The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i is a rugged, portable outdoor speaker that's built to be used in and around bodies of water. The IP68 rating against dust and water ingress isn't unusual for an outdoor-oriented speaker these days, but Anker's taken things a couple of steps further, promising this speaker can withstand both salt water ingress and drops of up to a meter. Thanks to its floating playback design, it stays upright and sound-forward even in waves, making it well-equipped for beach days, pool parties, or kayaking trips. It even comes with a unique self-cleaning mechanism to clear out the dust after a day outside.
Our Verdict
The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i is acceptable for listening to music. Since it's a small speaker, don't expect an earth-shattering thump from those 808 kick drums, but there's enough high-bass warmth to keep disco basslines feeling immersive. The mids are balanced, so voices and instruments sound accurate, and the slightly reduced treble means your audio never gets harsh. If you prefer a different sound, you can tweak the 9-band EQ in the companion app. This is a forward-facing speaker, so your audio will sound different depending on your listening angle, but that design is deliberate as it means the speaker will always face up when floating in water. It gets loud enough to fill an average-sized room with sound.
Amazing 15-hour battery life (without the lightshow on).
Downmixes stereo audio to mono (unless paired with another unit).
The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i isn't really meant for watching videos. Its compact size limits its maximum volume and bass output, so effects like cinematic explosions lack impact, and it struggles to fill larger spaces with sound. Since it downmixes stereo to mono, you also don't get much of a sense of spatial separation (though you can pair it with a second unit for stereo playback). Bluetooth latency is high via both iOS and Android, so you might run into lip-sync issues, though some apps and devices may offset this automatically.
Amazing 15-hour battery life (without the lightshow on).
Downmixes stereo audio to mono (unless paired with another unit).
A fair amount of compression at maximum volume.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i is decent for listening to podcasts. It's small enough to carry around with you from room to room, either on its own or via its included carrying strap. It also plays loud enough for you to hear your audio across an average room. That said, you'll want to ensure the speaker is facing you most of the time, as audio sounds quite different when you're behind it. That said, you can pair it with another unit for stereo playback.
Amazing 15-hour battery life (without the lightshow on).
Downmixes stereo audio to mono (unless paired with another unit).
The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i doesn't have a microphone, so it doesn't support voice assistants.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i is good for use outdoors. Its 15-hour battery life will keep you going through full days out and about, while its balanced sound (which you can customize via EQ if you wish) also suits most types of audio. But the real attractions here are its special outdoors-focused features. First, it's designed to always face up when floating in water, so you hear clear audio even if it's bobbling about in some waves. Second, you can clear dust out using a special mode that plays a low frequency to buzz out any dirt. Its IP68 rating means dust and water won't damage it. It's also easy to carry with one hand and will fit into larger coat pockets, while its superb Bluetooth range means you can leave your phone on the boat or poolside without worrying about the connection dropping.
Rotates itself while floating in water so that the drivers always face upwards.
Buzz Clean mode helps shake out any dirt.
Amazing 15-hour battery life (without the lightshow on).
The strap clips are small and could be lost easily.
Downmixes stereo audio to mono (unless paired with another unit).
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i comes in four colors: 'Black,' 'Blue,' 'Brown,' and 'Green.' We tested the 'Blue' variant, and you can view its label here.
If you encounter any other variants of this speaker, let us know in the comments, and we'll update the review accordingly.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i offers some features you don't often find in the portable, outdoor-oriented speaker market. The two most notable are its Buzz Clean mode, which plays a low-frequency signal to vibrate the drivers, shaking out dirt and sand, and its ability to rotate itself when floating in water so its drivers always point upwards. While its IP68 rating is fairly standard among its competitors, Anker also says this model has been specially designed to withstand exposure to saltwater. All in all, we haven't tested a speaker quite like this one. If you know you want a speaker to accompany you while you float around a body of water (or hang in a shower), this is a great choice.
That said, if you're mostly interested in a more general-use outdoors speaker, there's some stiff competition in the market. The JBL Flip 7 also comes with an IP68 rating and offers a remarkably similar sound profile to the Anker, but it also pairs with Auracast-enabled JBL speakers. If you've other Auracast speakers from JBL, you might be better off sticking in the ecosystem with something like the Flip, though it doesn't float in water like the Anker. Alternatively, the Ultimate Ears BOOM 4 has an IP67 rating and floats in water, while also offering a 360-degree design that keeps your audio sounding the same regardless of your listening angle. Of course, its regular sound will be muffled slightly while it floats since it doesn't have the upward-facing drivers of the Anker, but that might be a worthwhile compromise if you only tend to go swimming a couple of times a year.
For more, check out our recommendations for the best portable Bluetooth speakers, the best outdoor speakers, and the best shower speakers.
The Anker Soundcore Boom 3i and the JBL Flip 7 are very similar speakers. They're similarly priced, have a similar sound, and both offer companion apps with a host of ways to customize your listening experience. That said, they do have some notable differences. The Anker is much better for use in and around water, since it floats in water, and its drivers always face upwards while doing so. It also has a Buzz Clean mode that shakes sand out, so it's probably better for use at the beach. On the other hand, the JBL comes with Auracast support, so if you have other Auracast-enabled JBL speakers, you can get a fun party going across all of them. Still, if we had to pick, the Anker's superior battery life tips the scales in its favor.
The JBL Charge 6 and the Anker Soundcore Boom 3i are portable Bluetooth speakers that are both good for use outdoors. They share an IP68 rating and balanced sound profiles, although the larger JBL gets louder and puts out a bit more bass by default. While they both float, the Anker's design keeps your audio from sounding muffled, as its drivers always rotate to face upwards. And its Buzz Clean mode helps you clear out any dust that gets into its enclosure. The Anker can be paired with another unit for stereo playback, but if you want to pair multiple speakers, the Auracast-enabled JBL is the way to go. The Anker is best for use in and around water, while the larger JBL is better for playing audio in larger spaces, or linking up with a host of other speakers.
The Ultimate Ears BOOM 4 and the Anker Soundcore Boom 3i are both good picks if you're looking for Bluetooth speakers that work as well outdoors as in. The Ultimate Ears' 360-degree design keeps audio sounding the same regardless of your listening angle, which makes it great for sticking in the middle of a park hang. On the other hand, the Anker's protection against saltwater and rotating drivers that always face up when the speaker is floating make it the obvious choice if you like to get wet with your speaker. By default, the Anker has a more balanced sound, but you can customize each speaker's sound via their respective companion apps. The Ultimate Ears' main downside is its lack of support for multi-device Bluetooth pairing, but it can sync up with a bunch of other Ultimate Ears speakers in Party mode. The Anker doesn't have a party mode, but it does offer stereo playback via another paired unit.
The LG xboom Grab and the Anker Soundcore Boom 3i are funky, outdoors-oriented speakers with similar personalities. They both come with optional light shows to get the (modestly-sized) party started, and each has a balanced sound that represents most kinds of audio accurately. They're small, so don't expect much bass here, but voices and instruments sound accurate and true-to-life. The Anker's IP68 rating and ability to ensure its drivers always face upwards while floating make it the better pick for use in and around water (though the LG's IP67 rating keeps it safe from the elements, too). The Anker also offers a longer battery life, but the LG's built-in microphone means it will work with your phone's voice assistant. The choice really depends on your priorities.
Test Results
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