Fugoo (Style, Sport, Tough) review

SOUND QUALITY

Sound quality was respectable, with punchy bass that is arguably a little too overpowering on certain tracks. Treble was perhaps a little bright for our tastes as well, but this is likely intentional in order to improve clarity when listening outdoors. You’re unlikely to be listening in an analytical manner when out camping. With drivers pointed in all four directions the speakers pleasingly lacked any degree of directionality with the sound. Beyond aptX Bluetooth, there’s also a 3.5mm auxiliary jack for connecting a wired device and Micro USB for charging on the back of the speaker.

We liked how the volume buttons could also be used to skip tracks by holding down the multifunction circle button. Most usefully, holding the circle button while powering the speaker on toggles between normal and loud modes. Loud mode lived up to its name, making the Fugoo one of the loudest portable speakers we’ve tested, although it colours the sound slightly so should be reserved for outdoor use.

An omnidirectional microphone on the top of the speaker lets you make handsfree calls, or control your smartphone using Siri on iOS or Google Now on Android. The microphone lacks sensitivity, however, so we essentially had to be directly next to the speaker for our voice to be picked up adequately.

BATTERY LIFE

What really sets the Fugoo apart from its rivals is its incredible battery life. It’s rated for up to 40 hours of listening, and while we couldn’t match that claim we still managed well over 30 hours at medium volume before needing to charge. With such excellent longevity, it’s a shame you can’t use the Fugoo as an emergency charger for other devices.

CONCLUSION

The Fugoo is a supremely tough Bluetooth speaker that eclipses its rivals. Battery life is incredible and the wide range of accessories make it ideal for outdoor adventures. At £150 for the Fugoo Style rising to £190 for the Fugoo Tough, the range isn’t cheap, but compared to rivals like the UE Mega Boom it’s actually quite reasonable. Of the three varieties, we were most fond of the Sport, which was a nice balance between size and robustness.

If you don’t want to spend as much, or don’t need such extreme toughness, the Divoom Voombox Outdoor is considerably cheaper – but also doesn’t sound nearly as good.