Best Bluetooth Speaker For Car- 2018’s #1 Buying Guide & Review
We can all agree to the fact that your audio system is the best companion to have ‘tag’ along with you in your vehicle. Whereas some just love listening to the radio, others are picky about their music and would only want to listen to their own playlist.
At the end of the day, all we need is a great sounding, durable and a speaker that’s convenient to use all the same. That being said, we’ve put together a list of Bluetooth speakers from which you can get the best Bluetooth speaker for car.
First off, we’re going to take a look at the buying guide which will be your blueprint on getting the best Bluetooth speaker for car. Then we’ll move on to reviewing some of the best speakers in 2018.
Without further ado, let’s get started with our buying guide, shall we? Here’s all you need to know about choosing a Bluetooth speaker.
Our Top 3 Recommended Picks
Before you move on to reading the rest of this review, you might want to take a look at a comparison chart of 3 of our best. After all, this will save you the hassle of having to read all through.
Product Image | Key Features |
|---|---|
 | Mpow Portable Bluetooth Speaker |
 | OontZ Angle 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker EDITOR'S Choice |
 | SuperTooth Buddy Bluetooth Visor Speakerphone Car kit |
Best Bluetooth Speaker for Car : exactly what to look for
Everything is important from the construction to the performance. It is simply a matter of paying attention to details. Here’s everything you need to know as far as car Bluetooth speakers are concerned.
Which type of speaker do you really want?
You may probably be thinking that a Bluetooth car speaker is just all about the music. Yes, almost any car speaker can play music but there's actually more to most than just playing your music.
The car Bluetooth speakers can be categorized into one that exclusively plays music, one that is exclusively meant for picking calls and a hybrid of the two.
A Bluetooth car speaker meant for the music alone is constructed exclusively to allow the listener to have the best music experience. From such, you'll be able to enjoy both a loud and clear sound. Something else the manufacturers tend to throw in the design is a few controls- mostly for changing the music track and increasing or decreasing the volume.
For the speakers meant for receiving calls or speakerphones as some people refer to them, all you can be able to do is receive and make calls. The presence of a microphone and the noise reduction feature, as well as a HD voice quality, makes it easier for the person on the other end to listen to you. These, obviously have a longer battery life since you’ll only use them to pick calls.
Lastly, we’ve got the hybrid speakers. Thisis basically the best Bluetooth speaker for car since you can listen to music and peak calls. They’re as clear as the speakerphones and as loud as the normal speakers meant for music.
From the above three types, you should carefully weigh your options and know what suits you best before settling for one.
How’s the sound quality?
At the end of the day, this is what we’ll all want to pay utmost attention to. all the music notes should be pronounced with none dominating over all the others.
The high frequenciesi.e. the treble should be clear enough and the same goes for the low frequencies as in the bass. It’s not uncommon to find that most speakers enhance the lows more than they do with the highs rather than having a balance between the two. In such a case, there’s no way you’re going to enjoy your music.
Other than going for a speaker that balances the lows and the highs, you should also pay attention to how loud it gets. The trick here is to ensure neither the bass nor the treble is distorted at a high volume and even better at maximum volume.
The play time- does it really run long enough?
It wouldn’t be any good if it won’t go long enough, right? Well as far as playtime is concerned, you’d really want to look into the battery capacity of your speakers.
The best Bluetooth speaker for car normally goes for about 8-12 hours. Anything less than this is definitely not worth your money. When it comes to the play time, something else you should consider looking into is the auto shut-off feature.
This is basically triggered when you don’t have anything paired to your speaker. Whereas some people may consider this to be somehow annoying, it’s something I’d love to have in my speaker; just for the sake of optimizing my battery power.
Portability
Another obvious thing to consider is portability. You’ll be driving with the speaker on your dashboard and it’s quite important for it to stay in place no matter how rough the road is. Portability is just not all about being able to drive around with the speaker in your car.
