Divoom Voombox Outdoor review

The Divoom Voombox Outdoor Bluetooth speaker is unusually loud for its size, and its rugged, water resistant design means it should stand up to the rigours of outdoor use. Our review model came in red with a black bezel and speaker grille, but the Voombox is also available in blue, green, yellow and black.

The Voombox’s sides have a ridged design and are made from a rubbery, shock-absorbent material which also makes the Voombox easy to hold. The Voombox feels tough, but it’s also heavy, weighing 700g. This means that carrying the Voombox around feels like carrying a brick.

The Voombox Outdoor supports Bluetooth 4.0 but there’s no NFC support for easier pairing, which is a shame. You can also connect devices via the 3.5mm auxiliary port that’s hidden away under a water resistant flap. There’s also a useful built-in microphone that lets you make hands-free calls when it’s paired with a smartphone. However, the microphone isn't very sensitive, so you may need to sit close to the speaker for it to pick up your voice.

The Voombox Outdoor uses a tweeter, two mid/sub drivers and two passive radiators to produce sound, and it was pleasingly loud. Sadly, the Voombox Outdoor doesn’t support the high-quality aptX audio codec, so you're limited to using the standard SBC Bluetooth audio codec.

We found the overall sound quality to be a bit disappointing. Mid-range and high-frequency sounds proved particularly poor in our electronic music test tracks, and lacked any real depth. Bass response was mediocre and lacked punch. However, the rubberised housing meant there wasn’t any distracting bass rattle, which we’ve seen in other small portable speakers.

We took the Voombox Outdoor for a picnic by the sea, and it was certainly powerful enough to be heard over the sound of the waves; other speakers would have struggled. The Voombox Outdoor’s sheer volume means that vocals can be clearly heard over ambient noise.

The Voombox Outdoor lasted just over 11 hours in our tests at half of its maximum volume, so it should last through your barbecue or garden party.

Although the sound quality of the Voombox was disappointing, its build quality is impressive. If you need a speaker for outdoor parties rather than a quiet room then it’s a good choice. However, the more expensive Scosche Boombottle is a better buy if you want a rugged portable speaker with great sound quality.