BolaButty Review
Our Verdict
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 This Product
BolaButty | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best for Parties on a Budget |  Best Shower Speaker | Best Budget Speaker | ||
| Price | $60 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $140 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $80 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $35 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $50 List Check Amazon (on sale!) |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A very affordable and packable speaker, but there are better sounding options at similar price points | A great value speaker for people who are willing to sacrifice some portability for great bass and big sound | A mini speaker with a neat clip attachment that punches above it's size class, however you may need a specialized stand for desk listening | A great value for consumers who want a small rugged speaker that produces adequate sound | One of the smallest, lightest portable speakers on the market that plays mediocre music |
| Pros | Budget-friendly, fun party lights, extended battery life | Good sound for size and price, floats in water | Integrated clip, easy to attach to bags & packs, sound packs a punch | Very packable & portable, unbeatable price, long battery life | Weighs next to nothing, fits anywhere |
| Cons | Lackluster sound quality, poor connectivity | Spotty connectivity, bulky | Harder to orient for optimal sound when unclipped, a bit pricey for the size | Muddled sound, doesn't get very loud | Bass is lacking, not loud enough |
| Rating Categories | BolaButty | Soundcore Boom 2 | JBL Clip 5 | Soundcore Select 4 Go | JBL Go 4 |
| Sound Quality (35%) | |||||
| Portability (30%) | |||||
| Volume (15%) | |||||
| Durability (10%) | |||||
| Battery (5%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (5%) | |||||
| Specifications | BolaButty | Soundcore Boom 2 | JBL Clip 5 | Soundcore Select 4 Go | JBL Go 4 |
| Measured Battery Life | 60.7 hrs | 33.8 hrs | 8.8 hrs | 25.4 hrs | 10.9 hrs |
| Measured Weight | 0.9 lbs | 3.7 lbs | 0.6 lbs | 0.6 lbs | 0.4 lbs |
| Dimensions | 8.0" L x 2.5" W x 3.0" H | 12.0" L x 4.0" W x 7.0" H | 3.5" L x 2.0" W x 5.5" H | 4.8" L x 1.7" W x 3.1" H | 3.8" L x 1.5" W x 3.0" H |
| Water Resistance | IPX5: Spray waterproof | IPX7: Waterproof to 1 meter | IP67: Waterproof to 1 meter & dustproof | IP67: Waterproof to 1 meter & dustproof | IP67: Waterproof to 1 meter & dustproof |
| Measured Volume | 83 dB | 100 dB | 87 dB | 84 dB | 84 dB |
| Claimed Battery Life | 20.0 hrs | 24.0 hrs | 12.0 hrs | 20.0 hrs | 7.0 hrs |
| Multipoint Pairing | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Speaker Syncing | 2 Bolabutty Speakers | 2 Speakers | 100 JBL speakers | 2 Speakers | 100 JBL speakers |
| Sound Customization | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Assistant | Siri | Google Assistant (via connected phone) | Siri | Google Assistant (via connected phone) | No built-in microphone | No built-in microphone | No built-in microphone |
| Measured Bluetooth Range | up to 86 ft | up to 54 ft | up to 108 ft | up to 136 ft | up to 97 ft |
| Wired Audio Input | 3.5 mm AUX | None | None | None | None |
| Floatable | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Included Accessories | Type C USB cable | USB-C to USB-C cable | Type C USB cable | Type C USB cable | Type C USB cable |
Our BolaButty Experience
Pairing this speaker was pretty quick and easy. We simply turned it on, put it in pairing mode, found it in our Bluetooth settings, and were ready to go in less than a minute.
Playing this speaker at night with the party lights on is fun to watch, as the colors change and flash in the dark. That said, this wasn't the most enjoyable speaker to listen to, as it sounds muffled and processed like a miniature car stereo from the 90s.
For about $50 more, we recommend the JBL Clip 5, which sounds much crisper and detailed, is waterproof, and keeps dust out. It's also very small and can be clipped anywhere, making it one of the best portable speakers we tested. We especially like this speaker for listening to tunes in the shower.
Analysis and Test Results
Sound Quality
The sound profile is muddled, rather than detailed, and overall sounds boxed in. It's also very compressed, so it makes punchy music sound dull. We found it especially poor for complex instrumental music. The detail and nuance were completely lost.
The bass sounds muddy and muffled in drum-heavy tracks like “Back in Black” by AC/DC. It sounds very blown out with the volume cranked. The lows become way too thumpy for our ears to handle. While it has more power than many smaller speakers we tested, the clarity is far worse.
The mids and trebles are just as disappointing, lacking clarity and sounding muffled. The high notes are very restrained, making rock or husky music sound especially harsh. When listening to Jessie Murph's “Easy Sunday Living”, we needed to turn the volume down as the music hurt our ears from the hissing. Murph's raspy vocals were forward in the mix but felt piercing rather than gently guiding the track, especially when they reached the upper registers.
The sound can mostly be heard from the front of the speaker, with some coming out of the sides and the back, though altogether the soundstage is flat. Texturally, it also sounds simplistic, lacking in detail or complex layering. All told, the BolaButty sounds small and boxed in.
Portability
The BolaButty weighs 0.9 lbs, making it one of the lighter compact speakers we tested, though not the lightest.
It has a cylindrical shape and is about two soda cans long, so it has a fairly small footprint and will fit easily into most bags and packs.
Volume
The BolaButty is one of the quietest speakers we tested at 83.3 decibels—about as loud as a phone speaker. It's also one of the few speakers we could put on full volume without totally hurting our eardrums. At the highest volume, this speaker sounds like it's rumbling to its deathbed. It also doesn't have the same carrying power as a lot of the speakers we tested, and is only good for solo listening.
The sound quality is very reduced at the upper volumes, with muddy lows and sharp highs. Lower volumes have significantly diminished detail and separation, like listening to a vintage radio.
Drop Test
The BolaButty is highly breakable. It has hard plastic bumpers, which break off easily when dropped onto a hard surface. It quickly lost all functionality and sounded unbearable after being dropped.
The water resistance is so-so, rated at IPX5. It can withstand some splashes, but not submersion, and the charging port needs to be closed when it's near water.
Battery
The battery life is incredibly long at 60 hours 46 minutes, so it will last several days playing nonstop. We could even stretch the battery for several weeks when listening for just a couple of hours a day.
Ease of Use
While it was easy to pair, this unit occasionally had a spotty connection, even when it was nearby. It also automatically disconnects at 86 feet away, so it's not great for listening in larger homes or outdoor spaces.
Aside from the party lights, it's pretty bare-bones. We were disappointed to find that it doesn't have a dedicated app, and we couldn't adjust the sound profile, which is a very common feature even on budget speakers.
—Elizabeth White and Rachael Lamore
