I've been testing the Tribit PocketGo and it's the only speaker you need — but it costs less than $35

The Tribit PocketGo is the speaker I’m going to be using for everything from now on. It is, in my opinion, one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers, and it costs under $35.

It produces awesome sound and gets super loud (for its size), while the IP68 waterproofing and military-grade drop protection make it ready for any eventuality. The 20 hours of battery life is more than enough for a few days of adventure, and it’s so lightweight that it won’t weigh you down. My only qualm with the speaker is that it requires a few tweaks on the EQ for certain genres, but even this isn’t essential.

You can find out more about the speaker in my full Tribit PocketGo review.

Tribit PocketGo review: Specs

Tribit PocketGo review: Price & availability

The Tribit PocketGo is available at Amazon U.S. for $34 and at Amazon U.K. for £29. This price was totally shocking to me because after listening to my usual playlist, I couldn’t believe it cost so little!

This is one of the cheapest Bluetooth speakers I’ve tested here at Tom’s Guide, second only to the Tozo PE1, which is priced at $29. But for $5 more, the Tribit PocketGo has far superior sound quality and EQ customization that rivals some full-size speakers, like the Tribit Stormbox Lava ($129).

The Ultimate Ears Miniroll ($79) speaker is our budget pick for the best portable speaker and a great outdoor option which, like the PocketGo, gets really loud. But the PocketGo is a fraction of the price with even better waterproofing capabilities and a far superior battery life.

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 ($89) is our pick for the best outdoor speaker, but it only has a waterproof rating of IP67, while the PocketGo has a rating of IP68, offering more protection when submerged. The Tribit also offers more protection than our pick for best rugged speaker, the Bose Soundlink Flex gen 2 ($149), which has a waterproof rating of IP67. The silicone body helps protect the speaker from drops, but the PocketGo offers specific military-grade protection.

Tribit PocketGo review: Design & controls

• Lightweight
• IP68 waterproof
• Military-grade drop protection

Despite its sub-$40 price, the Tribit PocketGo is a very good-looking speaker and feels very high quality. The speaker is wrapped entirely in a mesh covering, giving it a totally understated and sleek look. The top and bottom of the speaker are silicone, offering some extra grip when it’s sat on surfaces. The back of the speaker also has four silicone feet, which are useful if you want to lay it flat for a more dampened sound. However, I personally prefer using the speaker in its upright position as it gives easier access to the buttons.

It measures 4.25 x 3.19 x 1.65 inches, so it’s super portable and even smaller than the already minute Tozo PE1 speaker I recently tested. The Pocket Go only weighs 7.8 ounces, so it didn’t weigh me down at all when I was carrying it around in my backpack while on a walk.

There’s a loop of elastic on the corner of the speaker, making it easy to attach it to the outside of your bag so it’s easily accessible if you’re out walking. Beneath the hook is a small flap that houses the USB-C port for charging and the TF card slot.

The PocketGo is incredibly durable and can even float on water, thanks to a waterproof rating of IP68. I’ve used the speaker in the shower since it’s completely splashproof, and karaoke sessions have gotten so much better, much to the dismay of my neighbors. The speaker also has a durability rating of MIL-STD-810H, which means it offers military-grade drop protection and can withstand drops from up to four feet.

I mostly controlled the speaker from my phone, but there are button controls on top of the speaker if you aren’t near your phone. These controls are the same as on the Tribit Stormbox Lava, and so I was familiar with the layout, and they are totally easy to get the hang of, even if you haven’t used a Tribit speaker before. You can control the volume, play and pause, and control Bluetooth from the speaker, but you can’t skip songs. This is slightly annoying if you are using the speaker in the shower, where you don’t have your phone with you to skip songs.

Tribit PocketGo review: Connectivity & app

• Bluetooth 6.0
• TWS connectivity
• TF card input

The Tribit PocketGo uses Bluetooth 6.0, giving a stable connection of up to 50 meters. I was able to leave my phone in the house and walk around my garden with the speaker, and the connection remained stable the entire time. The speaker doesn’t have a multipoint connection, os if you want to swap over the device you’re using, you need to fully disconnect.

