I swapped my Bose and JBL speakers for this floating Turtlebox - and it's seriously tough

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Portable speakers with waterproof designs are more common than not these days, but for those with ultra-rugged lifestyles, speakers from Bose, JBL, and Beats might not be tough enough. Turtlebox, a maker of speakers for the super-outdoorsy, returns with the Cub , a compact version of its flagship Original (Gen 3) speaker.

Also: I brought a Bose, Sony, and JBL speaker to the beach - this one's my new outdoor essential

At $330, the Turtlebox Cub is more expensive than some competing speakers of similar dimensions, but with great audio, an industrial frame, reverse USB-C charging, and a 14-hour battery life on deck, is it worth the money? Let's find out.

The Turtlebox Cub is a compact, ultradurable Bluetooth speaker fit for any outdoor activities.

The Cub's greatest asset, like all Turtlebox speakers, is its extremely rugged design. However, Turtlebox doesn't completely neglect sound quality in favor of another specialty. The Cub gets plenty loud for its small stature, with a strong bass response and clear highs. The Cub projects low and high frequencies especially well, but mids can get lost to distortion at high volume. To be fair, while on a boat, hiking, kayaking, or at a pier, midrange clarity may be the least of your worries.