Offering a combination of style, portability and the Bose signature sound, the Portable Home Speaker is an interesting proposition.

Pleasing overall soundstage, Deep bass and clear treble, Easy portability and weather resistance, A convenient and easy-to-use app, Modern and sleek design, Great smart assistant support

Some limitations in Wi-Fi range, Lacks warmth and mid-range, Connectivity and pairing issues

We’ve only just started to see the first wireless speakers that are designed to easily transition from whole-home Wi-Fi component to go-anywhere, battery-powered Bluetooth nomad, but Bose has already laid claim to this turf with its $350 Bose Portable Home Speaker. It’s light, has a built-in handle, and can deal with the elements and the occasional bump or tumble. It’s even a full-fledged smart speaker. But does it have the kind of sound quality and convenience we’ve come to expect of the Bose brand? Here’s our full review. Let’s be honest. You’re never going to hear amazing sound out of a speaker that’s small enough to fit in your purse. Size matters when it comes to sound quality, so the challenge when creating a portable speaker is to make it small enough to be portable, big enough that it sounds great, yet not so big that you don’t want to take it with you. Bose absolutely nails this balancing act. The Portable Home Speaker feels far lighter than its 2.3 pounds suggests, and the co...

Very portable; High sensitivity mics; Great 360-degree sound; Alexa and Google Assistant; AirPlay 2;

Limited app features; Missing some midrange; Not ideal for Android;

Premium and very portable design; Room-filling 360 sound; Alexa and Google Assistant all over the house ; IPX4 means it can go outdoors too;

Very expensive; You can find better-sounding speakers that cost less; Bose Music app is average;

We’ve only just started to see the first wireless speakers that are designed to easily transition from whole-home Wi-Fi component to go-anywhere, battery-powered Bluetooth nomad, but Bose has already laid claim to this turf with its $399 Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It’s light, has a built-in handle, and can deal with the elements and the occasional bump or tumble. It’s even a full-fledged smart speaker. But does it have the kind of sound quality and convenience we’ve come to expect of the Bose brand? Here’s our full review. Editor’s note: Bose changed the name of this speaker from Bose Portable Home Speaker to Bose Portable Smart Speaker in December 2020 and increased the price from $349 to $399 in September 2021. We have adjusted this review accordingly. Let’s be honest. You’re never going to hear amazing sound out of a speaker that’s small enough to fit in your purse. Size matters when it comes to sound quality, so the challenge when creating a portable speaker is to make it small e...

Very portable; High sensitivity mics; Great 360-degree sound; Alexa and Google Assistant; AirPlay 2;

Limited app features; Missing some midrange; Not ideal for Android;

We’ve only just started to see the first wireless speakers that are designed to easily transition from whole-home Wi-Fi component to go-anywhere, battery-powered Bluetooth nomad, but Bose has already laid claim to this turf with its $399 Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It’s light, has a built-in handle, and can deal with the elements and the occasional bump or tumble. It’s even a full-fledged smart speaker. But does it have the kind of sound quality and convenience we’ve come to expect of the Bose brand? Here’s our full review. Editor’s note: Bose changed the name of this speaker from Bose Portable Home Speaker to Bose Portable Smart Speaker in December 2020 and increased the price from $349 to $399 in September 2021. We have adjusted this review accordingly. Let’s be honest. You’re never going to hear amazing sound out of a speaker that’s small enough to fit in your purse. Size matters when it comes to sound quality, so the challenge when creating a portable speaker is to make it small e...

Very portable; High sensitivity mics; Great 360-degree sound; Alexa and Google Assistant; AirPlay 2;

Limited app features; Missing some midrange; Not ideal for Android;

We’ve only just started to see the first wireless speakers that are designed to easily transition from whole-home Wi-Fi component to go-anywhere, battery-powered Bluetooth nomad, but Bose has already laid claim to this turf with its $399 Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It’s light, has a built-in handle, and can deal with the elements and the occasional bump or tumble. It’s even a full-fledged smart speaker. But does it have the kind of sound quality and convenience we’ve come to expect of the Bose brand? Here’s our full review. Editor’s note: Bose changed the name of this speaker from Bose Portable Home Speaker to Bose Portable Smart Speaker in December 2020 and increased the price from $349 to $399 in September 2021. We have adjusted this review accordingly. Let’s be honest. You’re never going to hear amazing sound out of a speaker that’s small enough to fit in your purse. Size matters when it comes to sound quality, so the challenge when creating a portable speaker is to make it small e...