You could go for Bluetooth speakers that have got suction cups at the base. Such a speaker is probably the most stable since not only will the cups prevent them from falling off the dash, but they’ll also keep them from possibly even the slightest motion. In a nutshell, they’ll be part of your car.
Alternatives to suction cups are lanyards and clip-on. These also do secure the speaker in place quite well. Besides just keeping the speakers on the dash while hitting the road, something else you should probably consider as far as portability is concerned is the weight and physical construction.
Lightweight and compactness
The lighter and compact it is, the better off you are. By having a more compact construction, the speaker will generally cover a small surface area. Being lightweight at the same time will give you the upper hand since it will be easy to handle and the odds of your speaker overwhelming stability features (suction cups, lanyards, and clip-on etc.) are lower.
Controls vs no controls
One of the areas of a Bluetooth speaker that is greatly overlooked is whether or not it's got the controls. This, however, is not to imply that a speaker without controls is not worth the buck but to emphasize on the fact that one with controls will give you the biggest bang for your buck.
From my personal point of view and also from my past experience, using a speaker that allows for basic controls is much better. Such controls include something as simple as turning up the volume to changing the music track and receiving any incoming calls.
Having controls is clearly the better and safer option considering it is quite dangerous to use your phone while driving.
Personally, I associate the presence of controls on a Bluetooth speaker with high-quality construction. The logic is quite simple actually; owing to the fact that the controls are present, it simply means that the manufacturers put in extra effort to give you the best
Durability
We probably should have started off with durability. When shopping for a wireless car speaker, one of the things you should greatly look into is how durable the speaker is.
Obviously, the more durable it is, the more you’re probably going to spend on it. My advice is that under no circumstance should you compromise on durability.
Shockproofing and waterproofing capabilities
The above are basically the two major things you should consider looking into when purchasing a Bluetooth speaker. Whereas waterproofing may not be that important considering you’ll be using the speaker in your vehicle, you should not take any chances with shockproof capabilities.
If the speaker can be able to withstand a two-meter drop then you should definitely go for it.
As for waterproofing, it does not necessarily have to withstand a torrential rainfall; something as simple as high levels of humidity can damage your speaker. It is therefore important to consider looking into this before you put your money on the line.
Best Bluetooth Speaker For Car 10 picks of 2018
We’re through with our buying guide and it’s time we take a look at some of the best speakers each of which, I guarantee you, is worth your time and money. Well, let’s get started, shall we?
1. SuperTooth Buddy Bluetooth Visor Speakerphone Car Kit
Kicking off our review is the SuperTooth Buddy, possibly one of the best as far as a car speaker is concerned. From the construction down to the performance, this speaker kit is worth every penny. Here’s what it’s got in store for you…
Automatic pairing.
Unlike the low-end Bluetooth speakers that require you to connect your Bluetooth, this speaker has got an automatic pairing feature. This simply connects your device to the speaker once it is powered on and you have the Bluetooth switched on.
The best part about the pairing feature on this device is that you can have 2 phones paired to it simultaneously.
Audio clarity.
When it comes to receiving calls via a Bluetooth car speaker, clarity is one of the most important things. Whereas you may have had to put up with echoes or noisy conversations in the past, the powerful nature of this speaker and the DSP technology eliminates all of these.
Battery capacity.
Besides audio clarity, one more important thing to look into when selecting a Bluetooth speaker is the uptime. considering they’ll be running on a charged battery, you’ll want them to last as long as possible.
For the talk time, the SuperTooth Buddy goes for as long as 20 hours and if they’re just in standby mode, they’ll go for an outstanding 40 days
The controls.
For the controls, this speaker has got the volume control feature, call waiting, last call media as well as a voice recognition dialing which also supports mobile phones.
The voice recognition feature, however, only supports a few mobile phones. Nonetheless, this Bluetooth speaker allows you to safely drive with your eyes on the road and your hands on the steering wheel.
Quick fixation.
