Short answer: the Sony ULT Field 3. Both are rated 3.4/5 for sound quality (#71 and #75 of 179 medium speakers), and the Sony ULT Field 3 costs $208 against $399 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it.
What the Bose Portable Smart Speaker does well: A smart speaker with Alexa and Google Assistant built in that streams over Wi-Fi at home and Bluetooth on the go. The tradeoff: 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.
The Sony ULT Field 3 is the longer-running, tougher pick. A rugged waterproof stereo speaker with long battery life, a detailed app EQ, a shoulder strap and a phone charging port. It is rated for 24 hours of battery against 12 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It is rated IP67 against IPX4 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It supports LDAC Bluetooth, which the Bose Portable Smart Speaker lacks. The tradeoff: Sounds a bit hollow, a bit boosted in the treble.
Buy the Sony ULT Field 3. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $191 less than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Prices on this page were last checked November 11, 2026 at 3:26 AM 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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Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Portable Smart Speaker | Sony ULT Field 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.00 | $208.00 |
| Ranked | #75 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #71 of 179 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) | 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) | 10.1” x 4.4” x 3.1” (256 x 113 x 79 mm) |
| App | Yes (Bose Music) | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) | Yes (App + ULT button) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators | 1x 20mm tweeter + 1x 86mm x 46mm woofer |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | - |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) | Yes (Party Connect up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C, 5V/1.5A) |
| Strap | No | Yes (detachable shoulder strap) |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn | - |
| Amplifier Power | - | 27W |
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