The LG xboom Grab is a portable Bluetooth speaker developed in collaboration with the musician will.i.am. Its robust construction meets IP67 standards for dust and water resistance, and the brand claims it passes seven military-standard durability tests, making it well-spec'd for use outdoors. It also offers features like sound calibration, lighting effects, and Auracast support, while its built-in microphone lets you take calls hands-free.
Our Verdict
The LG xboom Grab is okay for listening to music. With its Bass Boost preset enabled, it delivers a well-balanced sound that closely tracks our target curve through the mid- and treble ranges. Of course, as a small speaker, it can't reproduce low-end thump, but there's enough mid-bass punch to keep kicks and basslines feeling exciting. Unfortunately, the speaker can't get very loud, and at max volume, it compresses your audio, which can remove some of that aforementioned punch. It also downmixes stereo audio to mono unless paired with another unit. Still, the sound quality doesn't change too much depending on your listening angle, although it's not a true 360-degree speaker, so you'll notice higher-pitched elements like hi-hats sound muffled if you're behind it.
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Very durable design and IP67 rating.
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Lighting strip adds both fun and functionality.
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Downmixes stereo content to mono, unless paired with another unit.
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Doesn't get very loud.
The LG xboom Grab is sub-par for watching videos. Its compact size limits how loud it can get, so it struggles to fill larger rooms with sound, and it lacks the low-bass needed to reproduce rumbly sound effects. Still, the mid-range is well-balanced, so voices sound true-to-life. Unless paired with another unit, this speaker downmixes your audio to mono, so movie soundtracks lose some of their immersive feel. Finally, latency is fairly high via Bluetooth, which can lead to noticeable lip-sync issues. That said, some devices and apps compensate for this in different ways.
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Very durable design and IP67 rating.
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Downmixes stereo content to mono, unless paired with another unit.
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Doesn't get very loud.
The LG xboom Grab is good for listening to podcasts. Its compact, portable design makes it easy to move from room to room, so you can take your favorite shows with you throughout your house. However, the speaker doesn't get very loud, so it works best in smaller to average-sized rooms. Voices will also sound a bit dull if you're listening from behind the speaker, so it's best to position the logo facing you for the best sound. That said, you can always EQ its sound to add more presence to vocals or use the included Voice Enhance preset. And it supports multi-device pairing for quick switching between your laptop and phone.
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Very durable design and IP67 rating.
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Lighting strip adds both fun and functionality.
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Excellent battery performance.
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Downmixes stereo content to mono, unless paired with another unit.
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Doesn't get very loud.
The LG xboom Grab has acceptable voice assistant capabilities. It doesn't have built-in support for voice assistant, but it will work with your phone's Siri or Google Assistant. When paired with a compatible iOS or Android device, the speaker's built-in microphone is impressively responsive, accurately picking up voice commands even from across the room or in noisy environments.
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Very durable design and IP67 rating.
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Excellent microphone capabilities.
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Doesn't get very loud.
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No built-in voice assistant.
The LG xboom Grab is good for using outdoors. It's portable and rugged, with an IP67 rating that protects it from dust, splashes, and even submersion in water for short periods, making it ideal for poolside or beach use. LG also claims it passes seven military-grade durability tests. It offers excellent battery life of over 10 hours of playback, and you can stretch that even further by reducing the volume or disabling the lighting feature. Unfortunately, it doesn't get loud enough to fill a garden with sound, and at higher volumes, you may notice compression artifacts like pumping in the bass region. Still, its balanced mids and treble and rugged design make it a good companion for outdoor adventures, as long as you don't expect it to start a dance party.
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Very durable design and IP67 rating.
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Lighting strip adds both fun and functionality.
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Excellent battery performance.
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Downmixes stereo content to mono, unless paired with another unit.
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Doesn't get very loud.
- 6.8 Music
- 5.8 Videos/Movies
- 7.6 Podcasts
- 6.4 Voice Assistant
- 7.7 Outdoors
Changelog
- Updated Jun 13, 2025: Review published.
- Updated Jun 04, 2025: Early access published.
- Updated May 20, 2025: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated May 06, 2025: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Apr 25, 2025: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The LG xboom Grab comes in a single 'Black' variant, and you can see a photo of our unit's label here.
If you encounter a different variant, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Speakers
The LG xboom Grab enters the crowded field of portable, outdoors-ready Bluetooth speakers and does a sterling job standing up to the competition. In addition to its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, which is fairly standard for the category now, LG touts its extra-strong durability, having passed seven MIL-STD-810H military-grade tests. While the JBL Flip 7 gets louder and has a higher IP68 rating, and the Ultimate Ears BOOM 4 offers 360-degree sound and stereo playback, the LG's more balanced sound, longer battery life, and support for your phone's Siri or Google Assistant make it more of an all-rounder than both. That said, the LG's funky will.i.am-inspired design with built-in light strips may not appeal to everyone. If you're in search of something sleeker, the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) is a worthy pick for its understated design and slightly more balanced default sound. Finally, if your budget can't quite stretch to the LG, consider something like the Sony ULT FIELD 1. While the LG offers longer battery life, the Sony still puts out a fairly balanced sound with a good amount of warmth in the bass.
