Scosche boomBOTTLE Review

Grab your bike - it's time to play some tunes with the aptly-named Scosche boomBOTTLE. Available in your choice of boring gray or beachy cyan (blue), magenta (pink/red), green and yellow, this tough, weatherproof (e.g., splash resistant, not waterproof) speaker is shaped like a bottle - well, duh - and fits in most bicycle water bottle cages, the company promises. There's also a carabineer so you can snap the thing on your backpack, and a captive port cover that protects the micro USB (charging) and aux in ports. You can also use the device as a speakerphone. The 3 buttons (multifunction, and volume up/down) are large and easy to use, and a female voice acknowledges "power on," excitedly reports "connected!" and glumly informs you "disconnected," as the case may be. The overall aesthetic is very rugged and appealing, as much at home on an urban biking commute as a dirt biking adventure.

Oh, and did I mention the sound? With the boomBOTTLE, you can alert passing traffic, annoy pedestrians and terrify wildlife by rocking out at high volumes with little distortion. Overall, the sound is quite good, but not great - mids and highs are a little muddy, and the bass is good but not stomach-churning. The speakers are omnidirectional, and as a result, there's no stereo separation at all - you're very aware that the tunes are coming from within the speaker. That is, there's not as much "presence" as I'd wish. But when you're outside on a bicycle, who cares? The boomBOTTLE is a perfect choice for two-wheeled travel.

For more Bluetooth speakers, check out my Bluetooth speaker roundup. For other reviews (especially of devices for mobile, click here.