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Review: BoomBottle speaker might be better when off your bike

 
Published March 18, 2015

The BoomBottle is Scosche's latest in bicycle accessories. This portable Bluetooth speaker boasts itself as both rugged and weatherproof, so I decided to brave the colder weather and test out the Boom's true effect.

I took it outside and dropped it on the road from chest level, and nothing bad happened to it. I am glad to say for my first speaker review I was very satisfied with the results of the BoomBottle.

I found the speaker to be a great piece of gear for any serious cyclist. The size is comparable to that of a small Nalgene, so it fit well into the bottle holder on my Schwinn — although that does leave me questioning whether it was worth putting my actual water bottle in my backpack. The size is also comparable to that of a full bottle.

The small carabineer included in the box was useless. I couldn't find a place small enough to attach it. The rubber outside the speaker was a smart touch; the speaker didn't move at all, even over bumps and broken roads. (I ride on some rough roads.)

What might make the BoomBottle different than any other portable speaker is the sound quality. The fact that it has speakers on both the top and bottom allowed for an even sound spread. I could not tell a directional focus at any point during my ride. What I really like about the BoomBottle is that it has a subwoofer that allowed me to detect the lower range of songs, rare for portable speakers that commonly focus on the mid-range sounds. The speaker allows for dual volume control from either itself or your music player.

The BoomBottle is very smart when it came to user end interface. The speaker will announce when it turns on, and it flashes a blue light while on so that you don't forget about turning it off, something I might have done. The Bluetooth is fairly simple with a bit of button toggling. I had to make sure that my device was ready to be paired right after I turned on the Bottle. I was unable to test the battery life.

All in all, this is a great speaker. It has excellent sound and simple controls. I love that the outside is made of a very durable plastic. The market price of $99 leads me to question the validity of this purchase. I believe it is a great speaker for all occasions but would not spend that much money for simple bike riding. I would prefer a set of headphones and a place to put my water bottle.

3 out of 5 stars as a piece of bike equipment. 5 out of 5 as a speaker on its own.

Editor's note: The test model was provided by AT&T, and the charger cable was not included.