REASONS TO BUY
Budget-friendly
Fun party lights
Extended battery life
REASONS TO AVOID
Lackluster sound quality
Poor connectivity
BolaButty Review
A very affordable and packable speaker, but there are better sounding options at similar price points
Credit: Matt Lighthart
By Elizabeth White ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ May 29, 2026
Contributions From: Rachael Lamore
RELATED: The Best Bluetooth Speakers of 2026
Our Verdict
The BolaButty is a budget speaker, small and portable, and sounds okay, but not great. It has party lights that flash different colors on each side, which is a fun feature, especially when playing at night. This speaker is fairly quiet, and we were able to comfortably listen up to 80%, so it may not be best for folks who like to crank their music. It has a very long battery life and is water-resistant, so it could be a good replacement speaker to bring along on your travels. All told, this little budget speaker is an okay option for those who want a small, portable speaker with long battery life, but there are better-sounding models that won't break the bank.
Our BolaButty Experience
Pairing this speaker was pretty quick and easy. We simply turned it on, put it in pairing mode, found it in our Bluetooth settings, and were ready to go in less than a minute.
The party lights are a fun addition. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Playing this speaker at night with the party lights on is fun to watch, as the colors change and flash in the dark. That said, this wasn't the most enjoyable speaker to listen to, as it sounds muffled and processed like a miniature car stereo from the 90s.
Aside from the party lights, it's pretty bare-bones. We were disappointed to find that it doesn't have a dedicated app, and we couldn't adjust the sound profile, which is a very common feature even on budget speakers. It disconnected at 86 feet, so it's not great for listening in larger homes or outdoor spaces.
The BolaButty has an aux port, so you can use it to watch movies. But, we wouldn't recommend doing that, as the sound quality won't be much better than whatever device you're using it for. Credit: Matt Lighthart
This speaker has straightforward controls. Credit: Matt Lighthart
While the price may be enticing, we actually think that this speaker is a waste of money. The sound is poor compared to most other budget speakers and sounds similar to our phone speaker. It's also only rated IPX5, so it's not ideal for the beach or pool, as dropping it into the water would cause damage. And when we dropped it from 3 feet, it broke instantly. There are far better options in this price range.
For about the same price (or sometimes less), you could get the Soundcore Select Go 4. This speaker is actually waterproof and dust-tight, and it comes with an app to adjust the sound profile. And, it has way better vocals, so we enjoyed listening to podcasts and audiobooks on it.
For about $50 more, we recommend the JBL Clip 5, which sounds much crisper and detailed, is waterproof, and keeps dust out. It's also very small and can be clipped anywhere, making it one of the best portable speakers we tested. We especially like this speaker for listening to tunes in the shower.
For about $50 more, we recommend the JBL Clip 5, which sounds much crisper and detailed, is waterproof, and keeps dust out. It's also very small and can be clipped anywhere, making it one of the best portable speakers we tested. We especially like this speaker for listening to tunes in the shower.
Analysis and Test Results
The BolaButty is a cheap, portable option, but there are better-sounding speakers that are just as affordable. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Sound Quality
The sound profile is muddled, rather than detailed, and overall sounds boxed in. It's also very compressed, so it makes punchy music sound dull. We found it especially poor for complex instrumental music. The detail and nuance were completely lost.
The bass sounds muddy and muffled in drum-heavy tracks like “Back in Black” by AC/DC. It sounds very blown out with the volume cranked. The lows become way too thumpy for our ears to handle. While it has more power than many smaller speakers we tested, the clarity is far worse.
The BolaButty has an unpleasant, manufactured sound. Credit: Matt Lighthart
This speaker sounds almost no better than an iPhone. Credit: Matt Lighthart
The mids and trebles are just as disappointing, lacking clarity and sounding muffled. The high notes are very restrained, making rock or husky music sound especially harsh. When listening to Jessie Murph's “Easy Sunday Living”, we needed to turn the volume down as the music hurt our ears from the hissing. Murph's raspy vocals were forward in the mix but felt piercing rather than gently guiding the track, especially when they reached the upper registers.
Most of the sound comes from the front of the speaker, with some coming from the sides. Listening from the back sounds even more quiet and distant. Credit: Matt Lighthart
The sound can mostly be heard from the front of the speaker, with some coming out of the sides and the back, though altogether the soundstage is flat. Texturally, it also sounds simplistic, lacking in detail or complex layering. All told, the BolaButty sounds small and boxed in.
The lanyard is long, which is good for carrying by hand. But, when we use a carabiner to clip it to a backpack it tends to swing around. Credit: Matt Lighthart
It's easy to carry the BolaButty from room to room. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Portability
The BolaButty weighs 0.9 lbs, making it one of the lighter compact speakers we tested, though not the lightest. It has a cylindrical shape and is about two soda cans long, so it has a fairly small footprint and will fit easily into most bags and packs.
About the size of a bottle, the BolaButty easily fits in a side pocket. Credit: Matt Lighthart
The long lanyard on the BolaButty is also good for hanging it up high. Credit: Matt Lighthart
The water resistance is so-so, rated at IPX5. It can withstand some splashes, but not submersion, and the charging port needs to be closed when it's near water.
The BolaButty is only good for solo listening. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Volume
The BolaButty is one of the quietest speakers we tested at 83.3 decibels—about as loud as a phone speaker. It's also one of the few speakers we could put on full volume without totally hurting our eardrums. At the highest volume, this speaker sounds like it's rumbling to its deathbed. It also doesn't have the same carrying power as a lot of the speakers we tested, and is only good for solo listening.
The sound quality is very reduced at the upper volumes, with muddy lows and sharp highs. Lower volumes have significantly diminished detail and separation, like listening to a vintage radio.
The BolaButty fell apart after just one drop. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Drop Test
The BolaButty is highly breakable. It has hard plastic bumpers, which break off easily when dropped onto a hard surface. It quickly lost all functionality and sounded unbearable after being dropped.
The BolaButty has the longest battery life of any speaker we tested. Credit: Matt Lighthart
Battery
The battery life is incredibly long at 60 hours 46 minutes, so it will last several days playing nonstop. We could even stretch the battery for several weeks when listening for just a couple of hours a day.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare BolaButty versus top competing products:
| Awards | |
|---|---|
| Price | $60 List Check Amazon (on sale!) |
Overall Score  |
|
| Star Rating | |
| Bottom Line | A very affordable and packable speaker, but there are better sounding options at similar price points |
| Pros | Budget-friendly, fun party lights, extended battery life |
| Cons | Lackluster sound quality, poor connectivity |
| Rating Categories | BolaButty |
| Sound Quality (35%) | |
| Portability (30%) | |
| Volume (20%) | |
| Drop Test (10%) | |
| Battery (5%) | |
| Specifications | BolaButty |
| Measured Battery Life | 60.7 hrs |
| Measured Weight | 0.9 lbs |
| Dimensions | 8.0" L x 2.5" W x 3.0" H |
| Water Resistance | IPX5: Protection against solid objects is not rated (X), but the device is protected against low-pressure water jets from any direction |
| Measured Volume | 83 dB |
| Claimed Battery Life | 20.0 hrs |
| Multipoint Pairing | No |
| Speaker Syncing | 2 Bolabutty Speakers |
| Sound Customization | No |
| Voice Assistant | Siri | Google Assistant (via connected phone) |
| Measured Bluetooth Range | up to 86 ft |
| Wired Audio Input | 3.5 mm AUX |
| Floatable | No |
| Included Accessories | - Type C USB cable |
—Elizabeth White and Rachael Lamore
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