What Speaker: Sonos, HomePod, Echo and the portable ones worth taking to the park, with a real-deal price for each pick

For most British living rooms, the speaker to buy is the Sonos Era 100. Sonos's UK site listed it at £199 on 11 November 2026, with official certified refurbished units at £159 and a two-room set of new Era 100s at £378, a £20 saving. What Hi-Fi? makes it its best wireless speaker overall, and The Verge has called it the new default smart speaker.12811

Pay more only if you have a reason. The Era 300, at £499, is What Hi-Fi?'s pick for spatial audio. Apple's HomePod is £349 and the HomePod mini 2 is £149, official UK prices the same day, and they make most sense in a house already built around iPhones. If you mainly want a voice assistant on the kitchen counter, Google's Home Speaker is £99.99. If you want something that leaves the house, What Hi-Fi?'s best Bluetooth speaker is the JBL Charge 6, listed at £129 on its 2026 shortlist.3679

A speaker that wants an account, a firmware update and your date of birth before it will play the radio is not clever. It is a bureaucrat with a tweeter. The good ones still do that, unfortunately, so the job is to pick the one that sounds right, stays on, and does not cost more than it should.

Why a "smart" speaker at all? Because it will sit in the kitchen and actually get used, which a neglected hi-fi often does not. Why not? Because the microphone is on, the firm would like a subscription, and a plain Bluetooth speaker will do for a student room or a trip to the park.

How we judged them, and what a real deal looks like

We have not lab-tested these speakers. The sound verdicts are from independent reviews, chiefly What Hi-Fi?, Which? and The Verge, plus the makers' own official UK prices, checked on 11 November 2026.138

A good price is not the number on the box. For each pick we have used the official UK price, official refurbished or bundle prices where they exist, and the street prices shown on What Hi-Fi?'s deals modules the same day. We could not load CamelCamelCamel (the page returned an error this run) and we could not extract a clean eBay sold-listings range that was clearly sold rather than asked, so we are not inventing a 12-month low or a used average. A used Era 100 on eBay is still worth a look if it is well under the official refurbished price of £159, with buyer protection on, after you have compared postage and the condition.

Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026. Speakers are regularly discounted around it. Catch: a "deal" can be the usual street price with a red sticker, which is why the official price and the refurbished price are the lines to beat.

The picks, and who they are actually for

Sonos Era 100, £199 official, £159 refurbished. What Hi-Fi? likes the open sound, the build and the long list of streaming features, and still has it as best overall in 2026. The Verge, in its review, found it a clear step on from the older Sonos One, with stereo playback and better bass, though not a match for a HomePod on raw fidelity. It is a mains speaker with Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi, which makes it less of a prisoner of the household network than older Sonos models.8111

For a family, this is the one that can live in the kitchen and later be joined by a second speaker in a bedroom. For parents who do not want a gadget night, the app is the main hurdle, but it is a hurdle you clear once. For a dinner party it is more than loud enough in a normal room; two, stereo-paired, are better if the table is long. For a house party you will want something that can go louder, or a second speaker, and you will want to turn the microphone off with the switch on the back. For a teenager who already lives in Spotify or Apple Music, it just works. For a student, £199 is a lot; the official refurbished price, or What Hi-Fi?'s Amazon figure of £169 the same day, is the one to wait for. A good price is below £170, and £159 official refurbished is the one to beat.28

Sonos also sells a two-room Era 100 set at £378. Catch: you still need Wi-Fi in both rooms for the full smart features, and the line-in needs a separate USB-C adapter.

Sonos Era 300, £499 official. What Hi-Fi? calls the sound detailed, spacious and dynamic, and uses it as its spatial-audio pick. In its Sonos buying guide it says a later price rise took the Era 300 from a launch price of £449 to £499. It can also work as Atmos rear speakers with a Sonos soundbar. Why? If you already care about Dolby Atmos albums, or want one impressive box in a large room. Why not? It is a lot of money, and What Hi-Fi? says Apple's HomePod sounds "positively small" next to it only if you were already comparing at this level.310

Apple HomePod, £349, and HomePod mini 2, £149. These are official UK shop prices on 11 November. Apple's own page still sells a three-month Apple Music trial with a new HomePod, for new subscribers, after which the plan is £11.99 a month unless you cancel. What Hi-Fi? lists the HomePod as its best Apple wireless speaker, with a "natural, solid" sound, and still had the older HomePod mini on its budget shortlist; it noted that it had not yet reviewed the mini 2. The Verge's review of the second-generation HomePod found Apple playing it safe: lovely with Apple Music, less convincing if your life is not already in that world.6812

For a household of iPhones, iPads and HomeKit bulbs, the HomePod is the tidy choice and the mini 2 is the bedroom or kitchen one. For a house that also contains an Android phone, or a Spotify habit you do not want to negotiate every evening, Sonos is the less stubborn roommate. Neither HomePod has the Bluetooth convenience of the Era 100 or a JBL.