On this Bluetooth speaker are metal clips which make it easy for you to have the Bluetooth headset in place. You can, therefore, easily set it up on your sun visor, pair your device and you’re good to go.
2. Jabra Tour Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone
If you only need a Bluetooth speaker for making calls, then you ought to go for the Jabra Tour in-car speakerphone. Don’t underestimate it from its small size, there’s more to it possibly than you’d expect.
An outstanding sound quality.
From my personal point of view, I think that this is the most sought-after features when purchasing Bluetooth speakers. Considering this one is exclusively meant for receiving and making calls, you’ll need the sound to be perfect.
The HD voice and the noise cancellation feature backed up with an extra large speaker just makes it worth every penny.
The controls.
For the controls, you’ll be getting a voice control that activates the voice engine on your android device or Siri for iOS.
With the Jabra Tour voice control, you can answer/ignore calls, pair a new device with the speaker and to spice up things there are battery and phone voice commands.
Besides the voice control feature, there is also the volume controls, the last number redial and the mute button
Battery Saving.
When the device is not in use, there is a built-in motion sensor which makes it possible for the speakerphone to automatically power on or off. This simply means that provided your vehicle is in motion, you can comfortably use this speaker.
The maximum talk time is 20 hours and the standby time is 45 days.
Accessories.
Yet another outstanding feature of this car speaker is the in-car charger with an additional USB cable which makes it possible to charge your device from your PC
3. Motorola T215 Bluetooth Portable Car Speaker
Coming up 3rd on our best Bluetooth speaker for car review is an outstanding speaker from Motorola: the Motorola T215. Besides just being amazingly user-friendly, there's plenty more that comes along with it. Let's take a closer look, shall we?
Hands-free operation& utmost voice clarity.
To enable you to talk freely on the road without any risk of risking a road accident, the T215easily syncs with your device.
Just clip the device on your sun visor and you’re good to go. Besides just giving you the luxury of easily making your calls, the two-watt speaker is strong enough to make your conversation easily audible over the hum of your car's engine.
This speakerphone features a top of the line noise and echo reduction technology which makes every word of your conversation audible
Long lasting battery.
The longer it’s battery power is, the better off you are. For the T215, the charge can last for as long as 36 hours of talk time. this just so happens to be possibly the longest you can talk on a car speakerphone.
For the standby, it can retain the charge for 600 hours. In a nutshell, a single full charge on this device can keep it going for weeks. For added convenience, there is even a micro-USB cable included.
The controls
With just the touch of a button, you can be able to do quite a lot of things. Some of these include the quick dialing feature, call waiting as well as the mute functionality.
Besides this, there is a Bluetooth indicator that lets you know when your Bluetooth device is connected to the speakerphone. The Bluetooth connectivity range on this device is an outstanding 33 feet and the fact that it's got clip-on makes it easy to set in place on your visor.
4. OontZ Angle 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
If you’re looking for something that’s exclusively meant for music, then you should definitely get yourself one of these.
The OontZ Angle 3 is not only good when it comes to music but it’s just as durable. Let’s have a closer look at it…
High quality & crystal-clear sound
The two precision acoustic drivers on this speaker make it possible for the production of excellent stereo sound. The mids and the highs are distinct. For the bass, the proprietary bass radiator design allows for the production of an enhanced bass.
One of the most striking features of this Bluetooth speaker is that even at a maximum volume, the bass remains clear all the same.
Utmost durability.
It’s always a wise choice to go for the speakers that have a lower risk of damage, right? The design of the OontZ Angle 3 is in such a way that you won’t have to worry about it being damaged by moisture. In addition to this, it is also dustproof and sand proof which makes it an ideal choice to use even outside your car occasionally.
Stylish design and portability.
Weighing only 10 ounces and being 5 inches long and 2.8 inches tall. It won’t take up much space in your car let alone getting you worried about the weight.
Despite the convenience in size, the high capacity rechargeable 2200 mAh battery can keep it going for as long as 12 hours at as much as 2/3 of the volume and at a full charge.