For more, check out our recommendations for the best portable Bluetooth speakers, the best waterproof speakers, and the best outdoor speakers.
The LG xboom Grab and the JBL Flip 7 are both outdoors-oriented portable Bluetooth speakers. They're both suitably rugged, with the JBL having the higher IP68 rating, but the LG has passed seven military-standard durability tests in addition to having an IP67 rating. In practice, these are both more than ready for a trip to the beach or poolside. The LG is a little larger and puts out a bit more bass, although the JBL has a notably louder max volume. The LG has a battery life that's about double the JBL's and also supports your phone's Siri or Google Assistant via its built-in mic. The LG is the better pick overall, but the choice may come down to your existing ecosystem, since both offer Auracast-powered Party modes with other speakers from their respective brands.
The LG xboom Grab and the Sony ULT FIELD 1 are both rugged, portable Bluetooth speakers with IP67 ratings, making them well-suited for outdoor use. The LG is the better pick due to its 10-hour battery life, which is significantly longer than the Sony's 6 hours, and more balanced sound. The LG also supports multi-speaker Party Mode pairing with other LG speakers via Auracast. The Sony only supports stereo pairing with another unit. Still, while the LG is the better speaker, the Sony is often available much cheaper, so the choice might come down to price.
The LG xboom Grab and the Ultimate Ears BOOM 4 are highly portable Bluetooth speakers with slightly different strengths. The Ultimate Ears features a 360-degree design, providing consistent sound from all angles, doesn't downmix your audio to mono, gets louder, and boasts a slightly longer battery life. On the other hand, the LG offers a more balanced default sound (though you can EQ both speakers in their companion apps) with greater punch in the bass. It also supports your phone's Siri or Google Assistant, unlike the Ultimate Ears. The choice really comes down to your particular priorities.
The LG xboom Grab and the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) are both compact, portable Bluetooth speakers designed with the outdoors in mind. The Bose has a sleeker, more understated design, while the LG takes a funkier approach, with a colorful light strip (which you can turn off if you prefer). They're both IP67 rated for water and dust resistance, so they both suit a park hang or camping trip. They'll both work with your phone's Siri or Google Assistant. The Bose has a slightly more balanced sound out of the box, but the LG is probably the more practical outdoor pick due to its slightly more rugged design and longer battery life. Still, both these speakers serve a similar purpose.
Test Results
The LG xboom Grab has a funky, modern design with a compact, cylindrical shape that has bass radiators at each end. It's only available in 'Black,' with a silver-embossed 'XBOOM' logo on the front. It's designed to sit horizontally on two silicone feet, and its small size makes it easy to slip into a backpack. Two removable elastic straps wrap around the body of the speaker, attaching to metal hooks on the bottom. These can be used to carry the speaker or to hang it from a post or a backpack. Check out this diagram to see how the straps work. A colorful LED strip and battery indicator light up during use, though you can turn the strip off if you'd prefer.
The LG xboom Grab is exceptionally portable thanks to its compact size, light weight, and built-in carrying straps that makes it easy to grab and go.
The LG xboom Grab has a superb build quality. Its body is made from hard plastic and wrapped in a tough woven mesh that feels durable. The passive radiators on each end are protected by rigid plastic rings, and the speaker sits securely on two silicone feet integrated into the metallic strip on its bottom. A pair of screw-in metal hooks on either end of the base let you attach the included carrying straps. The top-mounted control buttons feel solid and responsive. While the elastic strap may lose tension over time, the speaker itself is impressively rugged, with no noticeable flex or weak points. According to LG, it also passes seven MIL-STD-810H durability tests, further confirming its tough design.
The LG xboom Grab has a great control scheme. All buttons are located on the top of the speaker and are clearly labeled, clicky, and textured for easy use. You get the basic controls, such as volume up/down, play/pause, and track skipping (double press for next, triple press for previous), along with voice assistant activation by holding the play button. There's also a dedicated PartyLink button for pairing multiple speakers in stereo or party mode, and you can check the battery status at any time by holding the power button for three seconds.
This speaker also comes with a customizable ‘MY’ button (❤). If you press the MY button twice, you'll initiate the speaker's room correction, while a single press of the MY button can trigger personalized actions like launching a playlist. That said, we noticed that the MY button behaves differently depending on your device's OS. On Android, it can only play media files stored locally on the device, while on iOS, it works with both local files and Apple Music.
