Sonos Roam 2 Review: Does the Small Sonos Earn Its £179?
The Roam 2 is the only small waterproof speaker that is also a proper Wi-Fi Sonos at home. Testers measured the battery and it does what Sonos says: about ten hours. The questions are whether ten hours is enough at this price, whether you mind buying your own plug, and whether you would rather have a cheaper JBL that sounds as good or better.
Where the reviews line up
Our evidence comes from three places: a hands-on test by TechRadar that timed the battery, owners’ threads on the Sonos Community forum, and John Lewis, where 42 buyers give it 4.1 out of 5. They agree on the convenience and split on the value.
The battery claim holds up. Sonos says up to 10 hours at moderate volume. TechRadar played a long playlist twice at 60% volume and got 10 hours. Tom’s Guide, our cross-check, got a little over 10 hours at 50%. That is honest, but it is short for the money: What Hi-Fi? points out that the JBL Flip 6 gives about 12 hours and the Beats Pill about 24.
It is the easy one to live with. It is IP67, so it can sit in 1 m of water for 30 minutes. It weighs about 430 g. At home it joins your Sonos system over Wi-Fi with AirPlay 2 and Alexa; away from home it switches to Bluetooth. TechRadar notes that the voice assistants only work on Wi-Fi.
The sound is where testers disagree. TechRadar found it rich and powerful for its size, if not the loudest outdoors. What Hi-Fi? scored the sound 3 out of 5, called it “squashed” next to rivals and said it would spend its own money on a JBL. If sound per pound is all you care about, believe What Hi-Fi?.
The real cost is more than £179. There is a USB-C cable in the box but no plug. Sonos’s wireless charger is £49 extra. There has been no permanent price cut: it is £179 at Sonos and John Lewis today. Its lowest price we found was £128.99 at Amazon in the 2024 Black Friday sales, according to T3.
The three reviews this summary is built from
- TechRadarHands-on test by Jacob Krol, August 2024, at £179. The only source here that timed the battery. Tom’s Guide and What Hi-Fi? used as cross-checks.
- Sonos CommunitySonos’s own owners’ forum. The big battery-drain thread has 278 replies, but it is about the original Roam, not the Roam 2.
- John Lewis4.1/5 from 42 reviews, checked 12 October 2026, on a page that sells the speaker.
Before the review: Roam, Roam SL or Roam 2?
The Roam 2 came out in May 2024 at £179 and is still sold new by Sonos UK at that price, in stock, in black, white and three colours. It follows the original Roam from 2021, and Sonos also made a Roam SL. Stuff says the changes are mostly the controls: separate power and Bluetooth buttons, which make pairing easier. What Hi-Fi? calls the upgrade “minimal”. Old Roams are still around second-hand and on clearance, so check which one a listing is selling.
Specification at a glance
| Spec | Figure | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Battery claim | Up to 10 hours continuous playback at moderate volume; 5,000 mAh Li-ion | Sonos UK product page |
| Battery measured | 10 hours at 60% volume (TechRadar) · a little over 10 hours at 50% (Tom’s Guide) | Two independent tests agree with the claim |
| Water and dust | IP67: up to 30 minutes in 1 m of water | Sonos |
| Weight | 0.43 kg (Sonos) · 440 g (What Hi-Fi?, TechRadar) · 690 g (John Lewis) | Sources disagree; the John Lewis figure is unexplained and may be boxed |
| Dimensions | 168 × 62 × 60 mm (H × W × D) | Sonos and What Hi-Fi?. John Lewis lists 168 × 59 × 62 mm |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 (Sonos, Smart Home Sounds, What Hi-Fi?) · 5.3 (TechRadar) | Sources disagree; we go with Sonos |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 or 5 GHz; AirPlay 2 (iOS 11.4 or later) | Sonos |
| Drivers and amps | One tweeter, one mid-woofer, two class-H amplifiers | Sonos |
| Voice | Sonos Voice Control and Amazon Alexa, on Wi-Fi only. No speakerphone over Bluetooth | Sonos; Wi-Fi point from TechRadar |
| Charging | USB-C, 15 W (5 V/3 A). Cable included, no power adapter (7.5 W or more needed). Qi wireless charging | Sonos |
| Wireless charger | Sonos Roam Wireless Charger, £49, with a 10 W adapter in the box | Sonos UK shop, 12 October 2026 |
| Idle power | 1.37 W on USB-C · 2.3 W on the wireless charger (230 V, mics on) | Sonos support, “Power Consumption While Idle” |
| Idle cost per year (ours) | About £3.16 on USB-C (12.0 kWh) · about £5.30 on the wireless charger (20.1 kWh), if plugged in all year | Our sums at 26.32p/kWh, the October 2026 cap |
| Guarantee | 2 years | John Lewis listing. Sonos’s page does not state the length |
| RRP | £179 (Roam 2 + Wireless Charger set £228) | Sonos UK, 12 October 2026 |
| Live UK prices | £179 John Lewis · £179 Smart Home Sounds (stock unclear) · £137 open-box at Smart Home Sounds, out of stock | Checked 12 October 2026 |
TechRadar
Who they are: TechRadar’s author page describes Jacob Krol as its US Managing Editor for News, who joined in May 2024 after roles at TheStreet, CNN Underscored, where he helped build the electronics section, and Mashable, and who tests phones, smart home devices, audio gear and TVs; we weight his test because it timed the battery, though his page does not say how long he has tested speakers.
