The Tribit StormBox Micro 3 ($64.99) is a small, capable Bluetooth speaker with a rear strap that makes it easy to bring just about anywhere. We're big fans of the long battery life, magnetic mounting, portable size, and tough build quality. It may not offer the clearest audio, and the microphone isn't necessarily well-suited for phone calls, but it performs the basics well enough. If that sounds like an appealing mix, the Stormbox Micro 3 is a fine option. Ultimately, we prefer the $39.99 Tribit StormBox Mini+, which is a bit bigger but offers many of the same features with better audio performance for less money, making it our Editors' Choice for outdoor speakers.

Design: Portability Nearly Perfected

Tribit seems to believe in the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" adage. The StormBox Micro 3 is almost identical to its predecessor. It’s a squat little box measuring 4.41 by 4.25 by 1.77 inches (HWD) and weighing 11.8 ounces. These measurements make it a touch bigger and heavier than the Micro 2, but smaller than the cylindrical Mini+ at 4.68 by 3.58 inches and 1.22 pounds.

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

Tribit took the time to redesign the bottom surface. It still features an elastic band for attaching it to things (up to 1.1 inches in diameter), but the latch point is better reinforced. The band helps mount the speaker to the shoulder straps of your backpack or purse, and to the handlebars of your bike while on the move. For stationary listening, the speaker has magnets in its base that let it latch firmly onto things like cars and fridges. The Mini+ comes with a basic nylon strap for hanging it from hooks and nails.

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

Between its size and convenient attachment mechanisms, the StormBox Micro 3 is well-suited for life on the go. Tribit ensures it can live up to a highly mobile role, too. It has an IP68 dust- and water-resistant protection, so it can withstand dirt, sand, and submersion in fresh water without issue, though it doesn't float. A thick rubber gasket protects the USB-C port and should be firmly in place before you bring the speaker near water. It’s rated to withstand falls from four feet, too, which helps a lot if you're clumsy. The Mini+ has a similar gasket protecting a USB-C port and a 3.5mm jack. It has an IPX7 rating, making it less waterproof.

Tribit keeps the audio simple. It squeezes a single 48mm driver inside, which is capable of 13W of output, and boosts its bass with a pair of passive radiators. It packs a more efficient Bluetooth 6.0 module that supports multipoint and the AAC and SBC codecs, whereas prior models had only basic SBC support. The Mini+ has a pair of 48mm drivers for stereo sound, but uses the older Bluetooth 5.4 spec with AAC and SBC.

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

The speaker has a few easy-to-access controls, including volume and playback buttons, right on the top with large rubber symbols. The Power, Bluetooth pairing, bass-boosting XBass mode, and stereo pairing buttons are smaller and slightly recessed on the front edge. They are backlit for clarity. You use the play/pause button to jump forward a track (double-press) or back a track (triple-press).

Battery: A Longer-Lasting Speaker

The battery life has improved from generation to generation. Even though the battery has only 100mAh more than the Micro 2’s 4,700mAh capacity, the Micro 3 gets up to 24 hours of playtime.

If the battery dies, the speaker recharges to full in two hours with a common 15W charger. You can get three hours of music time from just 15 minutes of charging. Since you might have juice to spare, the Micro 3 can reverse charge your phone, though only at 5W.

The Mini+'s 2,600mAh battery has a shorter lifespan of 12 hours.

App Experience: Simple In a Good Way

The Tribit mobile app (available for Android and iOS) works with the StormBox Micro 3, and while it prompts you to make an account, one is not required to use it.

The app keeps things simple. You get a plain view of the battery level and playback controls on the main screen. A second page contains a few audio presets and the option to create custom nine-band EQ settings. The final page includes settings that allow you to adjust the device name, auto-shutdown timer and countdown, firmware updates, and customize what the XBass button does.

(Credit: Tribit/PCMag)

If you don’t want to use XBass mode, you can have it activate a different EQ setting of your choice. You won’t find any options to change the playback controls. 

Sound: Punchy, But Unrefined

The Knife’s “Silent Shout" reveals both sides of the double-edged sword that is the Micro 3's bass presentation. While it digs surprisingly deep for such a little speaker, it exhibits a metallic ringing with each of the track’s bass triplets. The ringing blends into the background as the rest of the track springs to life, especially the cymbals, but it's an abnormal addition that other speakers don't produce. The Stormbox delivers a thumpy kick for the sub-bass quarter notes, though not much of the actual tone. The synth melody has a rich bite, and the vocals are clear, with a good balance between the upper and lower harmonies.

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty” highlights more of the Micro 3's limitations. The high-frequency Bruno Mars sample and cymbals lack brilliance due to limitations in both the driver and the AAC codec. The track’s deep sub-bass content, introduced with the first chorus, is almost completely unrendered, with only one note popping through, while the rest pass by as faint ghosts of what should be a heavy, full sound. Even the XBass mode doesn’t remedy the low end; instead, it muddies the bass frequencies the speaker can deliver. The speaker renders strong mids with clear vocals, and the drums are nice and thwacky.

The Micro 3 comes across as more capable in a track like Bill Callahan’s “Drover." It presents Callahan’s baritone vocals fully and clearly, but his lowest notes are receiving an obvious boost. The rhythm and electric guitars lack the richness they’d produce from a stronger speaker, though the fiddle has pleasing body. As the track builds to its climax, the extra emphasis on the low end becomes a bit too much as instruments stack up, resulting in a muddy ending.

(Credit: Mark Knapp)

In a more complex piece, like the orchestral music of John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the StormBox Micro 3 struggles with intelligibility. Low-end instruments are often inaudible or indistinct when played simultaneously, and the metallic ringing returns. The singers' sound is clear, and some of the higher-register instruments, such as the brass, are bright.

Considering its size, it’s impressive how loud the Micro 3 gets. It can pump out enough volume to be heard outdoors, even while biking along in traffic. At full volume, digital signal processing steps it to reduce the base some and avoid distortion.

The StormBox Micro 3 includes a microphone for speakerphone functionality, but I wouldn’t count on it for much. Even with the speaker at arm’s length, my voice sounds distant, with noticeable room echo. Unless you’re in a quiet space, it likely won’t work well.