COPENHAGEN, September 23 — Soundboks has released its most portable speaker yet, the Soundboks Rider, a smaller sibling to the Danish audio brand’s loud, rugged Bluetooth speakers built for festivals and outdoor use. The Rider was reviewed by Philipp Briel on September 23, 2026, in a piece with a stated reading time of ten minutes. It follows the earlier Soundboks Mix, which the outlet had previously tested and rated strongly.
The new model is designed to do what the brand’s larger speakers cannot: travel with the user without sacrificing too much sound quality.
Built to move, built to take a knock
The housing is made of ABS and polycarbonate, and the review describes it as feeling more solid than its plastic construction would suggest. Four silicone corner protectors are intended to absorb impact from drops and accidents. A sturdy carrying handle sits centered on the top and remains comfortable after prolonged use.
The removable steel grille, which carries an embossed logo, can be swapped out for customization but can come loose if not handled carefully. The compact dimensions allow the Rider to fit on a bike rack and be secured with straps.
The review notes one omission: the Rider has an internal thread that is too small for standard speaker stands, so there is no standard tripod thread.
A lighter carry, with trade-offs
Soundboks claims the speaker can produce up to 118 decibels. The Rider weighs 6.5 kilograms and measures 35 x 24 x 20 centimeters, carries an IP66 rating for dust and water resistance, and has a removable battery. For comparison, the review notes that the Soundboks Mix weighed just under 10 kilograms and the Soundboks Go around 9.2 kilograms, making the Rider noticeably lighter than its sister models — though still not something a user would want to carry around town by the strap for hours.
On connectivity, Soundboks kept the Rider minimal. It offers Bluetooth 4.2, which the review describes as no longer a current standard but sufficiently stable in testing within a typical range of about ten meters.
The only wired option is a 3.5-millimeter AUX input; there is no XLR or standard jack socket as found on the brand’s larger models, limiting use with professional DJ equipment or mixing consoles. The review also notes the Rider supports neither the brand’s own TeamUp mode for pairing multiple Soundboks speakers nor Bluetooth Auracast, features the review says have become standard among competitors such as JBL, Marshall, and Sony.
The review states this is hardly an issue for a single speaker in a small setting, but anyone wanting to fill a larger space with multiple speakers would need a different Soundboks model. Overall, the review characterizes the build quality as robust in everyday use, consistent with a brand that explicitly designs its speakers for festivals and outdoor use.
The article is categorized under Consumer Electronics, Gadgets & Accessories and carries the headline that even the smallest Bluetooth speaker packs a powerful punch. What to watch next: whether Soundboks brings pairing features to its smaller line, and how the Rider’s portability-first pitch lands with listeners who want a speaker that travels as easily as they do.
