Key Takeaways

  • Sonos Roam has great sound quality and is water-resistant, making it portable & durable.
  • The Sonos Roam offers excellent software features & smart assistant support.
  • You don't need to manually switch between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections with Sonos Roam.

With an approachable design and capable sound profile, portable speakers are some of the most helpful and fun audio devices on the market. And while you may immediately think of household names like JBL or Ultimate Ears, don't forget that Sonos has now entered the portable market. Traditionally known for its Wi-Fi enabled home speakers, portable Bluetooth audio seemed like a natural next step. First came the Sonos Move (then its 2nd generation), and now, we have the marvelous Sonos Roam.

With its ability to dynamically switch between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections, Sonos' trademark easy setup and other software tricks make it one of the best portable speakers you can get.

With its ability to dynamically switch between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections, Sonos' trademark easy setup and other software tricks make it one of the best portable speakers you can get.

Sonos Roam-1
Sonos Roam

The Sonos Roam is the smaller of the two portable speakers offered by Sonos, delivering great sound in a small package and plenty of features, including automatic switching between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and Sound Swap.

Pros
  • Lightweight and water-resistant
  • Great sound quality
  • Excellent software with smart assistant
Cons
  • On the pricier side
  • Rubber ends are a bit fragile
  • No accompanying case
A hand holding a Sonos Roam with the USB-C port facing the camera.

How to put the Sonos Roam into Bluetooth pairing mode

With all the great features like stereo pairing and portability, the design features a few drawbacks. And perhaps the most confusing one in daily use is the disappearance of the Bluetooth pairing button, which can make the pairing process a bit more involved than on other portable speakers.

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Connecting your Sonos Roam to your phone is still pretty simple, just like the general setup of the device is when you're connecting it to your Sonos system.

Follow the steps below to put your Sonos Roam into pairing mode:

  1. Open the Bluetooth settings on your phone.
  2. Press the power button on the Sonos Roam.
  3. A white LED light will start to flash above the Sonos logo when standing vertically.
  4. When you have a solid white light, press and hold the power button again.
  5. Listen for the chime and release the power button.
  6. The LED light will flash blue, indicating it is in Bluetooth pairing mode.
  7. Select Sonos Roam from the Bluetooth devices list on your phone.

The Sonos Roam will then be listed on your phone's Bluetooth devices, available to be connected to whenever you need it.

Sonos Roam in tree

Sonos Roam is an excellent portable speaker with cool features

Sonos is well-known for making quality audio gear, from excellent room speakers to the quirky table lamp in collaboration with IKEA. It comes down to two things that the company has mastered -- excellent sound profiles that fit well with the purpose of their speakers, and second-to-none software support.

When the competition hides more advanced features, Sonos lets you play with them, set up your gear just the way you like, and feel connected to your music.

Sonos' focus on these two areas helps them make speakers that sound excellent, but even more importantly, are extremely easy to use, connect, and make the most out of. When the competition hides more advanced features, Sonos lets you play with them, set up your gear just the way you like, and feel connected to your music.

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The same goes for the Sonos Roam and its slew of excellent features that make it a great entry point into the Sonos ecosystem. It works well as a standalone unit, but it can also really spread its wings when you fiddle in the software a bit, creating custom audio setups for separate rooms in your house, connecting it to other Sonos gear, or even creating Stereo Pairs. Speaking of rooms, it even supports Automatic Trueplay, so it adjusts its sound to the place it's in, so it can sound its best wherever you put it down.

You can even use Sound Swap to send your music from your Roam to any other Sonos speaker on your system, which pairs very well with the built-in smart assistant.

The top playback controls on a Sonos Roam.

Do you need to manually switch between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?

One of the coolest things about the Sonos Roam is the ability to connect it to both your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It makes it even more universal, allowing for a stable connection when at home, and a much quicker, more convenient way to pair it with your phone when out and about.

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However, you might worry that having both of these options will require you to manually switch every time you move the Roam out of the house or back inside again. Fortunately, Sonos thought about it and made the speaker automatically switch between the correct type of connection.

When the Sonos Roam goes inside the range of the Wi-Fi network it's connected to, it'll automatically switch to Wi-Fi. On the other hand, when it loses Wi-Fi connection, it'll go into Bluetooth mode and automatically connect to a paired device that's in range. This automatic switching makes sure that you're always ready to play your favorite tunes, whether you're out and about, or chilling on the couch at home.