The Sonos Roam/Roam SL is one of the most portable speakers in the manufacturer's lineup. This speaker boasts a small and compact design that's ideal for on-the-go listening. It's even rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, meaning it can hold up against some exposure to the elements. With built-in Alexa and Google Assistant, you can control this device with your voice. If voice assistant support isn't ideal for you, you can also check out the SL variant of this speaker, which comes without a microphone.
Our Verdict
The Sonos Roam is acceptable for music. Like more premium speakers on the market, it has a room correction tool called Trueplay that optimizes its frequency response based on your room's unique acoustics. It's suitable for listening to most music genres, given the clear and accurate reproduction of voices and lead instruments in the mix. Its bass and treble adjustments allow you to switch up its sound. Trueplay isn't available with the SL version of this speaker since it relies on a microphone to work.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Trueplay room correction feature (not available with SL variant).
- Lacks some low bass.
- Not loud enough for large rooms.
The Sonos Roam isn't meant for listening to movies, but if you happen to watch a video on your paired smartphone, it can get the job done. Dialogue is clear in the mix, meaning you can follow along with the plot, and low latency over Apple AirPlay ensures that you don't have to worry about lip-synching issues. However, it isn't loud enough to fill up larger rooms with sound, and the lack of low bass is noticeable in action-packed scenes.
- Bass and treble adjustments.
- Low AirPlay latency.
- Lacks some low bass.
- Not loud enough for large rooms.
The Sonos Roam is decent for podcasts. Dialogue is clearly reproduced, so you can easily follow along with your favorite shows, and the portable design lets you bring it with you from room to room. You can adjust its bass and treble. If you purchase the Sonos Roam variant, you can use its room correction tool, Trueplay, to improve its sound. That said, it only pairs to one device at a time, which can be annoying if you want to switch your source frequently.
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatibility.
- Not loud enough for large rooms.
The Sonos Roam offers excellent voice assistant support thanks to the built-in microphone. Built-in Alexa and Google Assistant are available so you can control the device with your voice, and it easily picks up all your commands. You can mute the microphone, which is great for privacy. Naturally, if you buy the SL variant of this speaker, this feature isn't available.
- Mic mute button (not available with SL variant).
- Excellent far-field performance.
- Not loud enough for large rooms.
The Sonos Roam is fair for outdoor use. It's a portable and lightweight speaker that's easy to carry in one hand, with a sturdy build and an impact resistance rating. An IP67 rating for dust and water resistance means it's certified to withstand some exposure to the elements. However, it doesn't get super loud, so you'll want to stay close by when listening outdoors.
- IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
- Rated for impact resistance.
- Not loud enough for large rooms.
- 5.1-hour battery life.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 20, 2024: We've added a comparison between this speaker and the Sonos Roam 2 in Controls.
- Updated Feb 26, 2024: We've merged the review for the Sonos Roam SL into the Sonos Roam review since they're essentially the same speaker. The SL variant lacks a microphone, so we've adjusted the text in the Controls, Frequency Response Accuracy, and Voice Assistant boxes to elaborate on this difference. While our usage scores haven't changed, we've updated the text in these boxes to distinguish between the two variants more clearly.
- Updated Feb 02, 2024: We've added a comparison between this speaker and the Bose SoundLink Mini II Special Edition in Bluetooth.
- Updated Jan 17, 2024: We've updated this review to ensure accuracy and added relevant comparisons to other speakers.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This speaker is available in 'Shadow Black,' 'Lunar White,' 'Sunset,' 'Wave,' and 'Olive.' We tested the 'Black' variant but expect the other color variants to perform similarly. You can see the label for the model tested here.
The Sonos Roam SL is essentially the same speaker but comes without a microphone for voice assistant support.
If you encounter another version of this speaker, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update the review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Sonos Roam is a very lightweight, portable speaker with built-in support for Google Assistant and Alexa. Like the Sonos Move, it comes with the Trueplay room correction feature to help optimize audio reproduction based on the room you're listening in. However, this is only available on iOS devices, which may disappoint some Android users. That said, since it's smaller than the Move, it doesn't get as loud and can't reproduce a very extended low bass. Its SL variant is also a good alternative for those who don't want voice assistant support.
See our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best Sonos speakers, and the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers.
The Sonos Roam 2 is the next generation of the Sonos Roam/Roam SL and, in many ways, is a very similar speaker with a nearly identical look and feel. With the second generation, you get separate Bluetooth and power buttons. While built-in Google Assistant is phased out, it's replaced with a Sonos voice assistant. Other than that, the sound performance is very similar. The second-gen can get a bit louder, but it's still not enough to fill a large room with sound.
The Sonos Move is a better speaker than the Sonos Roam/Roam SL. The Move can get louder, and it has a more extended low bass. It also has a longer battery life, though this can vary slightly depending on usage. However, the Roam has a smaller, more portable design, which some users may prefer.