Like the rest of Tribit’s range, including the Tribit Stormbox Mini+ ($39), the PocketGo has TWS (True Wireless Stereo) connectivity. This means that if you have more than one speaker, you can connect them and create a stereo setup, which is useful for parties or outdoor camping trips in big groups where you want your music to be even louder.

You also don’t need your phone at all to play music through the speaker because it has a TF card/MicroSD slot. MP3 downloads bring back a whole lot of 2000s nostalgia for me, and if you are having a digital detox, you can simply pop in a card with your favorite music on it and play it through the speaker.

I know this speaker was designed with adventure in mind because if you find yourself with no cell service to stream music, you’ll still be able to play your favorite pre-loaded songs.

The speaker is compatible with the Tribit app (which is free to download to iOS and Android devices), which has six preset EQ modes, including Tribit signature, popular, outdoor, rap and audiobook (I’ll discuss these in detail later). There’s also a built-in microphone for voice assistant control, which is compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri.

Tribit PocketGo review: Sound quality

• Effective bass performance
• Well-balanced sound
• Works well with most genres

The first thing I need to note about the sound quality of the Tribit PocketGo is that, although you have the option of using it standing up or lying flat, it sounds way better when used standing up. I think the sound carries better this way, as when the speaker is lying flat, the sound is slightly dampened.

I began testing by playing ‘Silk’ by Wolf Alice, and having just seen the band perform on tour, I knew exactly how big their sound can be. Initially, the song sounded a little flat, so I tried out the popular EQ preset in the Tribit app, and this made all the difference. This setting made the drums more prominent, and the backing vocals had a chance to shine more, which totally enhanced the song’s ethereal atmosphere.

I then turned to ‘Pokemon’ by Wet Leg for a faster tempo. This song uses more of a spoken vocal style, and it worked great with the default Tribit signature EQ setting, which increased vocal clarity. The song sounded balanced without any elements taking over. The guitar, drums, and vocals all worked well together, and the flat EQ sound profile lent itself well here.

Finally, I listened to the Midwest emo anthem ‘*Equip Sunglasses*’ by Hot Mulligan, using the rock EQ preset. This brought the drums to the front of the production with increased mids and bass. The vocals were still incredibly strong. This sounded far better than the default signature setting, which fell a little flat.

In short, this is a great speaker, and I actually enjoyed listening to my music while I was using it, and since the speaker is so affordable, this isn’t something I was expecting. It can reach some pretty high volumes and even managed to fill my house with sound, but you can’t feel the bass through the walls like with bigger speakers such as the Tribit Stormbox Lava.

My only note is that you’ll just need to switch up the EQ settings depending on genre, if you’re listening intently. But the Tribit Stormbox Mini+ doesn’t require any EQ alterations.

Tribit PocketGo review: Battery life

• 20 hours of battery life
• USB-C charging

The Tribit PocketGo has a rated battery life of 20 hours at 50% volume. I tested the battery of the speaker for 10 hours over two days, and the app told me there was 60% battery remaining. Since the speaker is so loud, I was listening at around 40% volume, so I was able to conserve some power.

That’s plenty of battery. The Tozo PE1 offers 32 hours of battery life, but this drains a whole lot faster at louder volumes, and I was only able to get around 15 hours, meaning the Tribit is far more reliable. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 only gives 14 hours of battery, so the Tribit PocketGo is pretty impressive. The PocketGo charges via USB-C and takes 3 hours to fully charge.

Tribit PocketGo review: Verdict

The Tribit PocketGo is the speaker that I will now be bringing with me everywhere, from picnics to hikes. It has awesome sound and can get super loud despite being compact and lightweight. It offers 20 hours of battery life, even with the incredibly loud volumes.

My only qualm with the speaker is that it requires some EQ alterations in the app, depending on the genre you’re listening to. But when it can offer a waterproof rating of IP68 and military-grade drop protection at such a low price, I can’t deny that this is the ultimate adventure speaker.