Krol scores it 4.5 out of 5 for sound and design, 4 for features and 3.5 for value. He calls the sound rich and powerful, with a wide soundstage that does not overdo the bass, and he likes the automatic Trueplay tuning, which adjusts the sound to the room. His one sound complaint is volume: it is not the loudest speaker to take outdoors.
His most useful work is on the battery. He streamed a long playlist twice at 60% volume and got 10 hours both times, which is exactly the claim. Tom’s Guide got a little over 10 hours at 50%, so two tests agree. He also spells out the charging: a USB-C cable but no plug, Qi wireless charging on the base, a Sonos wireless charger that costs extra, and no way to charge your phone from it. Alexa and Sonos Voice Control only work on Wi-Fi, and it cannot be used as a speakerphone over Bluetooth.
The counterweight is What Hi-Fi?, which scored the sound only 3 out of 5. It found the Roam 2 punchy and its bass tight, but less clear and spacious than rivals, and said “you can find sonically superior speakers for a cheaper price”. Its pick is the £90 JBL Flip 6.
Watch: Sonos Roam 2 Review: The Ultimate Portable Smart Speaker
A hands-on review that a search listing ties to Gearbrain’s test at home, in a garden and on a beach. Good for seeing it used outdoors, the case TechRadar says it is quietest in.
Watch on YouTube ↗ Independent YouTube video — not made by or for Shopbam.Sonos Community
Who they are: Sonos Community is the brand-hosted support forum where Sonos owners report problems and staff sometimes reply; posts are unverified owner experience and skew towards people with faults, so we look for recurring issues rather than read it as typical.
Be clear about what this is. Every thread we opened is about the original Roam, not the Roam 2. We include it because Sonos lists the same idle power figures for both, and the battery behaviour is what owners argue about most. We found no Roam 2 thread that reached the same size.
The big thread is about standby. The first post says the Roam lost “about 10% every hour on standby”. Others said it kept waking up when they used the Sonos app, so it needed charging every two or three days. One owner returned it. Not everyone agreed: one poster saw about 1% an hour. In a separate 2022 thread, a Sonos staff member told an owner getting two hours of play that they “should get much more than 2 hours” and to contact support for a possible replacement. The tips were the same in both threads: turn on Battery Saver, hold the power button for about five seconds to switch it off properly, and use a plug of at least 10 W.
A 2023 thread with 17 replies raises a worry for any battery speaker: an owner whose Roam battery failed just after the warranty ended. A forum regular, not Sonos staff, replied that lithium cells usually last 800 to 1,000 full charge cycles. Sonos publishes no battery-replacement price for the Roam 2.
Watch: Sonos Roam 2 Speaker Review: Upgrade or Headache?
An owner-style review asking whether the Roam 2 is worth moving to from the first Roam, which matches the forum’s concerns.
Watch on YouTube ↗ Independent YouTube video — not made by or for Shopbam.John Lewis
Who they are: John Lewis ratings come from its customers and are moderated by a third party, PowerReviews, before publication; free-product and syndicated brand-site reviews are labelled but counted in averages, and each review enters a £100 prize draw, so check the labels.
