When you're going away to college you want to take as many home comforts with you as you can. A dorm room isn't exactly a sprawling open space for you to fill with your favorite tech, but that shouldn't stop you having a great pair of speakers to use with your laptop, so you can chill out with some music or a movie. After all, it's not all work all the time!
Awesome sound
These are like the Rolls Royce of speakers for laptops, delivering the high-quality sound the Bose name is known for in a package that's compact enough for a small room setup. They'll absolutely fill the room with sound. A bonus is the extra AUX input on the back so you can also hook up your phone without detaching from your computer.
Go wireless
Your speakers don't need to stay tethered to your laptop. The Anker SoundCore 2 is a brilliant and affordable wireless speaker boasting impressive audio quality over both Bluetooth and 3.5mm wired connections. It also has a 24-hour battery life for those times you want to take it out with you.
Budget style
These USB-powered speakers only pack 2.4W, which doesn't sound like a lot but these stylish little speakers from AmazonBasics pack a lot more punch than their tiny size would have you believe. Since they're entirely powered by USB, they're perfect to use with a laptop; not to mention they're also incredibly affordable.
So cute
These adorable-looking speakers are tiny enough to take up very little space. They're powered entirely by USB and yet still pack some clever audio tech. The drivers are elevated for enhanced projection and the rear facing passive radiators help add a little bass. They've got their own volume controls too, so you won't have to rely on Windows.
Small and punchy
Not taking up much space on your desk, the Exclaim e10 delivers plenty of sound with each speaker sporting two 1.5-inch tweeters and a 3-inch woofer. They look the part, too, though those bases aren't just for style and house the subwoofers. There's also a 3.5mm input to hook up an additional device.
Space-savers
The ultimate space-saver for small rooms — why not just clip a pair of speakers to your laptop lid? They're USB-powered, take audio over a 3.5mm jack, and are small enough that you can just clamp one to each corner of your screen. They're not going to blow you away with sound quality, but it's hard to argue their merits.
Maximize your space and your sound
Just because you're going to be staying in a fairly small dorm room while you're at college doesn't mean you can't crank up the noise with some great speakers to use alongside your laptop. Assuming you're OK with the price, the Bose Companion II Series 3 (opens in new tab) is absolutely the set to buy. They're not very big, and while they're a little boring to look at, being a Bose product, they perform where it matters most.
Tighter budgets and tighter spaces aren't left out in the cold, either. For $20 or less you can get some great looking little speakers like the Creative Pebble (opens in new tab) or the AmazonBasics USB (opens in new tab). In both cases you don't need to worry about providing external power, instead making use of the USB port on your laptop.
Tiny size doesn't mean poor sound, either. Neither of these two speakers will pack the same punch as the Bose Companion, but they cost a lot less and take up way less room, which itself could be the most beneficial thing.
Richard Devine is an Editor at Windows Central. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently you'll find him covering all manner of PC hardware and gaming, and you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