A built-in Microphone.
Besides just music, this speaker just so happens to be one of the few hybrid Bluetooth speakers that allow you to pick calls and listen to music at the same time.
On this speaker is a built-in MIC which allows you to use it as a speakerphone provided you have your android phone or iPhone connected to it.
5. ION Audio Road Warrior | 500-watt Portable Bluetooth Stereo Speaker System
If you’re all about the music, then this speaker should definitely do the trick. The ION Audio Road Warrior is unlike any other speaker we’ve looked at. For starters, it’s composed of a 10” two-way lighted speaker. This should be enough to rival even some of the speakers installed in your car.
NFC support.
Besides Bluetooth, it does have NFC support. Rather than going through the whole pairing process involved in Bluetooth connectivity, you can simply link your device to it with a single tap.
In order to do this, you’ll have to put the road warrior in Bluetooth mode and then touch and briefly hold your device to the NFC logo. To unpair your device, greatly bump your device against the NFC logo located at the speaker’s top panel.
Battery life
At a full charge, this speaker can go for as long as 12 hours with the lights off, and if the lights are on, it’s up time is still an outstanding 9 hours.
The speaker also does come with both an AC and DC power cable. A standard IEC (10A) for the latter and a 5V, 10A DC car adapter charger for the former. For the USB charging port with which you can use to recharge your mobile phone.
Added convenience.
The design is simply one of the best. its rigged nature makes it suitableto use as a portable speaker and the fact that it comes with handles makes it easy for you to carry it around.
Additional features.
Other than just being usable wirelessly, there’s an aux input to use with non-Bluetooth devices, a microphone input and there’s also an FM radio.
6. Motorola TX550 Sonic Rider Bluetooth Car Kit Speakerphone
We are already past halfway on our review and we’re doing good so far. Coming up sixth is yet another outstanding speakerphone from Motorola- the Motorola TX550. Besides the portable nature of this speakerphone, let’s see what else it has in store for us.
The sound quality
When choosing a speakerphone, this is definitely what you should pay utmost attention to. With the optimized sound quality that allows you to make your calls in HD, I’d say the Motorola TX550 is the perfect pick if you’ll be spending most of your time on calls.
It has an outstanding echo and noise reduction microphonefor the person on the other end to hear you clearly and a powerful 2-watt speaker to ensure you get to hear the caller clearly.
The talk time.
The longer it lasts the better off you are. By being able to go for as long as 45 hours on call and about 5 months if on standby
However, …
All the talk and standby time are determined by the signal strength, operating temperature, the voice, and data mix as well as the features selected.
Additional features.
With audible voice prompts, the speakerphone lets you know when you are connected, the battery level as well as when the mute is on.
7. Jabra FREEWAY Bluetooth Speakerphone
Meant for anyone who is looking for something that’s out of the ordinary, the Jabra FREEWAY will give you the biggest kick for your buck.
Let’s see what it’s got, shall we?
The sound quality
Probably the best you’ll get in the speakerphone industry, the 3 speakers on the Jabra FREEWAY definitely count as far as getting a loud sound is concerned.
The conversations are kept clear with an acoustically optimized design that features a HD voice ready, dual microphones as well as noise cancellation. An added touch to the speakers is the virtual surround sound that provides quite a good soundstage.
Voice controls.
With just your voice, you can be able to do as much as making calls, ending them, rejecting them and redialing calls as well. In addition to this, with a voice assist subscription, you can send and receive text messages and emails as well as post updates on Twitter and Facebook.
Voice guidance
With this, you are provided with pairing instructions, the connection status, caller ID, the connection status as well as the battery level.
For the pairing, there is the Multipoint feature that allows you to connect to as much as two Bluetooth devices simultaneously.