You'll hear chimes for entering Bluetooth pairing mode, device connection/disconnection, hitting minimum or maximum volume, toggling PartyLink, and when the speaker powers on or off. The LED light strip is multifunctional: it displays battery level, acts as a volume indicator, flashes blue during pairing, turns solid blue when connected, and flashes white when the voice assistant is triggered.
- LG xboom Grab
- 2 x Carrying straps
- USB-A to USB-C charging cable (0.8m / 2.5ft)
- Warranty and safety information
The LG xboom Grab has decent frequency response accuracy. It's a fairly small speaker, so it can't put out any low-bass thump to speak of, but from the mid-bass on up through the treble range, it has a balanced sound signature. There's enough punch to keep kick drums feeling full, and enough clarity to ensure voices sound natural, clear, and true-to-life. This balanced sound means the speaker does a satisfactory job reproducing just about any audio you throw at it.
We tested it with the speaker placed horizontally on its feet and the 'xboom' logo facing our measurement microphones. We also tested it with its Bass Boost preset on, as that was both the default preset and produced measurements that most closely approximated our target curve. We also measured the effects of the different Sound Mode presets on the sound.
This speaker also has an AI Calibration feature. If you activate this mode, the speaker plays a tone for one minute, and then adjusts its output to the acoustics of your room. We moved the speaker to different locations and tried various EQ settings before and after calibration, but we couldn't measure any significant changes in frequency response, nor could we hear any clear differences during subjective listening. While the feature is easy to activate and runs quickly, its real-world effect appears minimal.
The LG xboom Grab has a passable soundstage. It downmixes your audio to mono (unless paired with another LG xboom Grab unit), but its circular design means it has pretty good directivity. Audio in the bass and lower-mids sounds fairly similar regardless of your listening angle, although higher-pitched sounds like cymbals do sound veiled when listening from behind the speaker. For the most part, you'll want this speaker to be facing you in order to get the best sound.
The LG xboom Grab has a disappointing dynamics performance. It doesn't get very loud, even compared to slightly smaller speakers like the JBL Flip 7. At full volume, it also compresses your audio quite a bit, so you'll notice that kick drums lose punch.
The LG xboom Grab has excellent battery performance. LG advertises up to 20 hours of playtime at 50% volume and with the lighting turned off. In our own testing at a constant 80 dB volume, we measured about 10.5 hours of the LED light strip off, and about 8.5 hours with the lights on.
Regardless of whether the LED strip is on or off, it's important to note that this speaker gradually reduces volume after about five hours of continuous playback at high volume levels. We observed an initial drop of roughly 1.2 dB, followed by further reductions of 1.5 dB and 2 dB before the battery fully depleted.
The speaker takes just over 2.5 hours to fully charge, and you can continue playing music while charging. Via the App, you can toggle a power-saving feature that shuts the speaker off after 15 minutes of inactivity, and there's also a Sleep Timer you can use to schedule shutdowns for the entire speaker, just the lights, or just audio playback. Finally, provided the speaker's battery is more than 20% full, the Power On with Bluetooth feature lets the speaker turn itself on when it detects a paired device nearby. Unlike competitors such as the JBL Charge 6, you can't use this speaker as a power bank to charge devices like your phone.
This speaker doesn't have a built-in voice assistant, but it has a microphone, so it will work with your phone's Siri or Google Assistant. Its microphone does an excellent job of understanding your voice, even if you're relatively far away or in a noisy environment.
This speaker has a very good companion app. It works on both Android and iOS and offers a wide range of customization and control features. Check out a video of it here. The home screen includes quick access to Party Link (for stereo or party mode), as well as volume controls, various lighting modes, and settings for the 'MY' button. There are various Sound Mode EQ presets like Standard, Bass Boost, Voice Enhance, AI Sound, and a single Custom EQ preset.
In the device settings menu, you can change the speaker name and location, set a sleep timer, enable AI Calibration (a room correction feature), adjust auto power off and power-on via Bluetooth, manage voice guidance, and view device info.
The app also lets you toggle between the various multi-speaker playback modes. This speaker uses Auracast to connect to other LG speakers for Party mode, but we weren't able to connect it to Auracast-enabled speakers from other brands. If you're only interested in stereo playback, you'll need another LG xboom Grab unit.
You cannot play audio via a wired connection. The USB-C port is only used to charge the speaker.
This speaker has very good Bluetooth performance. It uses Bluetooth 5.3 and can pair with up to two devices simultaneously, making it convenient for users who want to switch between sources. In the app, you can choose between two Multi-Playback modes: Private mode, which requires you to manually pause playback on one device before switching to the other, and Party mode, which lets the speaker automatically detect and switch to the active playback device.
There's also a Power On with Bluetooth feature. If enabled, it lets the speaker turn itself on when it detects a paired device nearby. But this feature doesn't work if the battery level is lower than 20%.
It's worth noting that Bluetooth latency is fairly high with both iOS and Android, which may cause lip-sync issues when watching videos. However, different apps and devices compensate for latency in different ways.