The $399 Sonos Move is a very capable wireless speaker. When at home, it can connect to the rest of your Sonos gear, and its built-in microphone lets it act as a Google- or Alexa-powered smart speaker. On the road, its Bluetooth radio and 10-hour rechargeable battery makes for a powerful, portable sound system. Well, maybe not that portable. In truth, as good as the Move is, it’s never going to be a grab-and-go speaker because it’s simply too big and too heavy. Going from the living room to the patio? Grab the Move. Going from the patio to the park? That’s a different story. But now we have the $169 Sonos Roam. It’s got all of the Move’s capabilities (and then some), but it’s a fraction of the Move’s size, weight, and price. Does this make the Roam a no-brainer purchase for Sonos fans? Let’s check it out. Sonos has long been a leader in sustainably packaged products, but the Roam is its best effort yet. It even includes a handy label to help determine which parts can be recycled. Insid...

Excellent design; Lightweight and portable; Totally water and dustproof; Very good sound for its size; Choice of smart speaker assistants; Wireless charging;

No Bluetooth stereo pairing; Doesn’t work as a speakerphone; Less battery life than some other speakers;

Exceptional sound for its size; Auto Trueplay now works over Bluetooth; Sound Swap feature lets you “swap” music with other Sonos speakers; Small and light, with a waterproof design;

Slow wireless charging (at least with third-party chargers); Sound Swap doesn’t work across Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirPlay 2 modes;

Sonos Roam is a great portable addition to a Sonos setup, and is enjoyable to listen to, but buy it portability is your main focus, not sound quality.

Striking sound overall, Strong frame and waterproofing, Great streaming options and features

Feels constrained at lower volumes, Detail and expansiveness are a bit limited, Battery life isn't ideal

A brilliant wireless speaker with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Alexa and Google Assistant support

Sounds phenomenal for the size; Alexa and Google Assistant support; Qi wireless charging;

Voice assistant setup can be a pain; No charger supplied in the box; No 3.5mm audio input;

Apart from a couple of small niggles, the Sonos Roam is a brilliant speaker combining Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and smart features into a stylish, compact and durable design.

Excellent sound; Thoughtful IP67 design; Lots of smart features; Wireless charging;

Bluetooth limited to streaming; Battery life behind rivals;

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

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

Sonos’ Roam is the portable speaker we thought the Move could be. As a cheaper, smaller alternative to the bigger speaker, it boasts excellent sound quality, an impressive list of features, and a build quality that will help it survive outdoors.

Excellent, neutral-sounding performance, Well built, New features are useful, Easy to use, Auto Trueplay

Sonos S2 can be a little flaky with new features, Could be said it lacks visual pizzazz, Wireless charging plate an optional extra

We’ve waited a while for Sonos’s entry to the portable outdoor speaker market, and the result is sure to please many

Full-bodied sound, Lots of features, Portable

Clarity not exceptional, Average timing and dynamics