Just like any other mobile-minded millennial, we like to take our music on the go. And even though there are plenty of cool and colorful headphones around, we almost always prefer listening to our music unplugged. Remember, we grew up when MTV actually played music on TV, so we’re most comfortable with it blaring all around us instead of being funneled into our ears. For that reason, we turn to portable speakers. While some of them are totally wireless, and others amplify your tunes straight outta your smartphone, these eight all look insanely unique, making it almost impossible for us to ever want to put them down.
1. Music Balloon Speaker ($45): This bulbous, palm-sized speaker is made from a soft, Nerf-like material that amplifies the tunes on your iPod or any other device that has a 35mm jack. We can’t stop giggling over its balloon-inspired shape.
2. Native Union Monocle Portable Speaker ($50): This hand-held portable speaker is a more compact alternative to lifting a bulky boom box on your shoulder to rock out… if anyone ever pulls that move anymore. When you’re not holding it up to your dome, it sits gently on its back or side as it pumps out the jams from your device.
3. Rock-It 3.0 ($22): Meet Rock-It, a magical capsule that turns anything—literally anything—into a speaker. Seriously, grab whatever you have handy—a cardboard box, even your office desk, stick a Rock-It on it, and it is now a speaker! Crazy! The sound quality isn’t superb, but we think this one is a bit more about the spectacle.
4. CERA 3.0 Bluetooth Speaker ($70): CERA 3.0 lets you stream music from up to 33 feet away from its touchscreen-controlled pod, which may look small, but boasts big sound. Looking to bring the noise to even more epic levels? This Bluetooth speaker comes with a daisy chain cable that lets you string multiple speakers together for simultaneous play.
5. Diamond Ring MP3 Speaker ($20): A ring-shaped MP3 player? We’ll say I do to that! Though you actually can’t wear it around your finger Ring Pop style, it does bling out your smartphone—just plug it into the earphone jack.
6. Rocki Play ($49): Rocki is one of the latest successfully funded Kickstarter projects that we’re swooning over. Just plug this pretty, soap-sized geo device into your existing sound system and just like that, Rocki turns your equipment into smart speakers that let you stream music over a wifi connection from any smartphone. So yes, it’s a portable wifi receiver, not a speaker, but since you can control what you hear from your iPhone, we’re calling it close enough.
7. Splash-Proof Speaker by Muji ($75): If you ever splish splash a little too much in the bath right next to where your iPhone is turing tub time into an underwater rave, then you need to check out this phone case-speaker hybrid. Not only does it amplify your tunes while protecting your smartphone from rogue waves, the panel recognizes wet hands, so you can control your tunes without a towel nearby. Besides, in our design-loving eyes, Muji can do no wrong.
8. Pump Soundchuck Portable Speaker ($129): You guys, these speaker shapes just keep getting better, ‘cause check out this pair: they look like nunchucks. Made of durable silicone, these weather-resistant Bluetooth speakers are compact and lightweight, making them your go to for on the go dance parties or warding off evil villains.
Do you tote around a portable speaker? What are the must-have brands? Know of any crazy shaped ones we missed? Tell us in the comments below.