Skip to main content

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

The Ecoboulder+ Bluetooth speaker can do almost anything — even open your beer

While having a great home sound system is becoming more and more common in today’s world, having a great sound setup for your outdoor activities is also easier than ever. Ecoxgear wants to help you nab an awesome outdoor music setup with its new portable Bluetooth speaker, the Ecoboulder+.

An updated version of the company’s previous Ecoboulder speaker, the Ecoboulder+ boasts powerful sound as its leading feature. Ecoxgear has packed an 8-inch full-range speaker, a 3-inch tweeter, and an 8-inch passive driver into the Ecoboulder+, driven by 100 watts of total power.

Recommended Videos

Perhaps just as important as powerful sound for an outdoor speaker is battery life. Exogear is claiming up to 50 hours of playback time for the speaker, which would be more than enough time for the Ecoboulder+ to provide the background score to a weekend of camping. In addition, two USB ports will let you charge your other devices from the Ecoboulder+.

The speaker supports a Bluetooth range of up to 100 feet in open areas. You’ll also be able to increase sound output by syncing two Ecoboulder+ speakers together through the “Ecoconnect” feature, which supports a connection range of up to 30 feet. This also works with any other Exogear products with Ecoconnect support.

Users will also be able to access Siri or OK Google on their connected devices via the “Ecotalk” feature.

To keep the elements at bay, the Ecoboulder+ is certified IPX7 waterproof, meaning it is fully submersible in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. However, there’s little chance it will find itself on the bottom or a river or lake, given that the whole thing floats, too. Rounding out the durability checklist is a UV protected housing that is also dirt and dust proof. As an added cherry on top, the Ecoboulder+ also sports a water-resistant pouch, which includes a waterproof smartphone holder.

For transportation, the Ecoboulder+ is fashioned with a long, retractable handle and large, rugged tires. It also includes a couple handy built-in accessories for when you finally find the perfect spot, such as an integrated bottle opener and two cup holders big enough to hold 30-ounce ramblers.

At a certain point, the Ecoboulder+ begins to sound more like an off-road vehicle than a speaker, packing just about every important feature you’d want from a great piece of outdoor gear.

The Ecoboulder+ will be available in November for $250 from Ecoxgear’s official online store.

Brendan Hesse
Former Staff Writer, Home Theater
Brendan has written about a wide swath of topics, including music, fitness and nutrition, and pop culture, but tech was…
Sony’s latest party speaker brings a light show to your next karaoke session
Sony SRS-XV800 being wheeled away with lights on.

Sony has been working hard to compete with JBL on the party speaker front, and the company's latest effort, the $649
Buy at Sony Electronics
, shows that the two rivals are largely in agreement regarding what these block-rocking speakers should have. It joins Sony's party flagship, the Sony SRS-XV900.

Like the similar JBL Partybox 710, the SRS-XV800 has its own wheels and carry handle so you don't need to lug around its total weight when there's a flat surface to roll on. It also has a customizable, music-synced light show that can be tweaked further through the Sony Fiestable app. Finally, no party speaker would be complete without a bit of water resistance for when things get crazy (IPX4) and dual audio input jacks for a karaoke mic and a guitar.

Read more
B&O’s picnic basket speaker pumps out 280 watts of power while it charges your phone
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A5 in natural aluminum/light oak.

No, the iconic Danish audio company Bang & Olufsen (B&O) does not refer to its new Beosound A5 portable speaker as a picnic basket, but one look at the photos and the comparison becomes unavoidable. Still, picnic basket looks or not, the A5 packs an impressive array of design and technology, which given its starting price of $1,049, you'd hope would be the case. You can buy the Beosound A5 starting April 27 in stores and online at bang-olufsen.com.

B&O says the A5, which comes in two colors (natural aluminum/light oak and black aluminum/dark oak), is the result of a collaboration with the Danish-Italian design team, GamFratesi. It's got an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, and most of the parts -- including the exterior grilles and the handle -- can be easily replaced or swapped out. As part of B&O's Mozart family of products, even the A5's communication module can be upgraded over time.

Read more
This tiny Ikea waterproof Bluetooth speaker is just $15
Ikea Vappeby Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker in black.

Ikea is well known for selling attractively designed products at reasonable prices, but its latest Bluetooth speaker is priced so low that even Amazon might not be able to compete. The
Buy at Ikea
, as its name suggests, is tiny, waterproof, and surprisingly cheap at $15.

The tiny, silicone-wrapped speaker measures only three inches square and is just two inches thick. For reference, that's about as wide as an iPhone 14 in portrait mode. It comes with its own lanyard cord, which you could use to hang the Vappeby in a shower as Ikea shows in its photos, or you could simply use it as a wrist strap. It's available in three colors:
Buy at Ikea
,
Buy at Ikea
, or
Buy at Ikea
, and if you buy two of them, they can be used as a stereo pair.

Read more