Stiftung Warentest tested 20 Bluetooth boxes of various sizes – with sobering results. Only six boxes were convincing.
City park, outdoor pool or kitchen? Before buying a Bluetooth box, you should consider where and how you want to use it. If you want to be on the road a lot, you should not only pay attention to the sound and price, but also to the weight and long battery life. So overall there are a few things to consider. The Stiftung Warentest therefore tested 20 Bluetooth boxes – only a minority was able to convince.
Stiftung Warentest evaluates Bluetooth boxes
This time, the testers examined 20 Bluetooth boxes between 26 and 380 euros. The subjects were divided into four weight classes. There were boxes over 5 kilos, between 1.5 to 5 kilos and 0.5 to 1.5 kilos. The lightest devices were less than 0.5 kilograms.
The result is surprisingly bad. Only six Bluetooth boxes get the grade “good” from Stiftung Warentest. Nine devices received the grade “satisfactory”, five boxes even received the grade “sufficient”.
Also interesting: The best Bluetooth speakers for on the go
It’s worth spending money on a Bluetooth box
The party box 110 from JBL was at the top of the list at Stiftung Warentest. She got an overall grade of 1.9. At 380 euros, however, it is the most expensive and at eleven kilos it is also the second heaviest box in the test field. But the speaker had by far the best sound according to “test”.
Among the devices under five kilos, the Box Boomster from Teufel came out on top. The loudspeaker for 350 euros received an overall rating of 2.0. It was also the only model tested with radio reception.
Keyword weight: From three kilos, the speakers only sound really good, shows another investigation the Stiftung Warentest (“test” 9/2022). Very light Bluetooth speakers, on the other hand, often suffer from weak bass and reduced sound.
Also interesting: Why is Bluetooth called that and what does the sign mean?
Ikea provides the price-performance winner
The box Eneby from Ikea is particularly positive. The device from the Swedish furniture store giant costs 80 euros in this country. The Bluetooth box received an overall rating of 2.6 from Stiftung Warentest. In comparison, that was enough to win the price-performance ratio. The Eneby-Box can be supplied with electricity either via the mains cable or the replaceable battery. This is rare and, from the testers’ point of view, a plus point from an environmental point of view.
If you value protection against dust, water or falls, you should pay attention to the IP levels when buying. The higher the number, the better. For example, IP66 means that the box is dust-tight and protected against strong jets of water and brief flooding.
With information from the dpa.