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Sonos Roam Review

Kenn Muguna Avatar
Updated Jan 25, 2024 6:26 PM

True Score

80
84
30

Experts

87
8,402

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

The Sonos Roam delighted expert testers with its suitability for outdoor use since it was incredibly portable and had dust and water resistance. Experts were also satisfied with its build quality and ability to pick up voice commands, but they were unimpressed with its limited bass response and lack of speakerphone functionality.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

The Sonos Roam is a mid-tier Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in early 2021. The speaker allows for Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and since it weighs only 0.9 pounds and is dust and water-resistant, it is one of the top speakers to get for outdoor use. The Sonos Roam comes with support for both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, and through its Sonos S2 app, owners will also be able to make bass and treble adjustments.

The speaker’s 334 ft Bluetooth range is also great, and its AirPlay latency of -2ms is low enough for watching videos and movies without lag. The best Bluetooth speakers support both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and so does the Sonos Roam. This dual connectivity is something that the portable speaker also has in common with the Sonos Roam SL, which we’ve covered in our Sonos Roam SL review.

Consensus

our Verdict

The Sonos Roam was hailed by expert testers for its lightweight design, portability, and dust and water resistance, making it ideal for outdoor use. Product analysts from Sound Guys were delighted that the Sonos Roam could last for 10 hours when listening to music or streaming movie content at moderate volumes, but if this isn’t enough, check out our Pohoba EF B210G review for an even longer playback time. Specialists from Rtings lauded the speaker’s build quality, and after their tests, they were happy to observe that the speaker could pick up voice commands at a distance or in noisy environments.

However, testers were a bit disappointed with the lack of bass on the Sonos Roam. The Sonos One SL offers a much better bass response, while the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST gets much louder, so feel free to check them out in our Sonos One SL review and our Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST review. Testers also didn’t like the lack of speakerphone functionality, and for that, we’d recommend checking out our Google Nest Mini review.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Supports Google Assistant and Alexa
  • Great build quality
  • Supports Bluetooth and WiFi
  • Easy-to-use companion app
  • Dust and Water resistant

Reason to Avoid

  • Underwhelming bass response
  • No speakerphone functionality

Sonos Roam Specs

Battery Charge TimeBattery Charge Time2 hrs
Battery LifeBattery Life10 hrs
Built In MicrophoneBuilt In MicrophoneYes
Charge TimeCharge Time2 hrs
DepthDepth2.44"
HeightHeight6.6"
Smart AppSmart AppAmazon Alexa app, Google Assistant, Sonos app
Speaker PairingSpeaker PairingYes
Water ResistantWater ResistantYes
WattageWattage10W
WidthWidth2.3"
Wireless RangeWireless Range40 m

All Specs

Test Results

Battery Life (Hours)9.6
Volume Output (dB)86.6
Low End Roll Off (Hz)0
High End Roll Off (Hz)0

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Product Comparison

Sonos Roam Review

True Score

80
84
78
77

Ranking

#

52

/

260

#

11

/

260

#

75

/

260

#

87

/

260

Market Context

The Sonos Roam is a mid-tier Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in early 2021. The speaker allows for Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and since…

The Sonos Roam is a mid-tier Bluetooth speaker that was first announced in early 2021. The speaker allows for Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and since it weighs only 0.9 pounds and is dust and water-resistant, it is one of the top speakers to get for outdoor use. The Sonos Roam comes with support for both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, and through its Sonos S2 app, owners will also be able to make bass and treble adjustments.

The speaker’s 334 ft Bluetooth range is also great, and its AirPlay latency of -2ms is low enough for watching videos and movies without lag. The best Bluetooth speakers support both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and so does the Sonos Roam. This dual connectivity is something that the portable speaker also has in common with the Sonos Roam SL, which we’ve covered in our Sonos Roam SL review.

Buyers might be attracted to the Sonos Roam since it is smaller than the Sonos Move and, therefore, more portable, but the Sonos Move delivers…

Buyers might be attracted to the Sonos Roam since it is smaller than the Sonos Move and, therefore, more portable, but the Sonos Move delivers a more profound bass response and gets slightly louder. The Sonos Move also has a longer-lasting 10.1-hour battery compared to the 5.1-hour battery life of the Sonos Roam, but the Roam has a much lower AirPlay latency.

The Sonos Roam offers Bluetooth connectivity while the Bose SoundLink Revolve II does not; however, the Revolve II has speakerphone functionality while the Sonos Roam…

The Sonos Roam offers Bluetooth connectivity while the Bose SoundLink Revolve II does not; however, the Revolve II has speakerphone functionality while the Sonos Roam does not. The Sonos Roam is lighter than the Revolve II and allows for both bass and treble adjustments, while the Revolve II does not. Still, the Revolve II has a longer 9.5-hour battery life compared to the Sonos Roam, which lasts up to 5.1 hours.

The Sonos Roam is smaller and more lightweight than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, and its AirPlay latency is much lower than that of the…

The Sonos Roam is smaller and more lightweight than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, and its AirPlay latency is much lower than that of the Bose Speaker. However, the Bose Speaker has a lower bass response.

Battery Charge Time

2 hrs

3 hrs

4 hrs

Battery Life

10 hrs

11 hrs

13 hrs

12 hrs

Built In Microphone

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Charge Time

2 hrs

2 hrs

4 hrs

4 hrs

Depth

2.44"

6.24"

3.2"

4.1"

Height

6.6"

9.44"

6"

7.5"

Smart App

Amazon Alexa app, Google Assistant, Sonos app

Sonos app

Bose Connect

Apple AirPlay 2, Bose Connect, Spotify

Speaker Pairing

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Dig Deeper

Sonos Move Review →

Bose Soundlink Revolve II Review →

Bose Portable Smart Speaker Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

84

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

87

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

80

Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

Expert Scores

  • Sound Guys
    81.17

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    The Sonos Roam fills the niche of a “rugged and portable smart speaker” rather well… Read More

    By:

    Unknown
  • Techgear Lab
    43.1

    Category Trust Rating

    77
    We’ve waited a while for Sonos’s entry to the portable outdoor speaker market, and the… Read More

    By:

    Jonathan Bray
  • PC Mag
    43.6

    Category Trust Rating

    70
    If you already have Sonos products and want a portable speaker, the $170 Roam is… Read More

    By:

    Samuel Gibbs
  • Which?
    55.2

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    Sonos bills its new Roam wireless speaker as ‘the portable smart speaker for all your… Read More

    By:

    Unknown
  • Tom’s Guide
    65.58

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    Sonos Roam is a great portable addition to a Sonos setup, and is enjoyable to… Read More

    By:

    Parker Hall
  • Trusted Reviews
    45.5

    Category Trust Rating

    100
    Compact and light, Attractive design, Impressive sound for its small size, Automatically switches between your… Read More

    By:

    Tim Gideon