I know, we can already hear the collective grumbles in the comment section about noise pollution, and Freds rocking the bike trail blasting Justin Timberlake or whatever it is they listen to, but we think you shouldn’t write off the boomBottle just yet. Sure, one of its main features is the ability to fit in a bottle cage and play music while you’re riding. There are definitely people that will be exited about this ability, and probably annoy the rest of the bike path population in the process.
However, what has caught our attention is the boomBottle’s versatility. I can’t tell you how many times I was sent to work sag or support at a local charity ride when I worked at a shop, wishing I had some sort of music to help pass the hours between flat repairs. Enter the boomBottle – a wireless, Bluetooth, rechargeable, rugged, weatherproof speaker system that just happens to fit in a bottle cage – which means it also probably fits in cup holders, or back pack bottle pockets, and on, and on.
Intrigued? Tune into the details after the break.
Go surfing, rock out on the subway, get rad on your fixed gear – you can do all these things! Seriously though, you’re probably starting to get the picture – thanks to the self contained, mobile speaker system packed into a burly package, you can pretty much take your music anywhere.
Inside the impact resistant TPU exterior, you will find two 40 mm, 3 watt drivers that also passively run a built in subwoofer. Given that it is passive, we’re not sure how much bass it can actually put out, though it seems like it would be better than nothing. The boomBottle carries an IP4X weatherproof rating, which sounds like if you splash it, sweat on it, or allow it to get rained on briefly, it will survive – just don’t put it in the bottle cage on your surfboard. To further the protection from the elements, the omni-directional speaker cones are sheltered in sealed, dust proof speaker grills.
boomBottle uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect wireless-ly to your devices with a range of 33 feet, though it includes a built in aux input if you’re without Blueteeth. Using the built in, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, you can expect around 10 hours of continuous playback, then plug it in for a recharge with the included micro-USB charging cable. Furthering the versatility aspect, the boomBottle includes a metal carabiner that will allow you to attach it to anything your imagination allows.
Once the boomBottle is connected to your device, you can control the music directly from the large buttons built into the body. If you are using the boomBottle to play music from your phone, you can answer calls without getting your phone out with the built in microphone.
As you might imagine, all of the features of the boomBottle do add up in the price – $149.95. In the realm of portable, Bluetooth enabled speakers, it slots in somewhere in the middle. Is it worth it? We’d need to try one to find out, though we’re guessing after the guy above flatted, the walk home was a lot more enjoyable.
Grey boomBottles are available now, with the alternative colors available in May.
