The Best Moto Camping Blue Tooth Speaker for under $100

Your iPhone might not be up to the task around the campsite with your buddies — after a couple beverages, there just may be too many loud talkers regaling everyone of their heroic achievements on the last section of today’s journey. In this case, it may be time to add a Bluetooth speaker to your camping gear.

Here are three great choices for under $100:

Anker Soundcore —currently selling for close to $27
Bose Soundlink Color II —originally priced at $125, this can be found for under $80
JBL Flip 5 —at the top of our range, currently retailing for $90

None of these speakers offer to help you charge your electronic devices. That may be a popular option for Bluetooth speakers lately, but one that adds considerable weight to the speaker. I prefer to bring a dedicated powerpack that I can charge and store separately.

In reviewing these speakers, I considered weight, sound volume, bass, highs, and overall value.

camping speaker sound test — Sound tests were done at full volume from a distance of 36 inches.

Anker soundcore — The Anker Soundcore has a “rubberish” exterior and is water-resistant so splashes, spills and rain are no problem. Fingerprints are not easy to leave behind but it can use a wipe off from time to time if you want to preserve it’s brand new look.

Anker Soundcore weight — At a little over 13 ounces, the **Anker Soundcore** is the lightweight of the bunch. The little Soundcore is rated for a whopping 24 hours of continuous play. This speaker doubles as a speakerphone when connected to your phone and uses the ubiquitous micro USB charging input.

Anker Soundcore loudness — The Anker Soundcore delivers just under a potent 95 db, which is plenty for the gang around the campfire.

Bose Soundlink Color II — The Soundlink Color II is water-resistant to splashes, spills, rain and mud. Similar to the Anker, the Bose has a rubbery exterior which is reasonably good at repelling finger prints but will show dirt and oils eventually, so just give it a wipe from time to time to keep it looking it’s best.

Bose Soundlink Color II weight — At one pound four ounces, the **Bose Soundlink Color II** is the heaviest of the three options compared here. The Color II has an 8-hour continuous play battery. This speaker also doubles as a speakerphone when connected to your phone and uses a micro USB charging input.

Bose Soundlink Color II loudness — Peaking at over 96 db, the Bose Soundlink Color II delivers more bass than the others at low volume levels for a fat “loudness-boosted” type of sound.

JBL portable camping speaker — The JBL by design is much less likely to show wear and tear and is by JBL’s description “waterproof” which is kind of a big deal if you are heading to a beach or if you ever decide to listen to tunes in a steamy bathroom.

JBL Flip 5 weight — Not a lightweight, the **JBL Flip 5** comes in just about one ounce less than the Bose. The JBL has a 12 hour continuous play battery. This is a dedicated speaker — sorry folks, no speaker phone here. The Flip 5 is alone in this comparison as the only choice to come with the newer USB-C charging input, which makes charging a quicker proposition.

JBL Flip 5 loudness — The JBL is far and away the loudest of the bunch. If you are looking to rock out at the campsite or in your garage, this is your ticket.

Camping Speakers

After putting each of these three speakers through their paces for several weeks, the question is not really “which is best?” but rather “where do they shine?”

Anker Soundcore: This is a super light choice that allows you to share your music with friends without overloading your backpack or your luggage. It is loud and clear but lack any real bass. Considering how many fellow adventures spend an extra hundred dollars to upgrade a camping chair in an effort to loose a pound or two, the Soundcore is a great way to save weight and still get great sound.
Bose Soundlink Color II: This is a warm, rich sounding speaker at low volumes with nice clear highs. As a result it shines in quieter environments like a garage or office. If you work from home and play music while you work, this is your speaker. Nothing sounds this good at low levels. In the great outdoors that fat bass can get lost and it is less clear and punchy compared with the Flip 5 in that setting.
JBL Flip 5: The more I use this speaker the more I become convinced that this just might be the best all-around camping speaker. The sparkling highs and substantial bass are strong enough to deliver great sound outdoors. At lower volume levels the sound is flatter than the Bose with noticeably less bass. In that environment you might prefer the warmth of the Bose. But turn the volume way up and they trade places. If you are car camping or riding a Middle-Weight or bigger Adventure Motorcycle the differences in extra weight we are talking about here are negligible, so this speaker might be a clear choice for you.

The Final Word: Not surprisingly the winner really depends on how you intend to use your speaker. As with other camping gear there is always a trade off. With these three speakers under $100 dollars, there will be folks in each of the three camps and I can’t say anyone can go wrong here. I found myself using each of these equally depending on what I was doing and where I was going.