The RoqBloq Portable Bluetooth speaker from RuggedTec is a portable speaker perfectly suited for the outdoors. While there are tons of other similar bluetooth speakers on the market, this one stands out due to it’s rugged nature and stylish design. When given the opportunity to review the RoqBloq, I jumped on it and had been testing it for the past week.
Included In The Box:
- RoqBloq Speaker
- USB Charging Cable
- Audio Cable (to use when not using Bluetooth)
- User Manual
Pros/Features:
- Durable
- Shock Proof
- Water-resistant
- Dust Proof
- Compact/Lightweight
- 8 Hours Battery Life According to RuggedTec
- Seamless Pairing with Bluetooth
- Built-in Microphone (You can answer phone calls through the speaker)
The RoqBloq bluetooth rugged speaker feels like a really solid product and is something I would feel comfortable with tossing into my backpack and taking anywhere. The rubberized outer helps to protect the speaker from drops, and the metal grill and mesh beneath the grill keeps dust out of the speaker. It is also water-resistant, but not waterproof, meaning it can be exposed to a little bit of water but can’t be submerged.
The speaker is 6 inches long, 2 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall and weighs 11.9 ounces. It is about the size of a 1-pint water bottle. The RoqBloq connects effortlessly to my iPhone or computer through Bluetooth. Bluetooth allows for the speaker to play wirelessly from a device such as your tablet, smartphone or computer. I tested, the Bluetooth range was around 20-30 ft. It is also compatible with devices that don’t use Bluetooth though the audio cable which can be connected to the back of the RoqBloq and to the headphone/audio jack of your music player.
The battery life of the RoqBloq Bluetooth speaker is around 8 hours according to the makers of the RoqBloq, RuggedTec. The RoqBloq can be recharged using the USB charging cable and a USB power adapter, in my case, the iPad power adapter. A light in the front of the RoqBloq turns red when charging and can be recharged in a few hours.
Cons:
- Average Sound Quality
Though I’m not an audiophile, I felt that the sound quality didn’t live up to the spiffy packaging and design of the RoqBloq. The sound is a lot better than the speaker of a computer or smartphone, however doesn’t compare to other larger speakers. The sound wasn’t too deep, I couldn’t really ‘feel’ the bass, and it was a bit difficult for me to pick up subtle noises in music. Considering the size of the speaker the sound is decent. It feels as if the quality was compromised to make the speaker more compact. On the other hand, I was a bit surprised by how loud the RoqBloq could get. If you like music louder than your smartphone, pad devices or laptop without carrying a huge speaker this might be the speaker for you.
The Verdict:
The RoqBloq speaker is a good choice for adventure travelers and others planning on using the speaker in rugged conditions. It is compact, durable and outdoor worthy. The design and aesthetics of the product are fantastic, however it falls a bit short in terms of sound quality.
The RoqBloq comes in a red/black color (which I reviewed) and a black/black color. You can get the RoqBloq speaker on Amazon and on the RuggedTec website for $70, which I would say is a decent value.
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*Note: The RoqBlock portable outdoor speaker was provided for this review. As always, this review contains only my honest views and opinions. Also, some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning that I get a small commission if you click through and buy the item. However I would never endorse a product or service I didn’t actually use and believe in.
Feel free to leave a comment if you have a question/comment about the speaker.
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