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.
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Sonos Roam Review
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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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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.
What Is Not on the Box
What the brand doesn’t always tell you…
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
Reasons to Avoid
- Underwhelming bass response
- No speakerphone functionality
Specifications
| Battery Life | 10 hrs | |
| Built In Microphone | Yes | |
| Charge Time | 2 hrs | |
| Size | 6.61" (h) x 2.32" (w) x 2.44" (d) | |
| Smart App | Amazon Alexa app, Google Assistant, Hue, Nest | |
| Speaker Pairing | Yes | |
| Water Resistant | Yes | |
| Wattage | 10W | |
| Wireless Range | 100 m |
All Specs
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Product Comparison
True Score | 84 | 86 | 65 | 77 |
Ranking | # 10 / 81 | # 3 / 81 | # 67 / 81 | # 25 / 81 |
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… |
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 Life | 10 hrs | 10 hrs | 13 hrs | 12 hrs |
Built In Microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Charge Time | 2 hrs | 2 hrs | 4 hrs | 4 hrs |
Size | 6.61" (h) x 2.32" (w) x 2.44" (d) | 9.36" (h) x 4.88" (w) x 6.24" (d) | 5.97" (h) x 3.24" (w) x 3.24" (d) | 7.54" (h) x 4.69" (w) x 4.09" (d) (2.34 pounds) |
Smart App | Amazon Alexa app, Google Assistant, Hue, Nest | Sonos app | Bose Connect | Bose Connect |
Speaker Pairing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Dig Deeper | Read review →: Sonos Move Review | Read review →: Bose Soundlink Revolve II Review | Read review →: Bose Portable Smart Speaker Review |
All Stores
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Score Card
E
Expert Score
*.75
We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores
C
Customer Score
*.25
We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores
True Score
Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh
Expert Score Breakdown
Publications with higher Trust Scores are given more weight
CTrust Score
NRThe Sonos Roam fills the niche of a “rugged and portable smart speaker” rather well… read moreBy:
Unknown- C
Trust Score
77We’ve waited a while for Sonos’s entry to the portable outdoor speaker market, and the… read moreBy:
Jonathan Bray - C
Trust Score
80Sonos Roam is a great portable addition to a Sonos setup, and is enjoyable to… read moreBy:
Parker Hall - D
Trust Score
70If you already have Sonos products and want a portable speaker, the $170 Roam is… read moreBy:
Samuel Gibbs - D
Trust Score
100Compact and light, Attractive design, Impressive sound for its small size, Automatically switches between your… read moreBy:
Tim Gideon - D
Trust Score
NRSonos bills its new Roam wireless speaker as ‘the portable smart speaker for all your… read moreBy:
Unknown
Customer Score Breakdown
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