For those already invested in Sonos, this portable speaker is an absolute no-brainer addition to the family. For those considering a Bluetooth speaker and wondering if the Roam is worth the investment over others the answer is yes. It delivers everything a Bluetooth speaker should, yet so much more.

Lightweight and very portable; Excellent sound quality for this size; Water-resistant design; Google Assistant and Alexa; Sonos features on Wi-Fi; New Sound Swap feature;

A little pricey; Rubber ends dent; No accompanying case; Can't use two Roam devices as surrounds in existing setup; Battery life a little under claimed;

The Sonos Move ($399) is one of our favorite outdoor speakers, but at 6.6 pounds and nearly a foot tall, it isn't exactly the most portable model on the market. With the $169 Roam, Sonos ticks off many of the boxes you expect from a portable speaker, including a dust-tight, waterproof build, in a much more bag-friendly form factor, along with some extra capabilities that give it a unique edge over the competition. As a Sonos speaker, it supports multi-room Wi-Fi streaming that easily integrates with the rest of your Sonos system. In addition, it supports AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth, making it a lot more versatile than your standard Bluetooth speaker. It also features Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice integration, so there's lots of tech packed into this small design. The downside is that you're paying a premium for convenience as opposed to audio performance, as other manufacturers offer comparably priced speakers that sound notably better.The Most Portable Sonos Speaker Measuri...

The versatile Sonos Roam can easily be moved between your home speaker setup and the great outdoors, though you're paying a premium for convenience over audio quality.

Solid audio performance at moderate volumes; Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control; Streams via AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi; Waterproof design

Mono output; Digital signal processing can overwhelm the audio at high volumes; Not as loud as similarly priced speakers

The Roam is easily one of the best portable speakers and, unlike the majority of the competition, it works even better indoors. It isn’t the biggest or the loudest and doesn’t have thumping bass or super-long battery life.

Pros: great sound, Trueplay, easy to use, wifi and Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, water and shock resistant, optional Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, small and light, USB-C and Qi wireless charging, battery can be replaced through service, very long software support.

Cons: battery life only about 10 hours, takes a long time to charge, cannot be grouped as part of a Sonos home cinema system, not cheap.

The Roam is a no-brainer for those seeking a versatile portable speaker. The Sonos Roam is a fantastic Bluetooth speaker, a wonderful-sounding compact Wi-Fi speaker, and a convenient smart speaker rolled into one.

Excellent sound, Stylish, rugged, and intuitive, Great at home or abroad

Wall adapter not included, Battery life just OK

The Sonos Roam is small but mighty!

Excellent sound quality, Great battery life, Lightweight, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support, IP67 rated for waterproofing, WiFi and Bluetooth available for connectivity, Finally USB-C charging from Sonos, Qi Wireless charging compatible

No charger in the box, No Google Cast Available (despite AirPlay 2 being available)

If you already have Sonos products and want a portable speaker, the $170 Roam is easy to recommend. It has all of the best Sonos features and is tiny enough that I want to take it with me wherever I am.

The company known for integrated whole home speaker systems launches its smallest speaker yet... and it's a big deal.

Very light. Great sound quality. Affordable for a Sonos speaker. Can send sound from the Roam to another Sonos speaker.

Scuffs easily. Some of the advanced connectivity features aren't as seamless as I'd like.