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Sonos review: Are these the best portable speakers that money can buy? I tested to find out

From front: Sonos Roam 2, Sonos Play, and Sonos Move 2. Photograph: Simon Cohen/The Guardian

Over the past eight years, I've reviewed dozens of portable speakers from every top brand. And I can confidently say that Sonos makes three of the best portable speakers of them all.

There's Sonos Play, the brand's newest portable and the Goldilocks of its lineup in size, sound and features. The Roam 2, a Toblerone-shaped speaker that's small enough to go anywhere . And the Move 2, a powerhouse that doesn't sacrifice bass performance.

They all share what I've come to think of as one of Sonos' key characteristics: sound that is better and bigger than you'd normally expect from a speaker of its size. It has that typical Sonos quality: clear, well balanced and a joy to listen to.

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They're pricier than most of the competition, but they have features most don't: seamless transitions between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so the music doesn't skitter as soon as you step out of Bluetooth range; built-in Amazon Alexa for music and non-music tasks alike; full protection from water and dust. And Auto TruePlay, a unique feature that automatically tunes your speaker for the best sound each time you change its location.

The beauty of these speakers is how much more they can do through the Sonos app: you can join two speakers as a stereo pair, play the same (or different) music in every room in your home and create playlists that span multiple services, to name a few.

I've tested nearly every Sonos product and taken its portables everywhere from my backyard to tropical islands. Here is my guide to all three models to help you decide which is best for you (and which to skip).

At a glance

  • The little one:Sonos Roam 2

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$179 at Sonos

  • The Goldilocks one:Sonos Play

$299 at Sonos

  • The big one:Sonos Move 2

$499 at Sonos

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A product photo of Sonos Roam 2

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A product photo of a Sonos Play

A product photo of Sonos Move 2

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Other pieces you might enjoy from the Filter , the Guardian's guide to buying fewer, better things:

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