Very portable; High sensitivity mics; Great 360-degree sound; Alexa and Google Assistant; AirPlay 2;

Limited app features; Missing some midrange; Not ideal for Android;

We’ve only just started to see the first wireless speakers that are designed to easily transition from whole-home Wi-Fi component to go-anywhere, battery-powered Bluetooth nomad, but Bose has already laid claim to this turf with its $399 Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It’s light, has a built-in handle, and can deal with the elements and the occasional bump or tumble. It’s even a full-fledged smart speaker. But does it have the kind of sound quality and convenience we’ve come to expect of the Bose brand? Here’s our full review. Editor’s note: Bose changed the name of this speaker from Bose Portable Home Speaker to Bose Portable Smart Speaker in December 2020 and increased the price from $349 to $399 in September 2021. We have adjusted this review accordingly. Let’s be honest. You’re never going to hear amazing sound out of a speaker that’s small enough to fit in your purse. Size matters when it comes to sound quality, so the challenge when creating a portable speaker is to make it small e...

Very portable; High sensitivity mics; Great 360-degree sound; Alexa and Google Assistant; AirPlay 2;

Limited app features; Missing some midrange; Not ideal for Android;

We’ve only just started to see the first wireless speakers that are designed to easily transition from whole-home Wi-Fi component to go-anywhere, battery-powered Bluetooth nomad, but Bose has already laid claim to this turf with its $399 Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It’s light, has a built-in handle, and can deal with the elements and the occasional bump or tumble. It’s even a full-fledged smart speaker. But does it have the kind of sound quality and convenience we’ve come to expect of the Bose brand? Here’s our full review. Editor’s note: Bose changed the name of this speaker from Bose Portable Home Speaker to Bose Portable Smart Speaker in December 2020 and increased the price from $349 to $399 in September 2021. We have adjusted this review accordingly. Let’s be honest. You’re never going to hear amazing sound out of a speaker that’s small enough to fit in your purse. Size matters when it comes to sound quality, so the challenge when creating a portable speaker is to make it small e...

Very portable; High sensitivity mics; Great 360-degree sound; Alexa and Google Assistant; AirPlay 2;

Limited app features; Missing some midrange; Not ideal for Android;

We’ve only just started to see the first wireless speakers that are designed to easily transition from whole-home Wi-Fi component to go-anywhere, battery-powered Bluetooth nomad, but Bose has already laid claim to this turf with its $399 Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It’s light, has a built-in handle, and can deal with the elements and the occasional bump or tumble. It’s even a full-fledged smart speaker. But does it have the kind of sound quality and convenience we’ve come to expect of the Bose brand? Here’s our full review. Editor’s note: Bose changed the name of this speaker from Bose Portable Home Speaker to Bose Portable Smart Speaker in December 2020 and increased the price from $349 to $399 in September 2021. We have adjusted this review accordingly. Let’s be honest. You’re never going to hear amazing sound out of a speaker that’s small enough to fit in your purse. Size matters when it comes to sound quality, so the challenge when creating a portable speaker is to make it small e...

Very portable; High sensitivity mics; Great 360-degree sound; Alexa and Google Assistant; AirPlay 2;

Limited app features; Missing some midrange; Not ideal for Android;

We’ve only just started to see the first wireless speakers that are designed to easily transition from whole-home Wi-Fi component to go-anywhere, battery-powered Bluetooth nomad, but Bose has already laid claim to this turf with its $399 Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It’s light, has a built-in handle, and can deal with the elements and the occasional bump or tumble. It’s even a full-fledged smart speaker. But does it have the kind of sound quality and convenience we’ve come to expect of the Bose brand? Here’s our full review. Editor’s note: Bose changed the name of this speaker from Bose Portable Home Speaker to Bose Portable Smart Speaker in December 2020 and increased the price from $349 to $399 in September 2021. We have adjusted this review accordingly. Let’s be honest. You’re never going to hear amazing sound out of a speaker that’s small enough to fit in your purse. Size matters when it comes to sound quality, so the challenge when creating a portable speaker is to make it small e...

Very portable; High sensitivity mics; Great 360-degree sound; Alexa and Google Assistant; AirPlay 2;

Limited app features; Missing some midrange; Not ideal for Android;