The Sonos Move 2 is the company's most capable portable speaker to date. Launched in 2023, it refines just about everything that made the original Move popular while fixing its most frustrating shortcomings — namely the short battery life and the proprietary charging connector. The result is a speaker that genuinely earns its premium price, provided you are already in the Sonos ecosystem or plan to join it.
Design and Build Quality
At 3 kg, the Move 2 is not a rucksack speaker. It is designed to travel between rooms and to sit outdoors on a garden table or beside a pool, not to be carried on a hike. The rubberised base and rounded rear give it a stable footprint, and the IP56 rating means it can handle jets of water and dust without complaint — more than sufficient for UK garden use. The build feels robust without being unnecessarily bulky, and the matte finish resists fingerprints well.
Sonos has replaced the original Move's proprietary charging base with a USB-C port, though the charging base is still included in the box. This is a welcome change: you can now top up the battery using a standard USB-C cable, making it far easier to charge when travelling. The physical buttons for volume and play/pause are responsive and well-positioned.
Sound Quality
The Move 2 sounds excellent for a portable speaker. It uses a tweeter and two mid-woofers to produce a wide, room-filling sound. Bass is present and controlled rather than bloated, and the high end stays detailed even at volume. Stereo separation is notably good for a single-unit speaker, giving music a sense of width that cheaper portable speakers rarely achieve.
The headline audio feature is Trueplay automatic tuning. When enabled, the speaker uses its built-in microphone array to analyse the acoustic environment and adjust the EQ accordingly. Indoors, it compensates for reflective walls; outdoors, it opens up the sound to account for the lack of boundaries. The difference is subtle but real — vocal clarity in particular benefits when switching between environments.
For those looking at other Sonos options, the Sonos Era 100 is worth considering as a stationary indoor alternative at a lower price point. If budget is a concern, the Sonos One remains a compelling entry point into the Sonos ecosystem.
Battery Life and Connectivity
The 24-hour battery life is the Move 2's most significant upgrade over its predecessor. The original Move offered around 11 hours, which was acceptable but limiting. Twenty-four hours means a full weekend outdoors without needing to think about charging. Real-world results will vary depending on volume and whether Trueplay is active, but even heavy use over a day comfortably fits within that window.
Connectivity covers both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. In Wi-Fi mode, the Move 2 integrates fully into a Sonos multiroom system — you can group it with other speakers in your home and control everything through the Sonos app. Bluetooth mode works without a network connection, useful for gardens with poor Wi-Fi coverage or when taking the speaker elsewhere entirely. Switching between modes is handled automatically when you step out of Wi-Fi range.
If multiroom audio is your primary use case, our guide to the best multiroom speakers in the UK compares the Move 2 against rivals from Bose, Denon and others. For a direct head-to-head, our Bose smart speaker review covers the SoundLink Max, which competes closely at a similar price.
Stereo Pairing
Two Move 2 units can be wirelessly paired to form a stereo pair. This is a feature the original Move lacked entirely. For those with the budget to buy two, the stereo mode produces genuinely impressive results — proper left/right separation and a soundstage that makes the pair feel like a permanent installation rather than a portable solution. It is an expensive combination at around £900, but it closes the gap with higher-end indoor systems considerably.
App and Smart Home Integration
The Sonos app handles setup, grouping, EQ adjustment and Trueplay tuning. The app has historically divided opinion, and a 2024 redesign attracted criticism for removing features. By mid-2025 Sonos had restored most missing functionality, and the app is now stable and reliable. Streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Tidal connect directly; the speaker also supports AirPlay 2 for iPhone and iPad users who prefer not to use the Sonos app.
Voice assistant support is provided through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built in, so you can control playback and manage smart home devices hands-free. For those integrating the Move 2 into a wider smart home setup, the speaker works alongside other Sonos devices in multiroom groupings via the app.
Value and Verdict
At around £449, the Sonos Move 2 is one of the more expensive portable speakers available in the UK. You can buy capable Bluetooth speakers for a fraction of that price. What you are paying for is the combination of Sonos multiroom integration, the 24-hour battery, genuinely high audio quality, and the durability of the IP56 rating — all in a single package. If you already own Sonos speakers, the Move 2 is the natural choice for adding outdoor or room-to-room portability. If you are buying into the ecosystem for the first time, the Move 2 makes a strong case as a starting point.
For those weighing up the broader portable speaker market, our roundup of the best wireless speakers in the UK covers options at every price point. The Move 2 earns its place at the top of that list for anyone who values multiroom integration alongside portability.
Specifications at a Glance
Price: Around £449 (prices vary by retailer). Battery: Up to 24 hours. Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. Weather resistance: IP56. Weight: 3 kg. Charging: USB-C (charging base included). Stereo pairing: Yes (two Move 2 units). Voice assistants: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant built in. AirPlay 2: Yes.
Related: Sonos Roam portable speaker review, best multiroom speaker systems UK, and best streaming services for Sonos.
