Portable speakers often leave you wishing for better sound, but Anker seems to rule the market, and it does so at a price that's not too steep.

I listen to a lot of audiobooks and I needed a small, portable speaker that I could take with me while I work in the craft room or the kitchen or even to the beach or the garden. Yes, I know they make earbuds and headphones for such things, but for reasons I won’t go into, those aren’t usually my first choice. A small, portable speaker is the right solution for me.

The thing is, I didn’t want to pay a lot for it. Sure, I could get a Bose or Sonos speaker, but those are on the high end of the price spectrum, and since this speaker will probably end up with paint or epoxy on it, I just didn’t want to spend that much. Then I found the Anker SoundCore wireless Bluetooth speaker. It’s under $30. Perfect for what I need.

I knew the SoundCore was going to be a small speaker when I ordered it. At about 6" x 2", it fits in the small space I have for it, and when I want to throw it in my bag to take to the beach or travel or whatever, it fits in there just fine without adding much weight.