RuggedTec (www.ruggedtec.com) generously offered me
the opportunity to review one of their bluetooth speaker systems in exchange
for this review. I elected to review the
StrapSound
bluetooth speaker which is a product marketed towards cyclists, but is
quite honestly very applicable to many other activities.
the opportunity to review one of their bluetooth speaker systems in exchange
for this review. I elected to review the
StrapSound
bluetooth speaker which is a product marketed towards cyclists, but is
quite honestly very applicable to many other activities.
Packaging of the StrapSound
was well conceived and elegant. It
reminded me of an Apple product where everything seemed to fit just right while
making the product standout. Included is
the StrapSound speaker, a very stretchy rubber device which can be used to
affix the speaker to a variety of things (and provides the namesake: “StrapSound”),
a USB cord for charging, an aux cable, microfiber bag and instructions.
was well conceived and elegant. It
reminded me of an Apple product where everything seemed to fit just right while
making the product standout. Included is
the StrapSound speaker, a very stretchy rubber device which can be used to
affix the speaker to a variety of things (and provides the namesake: “StrapSound”),
a USB cord for charging, an aux cable, microfiber bag and instructions.
Power comes from a DC+5V, 1000mA and a 600mAH Lithium-ion battery, but
it can also work via USB. The speaker is
40mm, 4 with a bass booster of 40mm. The
output power is RMA 2Wx1.
The speaker itself has a rubber jacket with a simple rubber seal on one
side covering the inputs and the mouth of the speaker on the opposite. The speaker is about as long as a credit card
with the diameter of a golf ball. More
accurately, it is 50x50x80mm. It weighs a
little over 3oz. Take this to mean that
it is small enough and light enough to pack most anywhere. The StrapSound
runs $49 with free shipping.
side covering the inputs and the mouth of the speaker on the opposite. The speaker is about as long as a credit card
with the diameter of a golf ball. More
accurately, it is 50x50x80mm. It weighs a
little over 3oz. Take this to mean that
it is small enough and light enough to pack most anywhere. The StrapSound
runs $49 with free shipping.
Overall construction felt solid with no moving parts and ano-fuss/easy-to-use design. As a
low-tech person, I appreciated the simple controls. The body displays a power button and a +/-
for volume control which were sized appropriately and easy to use. Under the rubber plug on the utility end was a
USB and aux cable input. My StrapSound was
lime green which I’m not sure was intentional, but I appreciated it. It also comes in black. Charging and pairing it with my iPhone was
equally easy.
The StrapSoundboasts a six (6) hour rechargeable battery and functions wired or
wirelessly. It is also water-resistant,
shock proof, dust proof, and rugged overall.
It is clearly meant for outdoors and doesn’t need to be babied.
I was first tinkering with the StrapSoundin my office after charging it for the recommended 5 hours. There is a little red indicator light next to
the input which helped me to identify when it was charged. My first impression when sound started
playing was – POW! Sound from the StrapSound within
my 10’x10’ office was loud almost to the point where sitting next to it was a
little too close. My kids were in the
room and they both backed up nearly in unison to give their little ears some
space. While the speaker appears to be
on one end, sound definitely permeates cleanly throughout the device. Volume control is easy enough from the device
or my iPhone.
My experience with StrapSoundwas that it was very easy to accessorize to most any activity. Sound was amplified indoors and responsible
within a respectable area outside. One
of the reasons I like the StrapSound
for use in small groups is that the sound covers a reasonable distance within a
social circle and is not so overpowering that the guy down the trail or down
the block is going to be listening in.
While the system lacks prominent bass, it does fine for what it’s
designed for. Aside from using it around
the house and yard, we’ve also taken it family camping and strapped it to
handlebars of various bicycles. It was
fun family event to watch my kids get riled up while riding their bikes with
the Flight of the
Bumblebee chasing them down the street.
Bottom line, if you’re looking for a durable, lightweight and solidlyperforming Bluetooth speaker, give StrapSound a try.
SOUND like something you’d be interested in? If so, RuggedTec
has generously offered to give one to my readers for FREE. To be eligible, simply write a comment below
and tell me the adventure you’d like to use the StrapSound. I’ll select
someone at random in the next two weeks or so. Because I don’t want to over promise shipping for an American company, US-based entries only.
has generously offered to give one to my readers for FREE. To be eligible, simply write a comment below
and tell me the adventure you’d like to use the StrapSound. I’ll select
someone at random in the next two weeks or so. Because I don’t want to over promise shipping for an American company, US-based entries only.