The original Sonos Roam/Roam SL and the Beats Pill are similar portable, battery-powered speakers. Ultimately, which speaker you go for depends on whether you're looking for integration with the Sonos ecosystem. The Sonos can be connected to other Sonos products for a multi-room sound, thanks to Wi-Fi and companion app support. It also has built-in support for both Alexa and Google Assistant, so it's easy to input commands with your voice. On the other hand, the Beats comes with a wired audio option, so you can connect to a device via USB-C and play audio from high-resolution sources. The Beats also has a slightly longer continuous battery life and delivers a more bass-heavy default sound. Its sound can't be adjusted though.
The Sonos Roam/Roam SL is a smaller, more portable alternative to the Sonos Move 2. However, the larger Move 2 gets louder, brings more bass, and lasts longer on its battery. It can playback stereo content, too, unlike the Roam, which has to downmix it into mono.
Test Results
The Sonos Roam is a small portable speaker with a simple design. You can place it either horizontally or vertically, and you can find it in 'Shadow Black,' 'Lunar White,' 'Sunset,' 'Wave,' and 'Olive.'
This speaker is outstandingly portable. Its small and lightweight design makes it easy to bring along when you're out and about. It's also battery-powered, so you don't need to worry about plugging it into a power source.
It has an amazing build quality. The speaker is mostly plastic, including the grille that covers its sides. The end caps are made of silicone, and the materials feel pretty solid and durable. It's even rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, certifying it to be fully dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. The manufacturer also says it's drop-resistant, but there's no IK rating specified.
There's a play/pause button that you can hold to pair the speaker with another compatible speaker. You can double-press this button to skip to the next track and triple-press it to return to the previous one. You can swap audio between your speaker and other Sonos products by holding the Roam close to the other device and holding the Play/Pause button. Also, you can hold the Power button to activate Bluetooth pairing. However, it can be easy to accidentally turn your speaker off if you're trying to pair it to your smartphone, so if you prefer having two separate buttons, you'll want to check out the next-generation Sonos Roam 2 instead. The SL variant comes without a microphone, so you'll only find the microphone mute button with the original Sonos Roam.
There are audible chimes when you adjust the volume and when you reach max volume, which is handy. Additionally, the microphone light and the status light turn different colors based on their status.
This speaker has an adequate frequency response. It comes with a Trueplay room correction feature that uses microphones inside the speaker to analyze the unique acoustics of your living area and optimize audio reproduction accordingly. Since it relies on a microphone, this feature isn't available with the SL version of this speaker. You can only set it up through the Sonos S2 app with compatible iOS devices, so it's not available to Android users.
This speaker's sound profile is quite balanced, especially in the mids, which is where most voices and lead instruments reproduce. As a result, it's suitable for listening to many different types of audio content. You can also customize the bass and treble levels while using the Sonos app or Sonos radio. Of course, given its small size, there isn't much rumble in the low bass for genres like EDM and hip-hop.
This speaker has an unremarkable soundstage performance. It has decent directivity, so audio sounds consistent regardless of your orientation to the speaker. However, while it can pair with another compatible speaker to create a stereo pair, it has to downmix stereo content to mono when using it on its own.
This speaker gets loud enough to fill an average-sized living room with sound. With larger and more open spaces, however, it can't fill the entire space, especially when compared to larger models like the Sonos Move 2. There are some compression and pumping artifacts as you crank up the volume, especially in the bass range.
Over Bluetooth, this speaker lasts a little over five hours off a single charge. However, if you connect it to your device over Wi-Fi, the speaker's battery performance is more in line with the manufacturer's advertised 10 hours of playtime—in our tests, the speaker lasts over 8 hours on a Wi-Fi connection. Updating the speaker to firmware version 15.4 gives you access to a unique tool that extends battery life over a Wi-Fi connection. You can also press the power button to activate Sleep Mode to help conserve its battery. However, battery life can vary depending on usage, so your experience may vary.
This speaker offers outstanding voice assistant support. Built-in Alexa and Google Assistant are designed to understand your commands, even if you're far away or in the middle of a noisy room. You can even use the mic mute button when you no longer want it to hear you. That said, it's important to note that the voice assistants only work when you're connected to Wi-Fi and don't work over a Bluetooth connection, which may disappoint users who want to use their voice assistants on the go while outdoors. Of course, if you purchase the SL variant of this speaker, voice assistant support isn't available.
The Sonos S2 app is incredible. Bass and treble adjustments are available to help you customize its sound more to your liking. When connected to Wi-Fi, you can use the app to create a stereo pair with another compatible speaker. You can also pair multiple units together for a party or to play audio across different rooms of your home. However, these features aren't available over Bluetooth.
You can't use this speaker wired. There's a USB-C port, but it's just for charging the speaker.
This speaker doesn't support multi-device pairing, a feature that's present in other small speakers like the Bose SoundLink Mini II Special Edition. This can be limiting if you switch your audio source frequently. It has low latency when paired with iOS devices, so your audio and video will be in sync. However, it doesn't perform as well with Android devices, so it may not be suitable for watching movies over this connection. Different apps can compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience may vary.
This speaker is Wi-Fi compatible and supports Apple AirPlay 2. It has low latency over this connection, making it suitable for watching videos and movies. It doesn't support Google Chromecast, which is disappointing for Android users.