Thanks to the popularity of retro electronics and style, the boombox has made something of a comeback. Like the original boombox, new boomboxes are a great way to enjoy music anywhere you go—at a campground, in the backyard, at home or even hosting a party at the park.

When choosing the best boombox radio for you, consider what you want to play. There are typically options for CDs, cassettes, radio and streaming music. Radio CD player boomboxes are a popular choice and quite a few boomboxes with cassette decks are also available. If you want to add streaming music to your listening options, get a boombox with Bluetooth that will easily connect with a phone or other device.

From there, you can think about style. Do you want a retro boombox with a particular flare, like a classic 80s boombox? Many brands are styling their boomboxes in fun and flashy ways that bring a little retro pop to your music listening.

While choosing a Bluetooth speaker is the most common path for portable listening, the vintage boombox allows you both better style and more options in terms of what kind of media you can play. You can finally go through your closet or a relative’s collection and enjoy those classic mix tapes, homemade CDs and much more.

In other words, a cassette deck or CD player boombox is so much more than just a fun retro gift to yourself or a friend or family member. It actually allows you to access materials that you might otherwise not get to enjoy. With CDs, you can also rediscover the pleasure of listening to a whole album in one sitting.

When you want to listen on the go, you can share your music with everyone or use a set of headphones for some solo listening. Also, if you don’t have a rechargeable battery boombox, be sure to keep yourself stocked with batteries, ensuring you can keep listening when a power source isn’t available.