Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Soundcore gives its floating boombox more power and beach-ready dust resistance

Need some sound to power your summer getaways? Anker Soundcore’s $180 Motion Boom Plus might be just the ticket. It’s the upgraded (and more expensive) version of the and the portable Bluetooth speaker now has more power and can withstand dust and dirt. You’ll be able to buy it starting on May 30, 2022, on Amazon, soundcore.com or other retailers.

Soundcore Motion Boom Plus seen sitting in a river.
Anker Soundcore

For the extra $70, the Motion Boom Plus sports an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, which means that, in addition to being fully immersible in water for up to 30 minutes, it should have no problem dealing with sand, something the Motion Boom wasn’t designed to handle. Despite it beefy size and power, it will float on the water’s surface. The oversized handle and included shoulder strap make it one of the most portable speakers in its class and an auxiliary-in connection lets you work with audio sources that can’t do Bluetooth.

Related Videos

For sound, the Motion Boom Plus is equipped with two 3.5-inch woofers, with a combined 60 watts of power, while a set of 1-inch tweeters pump out the high frequencies with an additional 20 watts, for a total of 80 watts of power — twice as much as its predecessor. To channel that power to your liking, you can use the Soundcore app to adjust the speaker’s EQ, and it is equipped with a Bass Up bass-booster button to hear even more low-end thump. If you want to expand the party further, it’s also compatible with Soundcore’s PartyCast feature: Users can pair up to 100 compatible Soundcore PartyCast speakers together, including the Soundcore Flare 2, Rave PartyCast, Soundcore 3, or Trance Go.

Despite possessing a larger battery than its predecessor, the Motion Boom Plus actually has a slightly shorter battery life at just 20 hours, as compared to 24 hours for the Motion Boom. Still, that should be enough for a full day of tunes, or even a full weekend as long as you’re not running the speaker continuously. If you want, you can leverage the speaker’s 13,400mAh internal battery to charge your other devices.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Motion Boom Plus does not charge other devices.

Editors' Recommendations

Marshall adds palm-sized BT speaker and gives Emberton more power
Marshall Willen Bluetooth speaker seen in black and cream colors.

Marshall has two new ultra-portable Bluetooth speakers just in time for your spring/summer adventures. The company has created a new version of its excellent Emberton -- the $170 Emberton II -- with more power and new features, plus it has a new, palm-sized offering called the Willen, which sells for $120. Both are available in black/brass and cream colors and can be pre-ordered starting May 3 from Marshall's website.

The Willen is incredibly small -- literally palm-sized -- but Marshall says you can expect decent sound from its 2-inch driver and dual passive radiators. It also has surprisingly decent battery life for such a small speaker. Marshall claims more than 15 hours of playtime and it says you'll be able to fully charge the internal battery in three hours, while a 20-minute quick-charge will buy you an additional three hours of use if you're in a pinch.

Read more
The Sonos Roam just put all other portable speakers on notice
Sonos Roam

Sonos has just taken the wraps off its second portable speaker, the $169 Sonos Roam, which will be available in black or white when it hits retailers starting April 20, 2021. We had been expecting Sonos to deliver a mini version of its $399 Sonos Move, but thanks to better protection from the elements and wireless charging, the Roam is much more than a scaled-down Move. Here are all of the details.

Super small
We were impressed by the power and sound quality that Sonos had managed to pack into a rugged speaker like the Sonos Move, but our chief criticism was that despite being billed as portable, it was simply too big and heavy to be a true alternative to popular portable models like the UE Megaboom. The Sonos Roam, on the other hand, is ultraportable. At just under one pound and standing only 6.6 inches tall, the Roam is smaller and lighter than the $150 UE Boom 3.

Read more
Pick up an affordable waterproof Bluetooth speaker for under $75 at Amazon
waterproof portable speakers

Winter is over and spring break is right around the corner, and a good Bluetooth speaker is a must-have for taking your music with you when it’s finally time to head outdoors and enjoy the warmer weather. Most tech gadgets aren’t particularly waterproof, however, but there are a number of great portable speakers that feature water-resistant cases which are safe for use at the pool and the beach.

The best waterproof Bluetooth speakers can get pretty expensive, with many ringing it at $200 or more. You really don’t have to pay out the nose for a good one, though; below, we’ve rounded up a handful of the top-rated cheap waterproof portable speakers on Amazon, most of which ring in at less than 30 bucks.
Oontz Angle 3 portable speaker – $26

Read more