4.1 out of 5 from 42 reviews is good but not glowing. It is lower than the 4.7 Sonos shows on its own shop, and Sonos gives no review count for that figure, so we do not use it. Our tools could read the John Lewis score and count but not the written reviews, so we cannot tell you what dragged the average down.
The listing does give useful buying facts. The price is £179, the same as Sonos’s. It includes a two-year guarantee and lists the manufacturer’s warranty as two years. It also gives a weight of 690 g, which is much more than the 430 g Sonos publishes. That could be the boxed weight, but the page does not say. The page did not show who the seller was.
If you want a longer guarantee, Smart Home Sounds adds its own free six-year extended warranty on Sonos speakers. It is the shop’s promise, not Sonos’s, and its terms say batteries stay under Sonos’s standard warranty. The battery is the part most likely to wear out, so the extra years matter less on this speaker.
Watch: Sonos Roam 2 - Great sound... but not for everyone
A balanced verdict that suits a 4.1 average: owners mostly like it, but it is not for everyone.
Watch on YouTube ↗ Independent YouTube video — not made by or for Shopbam.Strengths and weak points
What holds up
- The battery claim is honest: two separate tests measured about 10 hours.
- IP67, so rain, sand and a drop in the pool are fine.
- Light at about 430 g and small enough for a bag.
- Wi-Fi at home and Bluetooth away, with AirPlay 2 and a dedicated Bluetooth button.
- Joins an existing Sonos system, so it can play in sync with other Sonos speakers.
- Charges by USB-C or any Qi wireless pad, and costs only about £3 a year to keep plugged in (our sums).
What people complain about
- Ten hours is short for £179. JBL’s Flip 6 gives about 12, according to What Hi-Fi?.
- What Hi-Fi? rates the sound only 3 out of 5 and says cheaper rivals sound better.
- No plug in the box, and the Sonos wireless charger is £49 more.
- Voice assistants only work on Wi-Fi, and there is no speakerphone over Bluetooth.
- Not the loudest outdoors, according to TechRadar.
- Owners of the original Roam complained about standby drain and batteries failing after the warranty.
Who it actually suits
Buy it if you already have Sonos at home and want one speaker you can take to the garden, the bathroom or on holiday, and then put back into the system. It is a good partner for a Sonos Era 100 or an Era 300 in the living room. If you have no plug, a small USB-C charger like the Anker Nano 45W is more than enough. A 10,000mAh power bank will top it up on a long day out.
Look elsewhere if you have no other Sonos speakers and just want a Bluetooth speaker. Testers say a JBL gives you more battery and as good or better sound for less money. If you mainly want a voice assistant on the kitchen worktop, the Echo Dot Max is much cheaper. If you want more volume and battery for parties, Sonos’s bigger Move 2 is £449.
What we could not check
- Roam 2 owner threads. The forum evidence on standby drain and failed batteries is about the original Roam. We found no large Roam 2 thread, so we cannot say whether the problem has gone.
- Battery replacement. Sonos publishes no battery replacement service or price for the Roam 2, and Smart Home Sounds’ six-year cover excludes batteries.
- Sonos’s own warranty length. The Sonos UK page does not state it. Two years comes from the John Lewis listing. Sonos’s 2024 warranty extension did not cover portable speakers.
- Weight. Sonos says 0.43 kg, What Hi-Fi? and TechRadar say 440 g, and John Lewis says 690 g. We could not find out what the John Lewis figure includes.
- Bluetooth version. Sonos says 5.2; TechRadar says 5.3. We could not resolve this.
- Who sells it on John Lewis. The listing did not show a seller. We could not read the written reviews either, only the score and count.
- Stock at Smart Home Sounds. The page says in stock and shows a back-in-stock form at the same time.
- Power draw while playing or charging. Sonos publishes only idle figures. Our £3.16 and £5.30 a year cover standby only.
- The original Roam’s launch price. What Hi-Fi? says it was tested at £159; a What Hi-Fi? deals story from 2023 gives its normal price as £179. Both are printed here.
- The videos. All three were confirmed by search listings showing their exact titles, not by opening them, and the listings did not name the channels.
- Amazon prices. Amazon blocks our tools. The £128.99 low comes from T3’s report of 1 December 2024.
Sources last checked 12 October 2026. Sonos prices often drop around Black Friday. Running costs use the 26.32p/kWh price cap for October 2026, and your tariff may differ. Check that a listing is the Roam 2 and not the original Roam before ordering.