Different classes, so treat this as a step-up-or-not question rather than a head-to-head. The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ranks #12 of 19 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $299; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #65 of 145 medium speakers by sound quality at $399.
Why pick the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker: Three drivers (a 3in woofer and 1in tweeter facing forward, plus a 1.5in driver firing upward) give it a noticeably taller sound than most compact home speakers. The tradeoff: RTINGS lists sub-par directivity as its main weakness, and reviewers agree a single unit sounds narrow from side to side, so it works best as a stereo pair.
The case for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. The catch: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
Buy the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299) for a powered desktop speaker; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ($399) suits a medium speaker instead.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at IPX4 (splashing) against the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, which has no water resistance.
Still deciding? The full Powered Home rankings and Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker | Bose Portable Smart Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299.00 each | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #12 of 19 in Medium Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #65 of 145 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None | IPX4 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | AC power cord | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| App | Yes (Bose) | Yes (Bose Music) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) | - |
| Drivers | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux | - |
| XLR Input | No | - |
| RCA Input | No | - |
| TRS Input | Yes (3.5mm) | - |
| Optical Input | No | - |
| Coaxial Input | No | - |
| USB Input | No | - |
| HDMI Input | No | - |
| AES Input | No | - |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.3 | - |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Omnidirectional | - | Pointing up |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 4.2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC |
| Digital Aux Input | - | No |
| Strap | - | No |
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Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker: $299.00 each Amazon eBay
Pros: Three drivers (a 3in woofer and 1in tweeter facing forward, plus a 1.5in driver firing upward) give it a noticeably taller sound than most compact home speakers. Stuff gave it the edge over the Sonos Era 100, and TechRadar called its tonal balance fairly neutral, with tight bass control and high detail. Alexa, including Alexa+, is built in, and RTINGS found its microphones picked up commands easily from across a noisy room. It streams over AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth 5.3, keeps a 3.5mm aux input that the Era 100 lacks, and two units can be stereo paired or used as rear surrounds with the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar.
Cons: RTINGS lists sub-par directivity as its main weakness, and reviewers agree a single unit sounds narrow from side to side, so it works best as a stereo pair. Deep bass is limited: Engadget found the low end restrained and preferred the Denon Home 200’s sound, Stuff noted it can’t separate sub-bass from the bassline and that DSP pulls bass back at maximum volume, and TechRadar heard a slight toothiness in the treble that needed EQ to calm. The EQ is only bass, mid and treble with no automatic room calibration. Bose warns the aux and Bluetooth inputs add lip sync delay for TV use, it has no battery or IP rating, and both SoundGuys and Engadget needed several restarts to get stereo pairing working.
Full Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Bose) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field, mic mute button) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2” x 4.8” x 6.6” (184 x 121 x 167 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 3in woofer, 1in tweeter, 1.5in up-firing mid/high driver |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + up-firing driver level) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm aux |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose app multi-room, AirPlay 2, Google Cast) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | AC power cord |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect |
| TRS Input | Yes (3.5mm) |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Bose app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Weight | 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $399.00 Bose eBay
Pros: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
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