Urban Velo's Critique of the BoomBotix Portable Speaker

At first glance, the Boombotix BB1 portable amplified speaker system kind of looks like a silly toy. The kind that teenagers with colored hair and lip piercings attach to their backpacks (author’s note: I teach high school kids at my day job). But while it’s certainly a fun little gadget, the BB1 is a serious device.

It packs a self-powered 5W audio system, complete with a USB-rechargeable 900 mAh lithium-ion battery. The charge takes about 45 minutes and lasts more than 4 hours. Audio input is handled by a standard 1/8″ headphone jack, with a 3 foot retractable cord included. The controls are absolutely minimal—there’s a power button and an LED indicator, and that’s all. A simple steel spring clip secures it to your messenger bag’s strap, belt, etc.

The BB1 retails for $40 and comes with a one-year “no matter what” warranty. This means you can break it in a crash, even doing something stupid, and they’ll send you a new one. So far all I’ve managed to do is poke one of its eyes out (and they’re sending me a new one). Visit www.boombotix.com for more info.