Google Home Speaker, £99.99. This is the current Google Store UK price for the speaker that now sits where the Nest Audio used to. The same page offers a 30-day trial of Google Home Premium, then £8 a month or £80 a year for the standard plan if you keep it, and talks up asking the speaker about footage from Nest cameras. Why? If you already have Google in the house and mainly want a voice, timers and the radio. Why not? The interesting features are being tied to a paid plan, and for music it is not the Era 100. Which? has a review page for this model; read that, not just the Store, before you decide.714

Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. These remain the cheapest way to put Alexa in a room, and What Hi-Fi? still uses the fifth-generation Echo Dot as a budget comparison, with the HomePod mini as the sharper-sounding small rival. We did not treat a single Amazon listing as a fixed official price this run, because Amazon's own prices move; check the listing on the day and compare it with a Currys or Argos bundle if one is on offer. Why an Echo? If you want voice control, shopping lists and smart plugs more than you want a musical speaker. Why not? Sound quality is the compromise, and you are agreeing to live with Alexa.

For the garden, the park and the house party: JBL Charge 6, Sonos Move 2 and Roam 2. What Hi-Fi?'s best Bluetooth speaker for 2026 is the JBL Charge 6, "clear, detailed, hugely confident", with a deals price of £129. The Flip 7, at about £83 to £99 on the same page, is the smaller one to throw in a bag, and the Go 5 is the cheap cheerful version from about £31. Sonos's official prices are £449 for the Move 2 and £179 for the Roam 2. A Move 2 plus Era 100 indoor/outdoor set was £613, a £35 saving; two Roam 2s were £322, a £36 saving. What Hi-Fi? has said the Roam 2 is not a big sonic step on from its predecessor and can be beaten for less, and that the Move 2 is loud and long-lasting but expensive.91045

Taking a £449 "portable" speaker to the park is a good way to find out how much you enjoy sitting next to it. The Charge 6 is the one we would actually carry. The Move 2 makes more sense if it will spend most of its life in the kitchen and some of it on the patio, on the Sonos network. The Roam 2 is the coat-pocket Sonos, with an IP67 rating, if you are already in that system; if you are not, the JBL is the easier buy.

Marshall, Bose and Ultimate Ears still matter in this market. We have not forced them onto the shortlist without a current official UK price and a fresh independent verdict we could date this run. Which?'s 2026 wireless and Bluetooth buying guide is the place to compare them, and What Hi-Fi? added the Marshall Kilburn III to its "also consider" list in October 2026.139

Privacy and running costs

Every smart speaker is a microphone with a marketing department. Sonos puts a physical switch on the Era 100, Era 300, Move 2 and Roam 2 so you can disconnect the microphones; Alexa is optional, not compulsory, on those models.13 Apple says the HomePod is "private and secure" and works with Siri; that is the company's claim, and it is most persuasive if you already trust Apple with the rest of the house.6 Google's Home Speaker is being sold next to a paid plan that can discuss camera footage. Amazon's business is the voice assistant. For any of them, turn off what you do not use, and do not put a microphone in a bedroom if that makes you uneasy.

Running costs are mostly electricity, which is small, and subscriptions, which are not. Apple Music after the trial, Amazon Music, Google Home Premium and some of Sonos's own radio features are optional until they become a habit. There are no bags or pads to buy. The real cost is buying a second speaker a year later because the first one could not leave the kitchen.

Ways to pay less

Buy official refurbished before you buy used. Sonos certified refurbished Era 100s were £159 on 11 November, £40 below the new official price, with the company saying each unit is tested and treated as good as new. Catch: stock comes and goes, colours vanish, and a Hotukdeals sighting of £139 in late October is not a price we could confirm on Sonos's own page this run.2

Take the maker's own bundle if you were buying two anyway. The official two-room Era 100 set, the Move 2 plus Era 100 set and the two-pack of Roam 2s were all cheaper than buying the parts on 11 November. Catch: a bundle is only a saving if you wanted both items at full price.