Also…
There is a dedicated mute button on the device, an on/off switch and volume controls that are large and easy to access. The installation procedure is quite easy; all you have to do is clip the speakerphone to your sun visor and pair up your phone. The built-in motion sensor gives the Jabra FREEWAY an automatic turn-on and turn-off feature which also does save on battery power.
An added touch to the speaker is the firmware update from Jabra.com that installs additional languages. You can also be able to stream music, podcasts and turn-by-turn GPS directions from your mobile phone.
8. Mpow Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Looking for something that’s really good for music? Well, the Mpow Portable Bluetooth Speaker might just do the trick. Within its compact design, there's plenty more to offer. Let's take a quick look, shall we?
A stronger inner bass design
With the 5-watt driver and bass radiator, the audio quality is strong and top of the line at the same time. this is impressive for a lot of music genres. You’ll also get the advantage of enjoying high definition audio quality.
Waterproof design.
To increase its lifespan, the speaker comes with an IP65 splash design which is not only splash-proof but it is, at the same time shockproof as well as dustproof.
Play your music anywhere and at any time without any worries- speaking of music, let’s see how long the charge on this speaker will last.
A groundbreaking battery capacity
Yet another thing that you should pay attention to is the battery capacity. It comes with an additional 1000mAh which gets you enjoying your favorite playlist for as much as 10 hours of wireless playback.
The controls
Besides coming in a small design that you can easily place on your dash; the controls are easy to use which make it easy to pair and increase the volume.
9. Jabra 100-46000000-02 Freeway Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone
We’re almost done with our review now. Coming up second last is the Jabra 100-46000000-02. One of the features that stands out most on this speakerphone is the rich and crisp sound that is delivered from the 3 speakers and the virtual surround feature as well.
Dual mic noise cancellation
This simply makes things twice as clear and considering you’ll be getting a 3-speaker virtual surround, the experience from using it will be much better.
Auto turn on and turn off features
this speakerphone turns on and off automatically anytime you hit the road. In addition to this, each time the speakerphone is on, you can pair up 2 Bluetooth devices to it simultaneously. It also does have the audio streaming (A2DP) for music playback, podcasts as well as directions from a GPS app.
Battery capacity.
You can get a maximum of 14 hours of talk time from the speakerphone and 960 hours when it is in standby mode.
Something else to take note of…
Not only will the speaker alert you of the name of the caller of an incoming call but it will alsoallow you to use your voice to make and take incoming calls.
10. YETOR Bluetooth 4.1 Car Speakerphone
The last item we’ll have a look at in our best Bluetooth speaker for car review is the YETOR Bluetooth 4.1 car speakerphone. From sound clarity to portability and versatility, it will be worth every penny.
The YETOR is meant for nothing short of producing a HD voice and a DSP noise cancellation technology. The speaker is a large 3-watt speaker which makes the voice of the caller clearly audible.
There is a hands-free support for free calls which in turn improves driving safety. You can also connect the phone to it via which you can play your favorite music genres. Also, considering the fact it comes with the capability of being able to connect a GPS, it surely is the best voice guide to your destination
A built-in lithium polymer battery.
With the large capacity battery within it, it has a short charging time of 2 hours but one of the longest service life before the full charge is drained- an outstanding 20 hours of talk-time.
Back clips.
To easily have them on your sun visor, the clips on the rear of the speakerphone will come in handy quite well. The best part about them is that they save on space and simultaneously hold the speakerphone in place securely
Final Verdict.
It’s now time to come to an end of our best Bluetooth speaker for car review. There are a lot of benefits that come with getting yourself one of these as we’ve already seen. Just like any other car audio component, it’s important to employ utmost care and maintenance for these as well.
There’s a product listing of the best of the best in 2018; each one of these will undoubtedly give you a kick for your buck- trust me, from the design quality to the performance, it’s worth every penny.
Lastly, I’d like to emphasize on knowing what you really need before putting your money on the line. You already know your options, now all that’s left is to check your priorities, deciding what works best for you and going for it. Don't sacrifice quality for the budget unless you really have to- you deserve the best.