If all a Bluetooth speaker did was wirelessly fill your room with sound, it would be an interesting and useful gadget. That’s the chief purpose of the device, of course, but it only scratches the surface of capability. Many Bluetooth speakers have built-in, rechargeable batteries, so you can take the party literally anywhere. You’re not restricted to basement rec rooms either. Many models are not only portable, but weather-resistant too, so a little rain will dampen neither your spirits or your tunes.

Many Bluetooth speakers are great at sharing, particularly power, so you can hook your smartphone, tablet or personal MP3 player into the speaker when charging time comes around. Similarly, you can often get hands-free speakerphone function, handy when your smartphone does double duty as your entertainment device.

Bluetooth speaker technology isn’t only for the on-the-go listener. A wide range of products serve home use as well, focusing on design as much as function. Wireless speaker systems are convenient to install and simple to set up. No more need to restrict listening to the living room. A small Bluetooth speaker in the kitchen makes food prep much easier to take. For the discerning listener, some high-end Bluetooth speakers accept high fidelity audio streaming through Bluetooth, while remaining compatible with regular signals.

Bluetooth is almost standard equipment nowadays, in devices including tablets, smartphones, computers, laptops and even specialty computers such as Chromebooks and digital book readers. Anyone who has crawled under a desk to trace the wires for a computer speaker system appreciates the convenience of wireless speakers on a desktop.

There are many, many Bluetooth speakers available, with more released each year. Here, we take a look at 10 notable devices, ranging across the feature and budget ranges typical of the Bluetooth speaker category. Any speaker choice is subjective, and with the wide variety of of designs available, the way a speaker looks is more important than ever. Use this Guide as a starting point in your search for the perfect Bluetooth speaker for your needs.