My husband has been looking for a home speaker for awhile, and with Christmas coming up I thought now would be the perfect time to bring more music into our lives! There are so many options for speakers available, but I was looking for one with extra bells and whistles besides just being a home speaker. I've partnered with Ultimate Ears to share their BLAST speaker with you, which has some awesome features including Amazon Alexa!
Thanks to Ultimate Ears for sending me the BLAST Speaker at no cost.
The Best Portable Speakers with Amazon Alexa
Our whole family enjoys music and we play our favorite artists through our phones every day. As you can guess, if you're about two feet from your phone, that works fine. However, we've been looking for a speaker to provide better, louder sound so we can enjoy it throughout the house. Plus, listening to music on our phones is a sure way to drain the battery fast! With Christmas right around the corner, I knew it would be the perfect time to surprise my husband with a speaker. He's been talking about getting one for months, so I know he'll be so excited to open the new BLAST by Ultimate Ears. In the meantime, the kids and I have been listening to the BLAST every day while he's at work!
If you've looked into home/portable speakers, you've likely heard of Ultimate Ears. They've got a huge variety of Bluetooth speakers and just expanded their lineup to include the BLAST and MEGABLAST this year. There are some new features that set these speakers apart and I can't wait to share them with you! But first, check out our unboxing of the BLAST.
Ultimate Ears BLAST and POWER UP
The BLAST speaker is available in four colors and I went with Blizzard because the bright white matches everything and looks so sharp. I was also sent the POWER UP Charging Dock which is not required with the BLAST but is something I would personally purchase for the convenience. The POWER UP can be plugged in and the BLAST can be placed on top to charge. Then you can just grab the BLAST and go, rather than detaching the power cord from your actual speaker.
The BLAST comes boxed in a super fun package that represents the endless possibilities of this speaker. Once charged, the BLAST can play music for up to 12 hours without needing to be plugged in.
Amazon Alexa
Ultimate Ears has made a few big changes with the new BLAST speaker, and one of them is Amazon Alexa! While the speaker is connected to wi-fi or a hotspot, you can utilize Alexa for a variety of skills, though so far I've mostly used her to play music. It's nice to have that hands-free ability. When I'm washing dishes or cooking, I can just ask Alexa to turn up my music, skip a song, or find a different playlist.
We have Amazon Prime so we've got access to Prime Music. In addition to that, any BLAST purchased by the end of 2017 gets 3 free months of Amazon Music! Alexa will also play music from iHeartRadio and TuneIn while connected to wi-fi, and I have yet to find something she isn't able to play for me.
Using the BLAST with Bluetooth
If you don't have wi-fi access, that's no problem! You can stream music from your phone straight to your BLAST speaker from some of the best streaming services. I personally like Pandora and Spotify, but you can stream from various other services also.
While we set up our Christmas tree, we had holiday music playing on our BLAST. The 360° sound is just incredible, and I can't even consider listening to music through our phones anymore. After experiencing how rich sounds can be on the BLAST, and how clear the music comes through, I just can't believe we've gone this long without a home speaker!
BLAST - For the Home AND Portable
Along with being a home speaker, the BLAST is also completely portable. We can bring it outside when we're having a barbecue, to the beach, or (in my husband's case) out to the garage while he's working on a project. With the 12 hour battery, it lasts an entire day without needing to be charged. Then we just set it on the POWER UP dock for a recharge.
The last thing I want to mention is that the BLAST is waterproof for up to half an hour in three feet of water. I personally love to take baths-it's the one thing I do just for me at least one night a week. With the BLAST speaker, I can listen to my favorite songs without worrying about my cats or kids knocking it in the water (I usually have at LEAST one visitor come in for something during my baths!). You can also use this speaker while in the shower and it's drop-proof, too!
With so many speakers on the market, it can be overwhelming to find the one that's right for your family. I'm confident that the BLAST from Ultimate Ears should be at the top of your list because of a few key features. Access to Alexa is one of my favorite aspects. As a busy mom I love the hands-free aspect, and I won't lie: we all have fun asking her random questions. Add the amazing sound quality, waterproof and drop-proof factors, long battery life, and portability, and Ultimate Ears' BLAST is a huge winner in my book!
I'm confident that my husband is going to be SO excited when he opens his gift on Christmas! If you're looking for a gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list (in my life, that's ALL the guys!) check out Ultimate Ears' speakers! The BLAST speaker sells for $229.99 and the POWER UP Dock is $39.99. You can also purchase them as a bundle from Amazon and you'll essentially get the dock free!
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What's your favorite BLAST feature? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!
Disclosure: I received the BLAST speaker and POWER UP charging dock at no cost to facilitate an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Amber Ludwig says
I love that it has fabulous and loud sound quality!! I also love that Alexa can control it because I listen to music when cleaning and I swear, every time Im cleaning my toilet a song I hate comes on lol!!