The Ultimate Ears Miniroll looks as sweet as it sounds
Compact carryable speaker shouts louder for longer
No, Ultimate Ears hasn’t branched out into chocolate treats. The Miniroll might share a name with a Cadburys classic, but this is actually a shrunken successor to the firm’s go-anywhere Roll and Roll 2. It’s Ultimate Ears’ smallest Bluetooth speaker yet, yet still packs a sonic punch and is built to withstand the elements.
Stuff thought the UE Roll was dinky when it landed way back in 2015, but the Miniroll is even tinier. The oval-shaped speaker weighs a diminutive 279g, so you’ll barely notice it after securing its hookable silicone strap to your bag, belt, or bike. It’s wrapped in the same stain-resistant fabric as UE’s other sturdy speakers, with an IP67 rating for water and dust. It’s also drop-proof, so really can be taken just about anywhere.
Inside, a custom-built dynamic driver and bass radiator combo provide sound that UE says has been tuned with outdoor listening in mind. Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity includes Auracast, for playing tunes from sources other than your smartphone, or pairing an ‘unlimited’ amount of Miniroll speakers together. Giant volume buttons on the top will look familiar to anyone with one of UE’s plethora of recent Bluetooth models.
Ultimate Ears reckon the internal battery is good for twelve hours of listening per charge, which makes this a longer-lasting speaker than the Sonos Roam 2. Fast charging over USB-C should mean minimal downtime between tunes, too.
There are four colour options at launch: Gentle Black; Majestic Blue; Revive Grey and Calming Pink. The Roll and Roll 2 came in some seriously funky shades and patterns, so I’m hopeful UE has something similar in the works for this latest edition.
The Ultimate Ears Miniroll launches today. At $80/£70 it actually undercuts the outgoing Roll 2, and is made from more sustainable materials than before to boot.
It’s available right now from the Ultimate Ears and Logitech websites, in black, blue, grey and pink colours. Expect it to appear in other retailers in the next few weeks.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
