes its sound so great? Many portable Bluetooth speakers merge the left and right signals of stereo sound into a limited single signal. By contrast, the Move 2’s set of left and right tweeters reproduces that full stereo sound at dual angles. (For the fullest effect, stand in the sweet spot about five feet right in front of the speaker.)
When connected to Wi-Fi, the Move 2 also delivers lossless audio quality, another thing Bluetooth doesn’t normally support. If you pay for lossless streaming services (Spotify Premium, Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz or Amazon Music), you can finally hear your music at its very best.
With an IP56 rating, it’s somewhat less battle-proof than the Roam 2, but it can still survive anything a kitchen or bathroom throws at it. I know because I showered with it. While I’m sure that’s an image you didn’t need in your head, I can assure you the Move survived the experience completely unscathed. (Bathing with it, on the other hand, is not recommended.) Outdoors, say on a patio or deck, it handles rain and extreme temperatures like a champ.
And the Move’s USB-C port isn’t just for charging: like the Play, it can connect to a turntable (or any other analog source) with the optional $19 adapter so you can listen to your home vinyl collection. The included charging cradle acts as the speaker’s home base, keeping the replaceable 24-hour battery constantly topped up.
It’s a shame that… I use the term “portable” cautiously for this speaker, because while it can indeed be toted around, at 6.6lbs, you’re not going to want to move it very far.
Worth it or skip it? Worth it. If you’re a believer in the buy-it-for-life philosophy, Sonos more than justifies the Move 2’s premium price.
Specs
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Weight: 6.61lbs
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Battery life: Up to 24 hours
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Water/dust resistant? Yes/yes (IP56)
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Power bank (to charge external devices): Yes
-
User-replaceable battery: Yes
Sonos
Move 2
from $499
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