Use a street price only when it beats those lines. What Hi-Fi? showed the Era 100 at £169 at Amazon on 11 November. That is a genuine discount on £199, but it is still more than official refurbished. Catch: marketplace sellers are not Sonos, and you should check who is fulfilling the order.

Look at eBay sold listings for used and occasionally new. If a used Era 100 is clearly below £159, in working order, that can be the exception. Catch: you are buying a microphone-equipped gadget with unknown history; use eBay's buyer protection and avoid anything without a return path.

Student and education prices. Apple runs education pricing on some products; check Apple's education store if you qualify. We did not find a live, dated Sonos student discount we could verify this run, so we have not advertised one.

The 14-day cooling-off rule does apply to most speakers bought online, as they are goods, not a stay with a date on. Catch: the item needs to go back in a resaleable state, and you may have to pay return postage unless it is faulty.

Wait for late November only if the current price is mediocre. Black Friday is 27 November 2026, with Cyber Monday on the 30th. Catch: Sonos, Apple and JBL are heavily shopped brands, so the "sale" price may already be the price we have listed above.

The verdict

Buy an official refurbished Era 100 if you can find one at £159, or a new one if you can get it under £170. Add a Charge 6 if the speaker has to leave the house. Stretch to an Era 300 or a HomePod only if you already know why you want that extra polish.

The HomePod mini 2 is the size of a large grapefruit and has views about your lighting. That can be charming. It is not, by itself, a reason to redo the living room.

• Sonos Era 100, official UK price £199.
• Sonos Era 100, official certified refurbished £159, the price to beat.
• What Hi-Fi? showed the Era 100 at £169 at Amazon the same day.
• Apple HomePod mini 2, official UK price £149.
• Google Home Speaker, Google Store UK £99.99.
• JBL Charge 6, the deals price on What Hi-Fi?'s 2026 Bluetooth shortlist.
• Sonos Roam 2, official UK price £179.
• Apple HomePod, official UK price £349.
• Sonos Move 2, official UK price £449.
• Sonos Era 300, official UK price £499.

A good price for the Era 100 is below £170. £159 official refurbished is the line to beat. Other bars are the official or dated deals price, not a guessed sale.

• Teen: the Era 100 works with Spotify or Apple Music.
• Student: £199 is a lot. Wait for under £170, or the £159 refurbished Era 100.
• Family: an Era 100 in the kitchen, and a second speaker later if you want one.
• Party: a second speaker, or the Charge 6 if it has to leave the house.

Sources

1. Sonos UK, Era 100, checked 11 November 2026: £199; two-room set £378, save £20. · Back
2. Sonos UK, refurbished Era 100, checked 11 November 2026: £159. · Back
3. Sonos UK, Era 300, checked 11 November 2026: £499. · Back
4. Sonos UK, Move 2, checked 11 November 2026: £449; Era 100 + Move 2 set £613, save £35. · Back
5. Sonos UK, Roam 2, checked 11 November 2026: £179; two-pack £322, save £36. · Back
6. Apple UK, buy HomePod and buy HomePod mini, checked 11 November 2026: HomePod £349, HomePod mini 2 £149; Apple Music trial terms as stated on those pages. · Back
7. Google Store UK, Google Home Speaker, checked 11 November 2026: £99.99; Home Premium trial and £8 a month or £80 a year thereafter, as stated on the page. · Back
8. What Hi-Fi?, "Best wireless speakers 2026: tried and tested by our expert team", checked 11 November 2026. Read the guide · Back
9. What Hi-Fi?, "Best Bluetooth speakers 2026: tried and tested for every budget", checked 11 November 2026. Read the guide · Back
10. What Hi-Fi?, "Which Sonos speaker should you buy in 2026?", checked 11 November 2026. Read the guide · Back
11. The Verge, "Sonos Era 100 review: the new default smart speaker". Read the review · Back
12. The Verge, "Apple HomePod (second-gen) review: playing it safe". Read the review · Back
13. Which?, "Best Bluetooth and wireless speakers 2026: top models for great sound". Read the guide · Back
14. Which?, Google Home Speaker review · Back