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;

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

Glance at this speaker and you'll probably be left scratching your head as to why its asking price is so much for a small little thing. Switch it on, however, and the sensational audio will let you know in a heartbeat. It sounds big beyond its scale and is probably the only smart speaker you'll ever need buy.

Big sound and bass that sounds well beyond the product size; Lots of connectivity - Airplay 2 / Wi-Fi / Bluetooth; Genuinely portable - and decent 12hr battery life;

It's rather pricey; Struggles at its top volumes; Not dynamic enough at lower volumes;

The Bose Portable Home Speaker is a waterproof portable speaker with built-in Google Assistant and Alexa, but slim smarts hold it back

The Bose Portable Home Speaker is a welcome addition to the Bose smart speaker range, adding flexibility thanks to a 12-hour battery life and IPX4 waterproofing, without compromising on audio. Built-in support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa delivers the smarts, but be warned that this integration isn't as fully featured as on official products or even other third-party rivals.

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;

Not perfect and definitely not cheap, but the feature-packed Bose Portable Home Speaker is still very easy to like

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