Why Sonos' cheapest smart speaker is one of my favorites - even a year after its release

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In addition to a pair of trusty headphones for private listening when you're out in public, you need a portable speaker to keep the music bumping when you're outside grilling, swimming, or walking. A speaker to have inside for jamming out while you're cleaning, cooking, or hosting friends is a bonus, and one that's stylish enough to go from your outdoor hike to your indoor dinner party is a rarity.

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Although smart home speakers and portable Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen -- and I've tested plenty to know -- few are a blend of both. The Sonos Roam 2 is the one I reach for, even a year after its release.

Here's why it's still my favorite.

It's a perfect blend of style and functionality

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The Roam 2 has an IP67 rating, meaning it can withstand tumbles in the dusty outdoors and brief drops in water. Like all Sonos products, it sports a sleek, nondescript design, an outlier in the sea of rugged speakers with angular edges, loud color combinations, and flashy branding.

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Sonos' Move 2 speaker is also water-protected, but it's not built for accidental submersion in water and is harder to carry on the go. Plenty of Bluetooth speakers, like Sony's Ult Field 3, JBL's Charge 6, and Bose's SoundLink Max, are waterproof, but nothing beats the simple yet easily recognizable Sonos design that's modern and elegant enough to display around the home. Not to mention, the Move 2 is cheaper than them all.

Sonos' toned-down design elements and waterproof rating make the Roam 2 stylish enough to sit on your countertops while you cook dinner and durable enough to venture outdoors with you. 

Why don't more speakers have AirPlay?

Building on the Roam 2's functionality, it supports two ways to connect to your iPhone wirelessly. You can use Bluetooth while out and about and Apple AirPlay over Wi-Fi for at-home listening. 

AirPlay uses your home Wi-Fi network to transfer information from your iPhone to the Roam 2 rather than Bluetooth, which uses a direct wireless connection. Streaming music via Wi-Fi to the Roam 2 means only the music plays from the speaker, and not every other noise your phone makes. Notifications, a TikTok video, and haptic sounds are limited to the phone, keeping the noise out of the speaker.

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AirPlay is typically reserved for home speakers that require a power source, tethering them to the outlets in your house -- and they're typically more than $200. It's hard to come across a portable AirPlay-enabled speaker that's less than $200, which is why the Roam 2 wins in my eyes.

Versatile smart speakers for the win

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The Sonos Roam 2 has all the smart speaker fixings: voice control, AirPlay, Alexa compatibility, in-app music streaming service diversity, and automatic tuning. Plus, you don't need to keep it plugged into the wall. But if you already reside in the Sonos ecosystem, there are two more features to discover.

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If you have other Sonos speakers or soundbars, you can group the Roam 2's audio with them. I like to use this feature when doing chores around the house, so I always have music playing no matter what room I'm in.

You can also swap audio from the Roam 2 to your nearest Sonos speaker, which is handy if you're moving rooms but other people in your house want to listen to something else. Then, when you're done listening inside, you can easily carry the Roam 2 with one hand to the patio for outdoor listening.

What Sonos could improve in the next generation

The Sonos Roam 2 is a practical portable speaker, particularly for dedicated Sonos fans who want a Sonos product that isn't fixed to the indoors. The speaker could be louder, but that could make it less portable. 

For its small size, the Roam 2 has a small battery to accompany it. This speaker only delivers around 10 hours of playtime, which is relatively short and not an improvement from its predecessor. Hopefully, the next generation could have one to two more hours of juice.

If the Roam 2's short battery isn't a deal-breaker, it's a great option for Sonos fans and those outside the ecosystem, especially if you're searching for a portable speaker to keep around the house and take outside.