Why the Boompods Aquablaster Is the Only Bluetooth Speaker You Need

For years, speakers and large quantities of water were, in a sense, considered mutually exclusive. By that I mean you couldn't take your stereo system in the water (obviously), and even bringing it near water presented itself as a pretty hefty risk. I know this from firsthand experience, as my $500 boombox was destroyed by the ocean during high tide. Yes, I was drunk, and yes, I should've been more responsible, but I wanted to listen to some music while I was enjoying the ocean. Sue me.

Now, obviously, the ability to take your speakers into the ocean isn't really a farfetched notion. There are plenty of shower radios and waterproof speakers out there on the market today. The tricky part, however, is deciphering which ones are legit, and which ones don't live up to their billing.

This past holiday, I decided to get myself a little gift. I wasn't counting on my family getting me anything cool, because, let's face it, they literally NEVER do. I've also recently gotten into baths (weird segue, I know), but as I've gone through the transition, I couldn't help but to think of ways to further enhance my experience. After all, it is all about relaxation, and let me tell you, I've been STRESSED lately.

Obviously, the first thing that came to my mind was music. Except, I started having PTSD about my whole boombox-into-the-ocean mishap from a couple of decades ago. With today's technology though? That should no longer be a problem.

I started looking into regular shower radios, until I came across a nifty little gadget on Amazon—the Boompods Aquablaster. After reading its description, I realized it was everything I wanted, or rather, needed in a speaker—and more.

And here's why you need it, too.

The Boompods are 100 percent waterproof!

Obviously, the waterproof feature is what initially piqued my interest in a new speaker, but as you may or may not know, the term "water-proof" is one of great ambiguity. For example, remember the old iPhones that were deemed "water-resistant?" Those who submerged their phone in water or jumped in the pool with it were VERY disappointed, to say the least.

Plenty of things are touted as waterproof or water-resistant, but it's never a shoe-in that you can completely immerse the product in water and it will remain intact. Well, the Aquablaster is totally fine under water (I would know, considering I literally take baths with it). Granted, I try not to let it float in the tub with me, but it's gotten its fair share of water on it. When I do decide to take showers, I have it hanging up right beside me, and it gets a pretty consistent stream of water on it. It continues to work perfectly fine, so it's managed to pass the first part of my own personal test.

Being completely transparent here, I think I would have purchased the Boompods Aquablaster even if it WASN'T waterproof. Yes, I know that basically contradicts everything I've said in regards to necessity, but that's just how cool this little gadget is.

The first thing that really appealed to me was probably the most rudimentary feature, but still important nonetheless—its bluetooth capabilities. It's small enough to basically carry with you anywhere, and you can also easily hang it pretty much anywhere, like I did in my shower. It hooks up to the latest version of Bluetooth (4.1) so you can turn on a playlist from the other room and have it synched up to your boompod in the bathroom (or wherever you decide to use it).

But the most important sub feature regarding its bluetooth capabilities is...

It's Alexa compatible.

Not only is the Boompod Alexa compatabile, it is, surprisingly enough, the FIRST EVER speaker that allows you to take Alexa anywhere and everywhere. At first I was a little surprised to hear this, considering how prevalent Alexa is nowadays, but then I really thought about it, and realized that I never really heard someone use Alexa outside of their Amazon products. So if Amazon approved this thing to be compatible with their flagship voice service, then I knew it had to be the best bluetooth speaker in the business.

So not only can I use this thing to play music, but I can ask Alexa to do my bidding—whether that's getting the weather, checking my stocks, or adding to my shopping list. I was in the market for just a waterproof speaker, but it looks like I got something much more.

This was, without a doubt, one of the more savvy purchases I have made in the past few years. You'd think something with an 8 Watt Driver and powerful passive sub bass wouldn't be so easy to carry around, but lo and behold, we have the Boompods Aquamarine. It comes with a bunch of cool accessories like a keychain, hanging cable lanyard, wall mounting cup, karabiner, and bike mount to make it easily accessible anywhere you go.

Between its unmatched convenience, advanced technology, built-in microphone, and Play/Pause call functionality, there's not much not to love when it comes to the Aquamarine. Sure, there are other shower radios out there, but again, this is WAY more than just a shower radio. I didn't think I'd ever be able to fit my entire life's itinerary in something that I can put on my keys, but I guess I underestimated the ever-changing landscape of tech.

For once, I'm glad I was wrong.