Customer Ratings & Reviews

This Polk-Bit Portable Bluetooth Speaker, a little larger than a Zippo lighter, is a great personal localized sound device for people who want to be more aware of their surroundings than is possible wearing headphones. Almost everything about this device is a "Pro" - it is small and light, it has very good sound (including bass!), it charges using a standard USB port, and works as a speakerphone. It's not designed to be used as a bluetooth speaker - it is designed to be worn on your clothing near your head - it doesn't support room-filling volume because it isn't designed to - but at lower volumes closer to your ears the sound is surprisingly good. It is a perfect choice for people who like audio books and would like to have the books follow them around - and the speakerphone option works very well. The only real big "Con" about the device is that all the bluetooth related features are controlled using just two buttons: + / -. That's obvious for things like volume up or down - or for skipping tracks forward or back (hold for two seconds). I prefer to have a separate button for pausing, and to answer and terminate a call - with two button operation, you can screw things up if you get the + / - confused (so you might hang up a call instead of answering it). Battery life is listed at 3 hours per charge - I would prefer a little more play time even if it meant some added weight for a better battery - but that's just a preference, not a "Con." And even though the device appears to be water-resistant (?) - it has a rubberized feel to it and the USB connector is protected by a hood (?) that appears to make a watertight seal - there's no information about that on the site or in the instructions so I wouldn't go swimming with it, OK.

First off, it's cute. And the 'sky blue' color of the one I received, was a fun alternative to the "basic black" choice. Opening the plastic packaging was not a problem; just cut along the handy dotted line. Setup is easy, as are the simple controls detailed in the instructions. The spring clip is strong enough to make sure this wearable device stays put, even during a run or when working out. But it is the sound this tiny speaker delivers that surprised me. "Booming" with clear, crisp, audio output. Although the 3-hour battery life may seem lacking, remember what this device is ideally usable for. And it delivers that, just fine. Portability, wearability, short periods of enhanced audio, wireless hands-free chatting, all while enabling you to keep aware of your surroundings, which earbuds or a headset can sometimes hinder. I'm quite pleased with this little device. And for those wanting to fill a particular audio need, I'd suggest they give the Polk BOOM Bit wearable bluetooth speaker a try.

When I opened the package for the speaker, I laughed as I immediately thought there is no way this will sound good. Boy was I wrong. The little speaker puts out some quality sounds. It is surprisingly loud for such a small device. I paired it with my tablet and it was great for watching movies. It's also very comfortable to wear while walking or jogging if you prefer not to use headphones. The only "downside" to the speaker is the controls. There are two buttons and by using various combinations of pressing them, you can control the device (on, off, pair, etc). Trying to remember the combinations is tricky so I put the small instruction card provided in my wallet for easy access. Other than the tricky controls (giving the review 4 stars), this is a solid little bluetooth speaker.

I love the size and sound of the small speaker. I use the clip all the time. I also like that it can be charged by plugging it into any USB port. I only wish the charge would last longer.

this is a small portable speaker and it works really well. my speaker on my phone is on the back, so i wanted something small to play music. especially when I'm working around the house, i can clip the speaker to my shirt. the speaker has usb piece built in it so there are no wires for charging. the speaker connects really easy to my phone and i had about 3 hours of play. you can also answer your phone.

Love the size and color and the sound is very nice. Polk usually makes good speakers - I have 5 of their wi-fi's in the house. Fits very nicely in my purse without a lot of extra weight. Just a surprisingly nice little speaker. I just don't like the USB connection. Sure, I have lots of USB ports, but the configuration on this little speaker is awkwardly positioned and difficult to connect. A mini USB port would have been so much better. Even if it meant being wired.

I use this speaker for working around the house. This way I can listen to music while still being able to hear the children, doorbell, land line phone & other things necessary to hear. For that use, it is plenty loud enough. Wearing bluetooth earbuds take you out of the environment which is why I like this speaker. It connects quickly and easily, clips on & holds firmly. Granted there is not a lot of bass but it is small which I find more of a plus than having a lot of bass. I think other reviewers are expecting too much from a small & inexpensive bluetooth speaker which has its own attributes. Instead take it for its positive attributes.

I use this thing every time i go MTB'ing and it plays a huge part on my rides. Listening to music and being heard at the same time on the trails is a plus. Sounds great and is durable. Took a digger and its fine.

Easy to use, light-weight, small, shockingly great sound for its size. Got it on sale, so well worth the investment. :)

Ok, sure, this little guy can't pump out a ton of bass. But no one should expect a ton of bass. What you do get, is a fun little BT speaker that sounds extremely clear for the size. I was actually quite impressed. The clip is strong. I have no concern about whether it will lose grip. I clipped it on my shirt, and it held on perfectly well. Also, the clip allows the speaker to recline on it's side, so you can use it as a very small free-standing speaker. I've found that aspect to be more useful than I would have thought. I wish there were a few more controls built in, especially a dedicated power button or function button. It is easy enough to set up with the included instructions (assuming tiny print works for you). But I may not remember the setup in a year when I change phones. That's why I'd like a dedicated pairing button, for instance. Also, it's not water-proof, although it certainly looks water-resistant. I think it'd do fine in rain, but I don't recommend dipping it in water, since the hinge to expose the USB port doesn't seem to always fully seal when closed. In terms of size, I'd say it falls somewhere between a large thumb drive and a small cigarette lighter. It's also very light but seems sturdy. The Boom Bit lasts about 3 hours on a charge and seems to charge reasonably quickly. You just open the hinged end and plug it directly into a USB-A port. Note, it can also be used for hand-free calls and does a surprisingly good job with voices. The speaker seems to be optimized for the mid-range, which is were most voices fall. This is a fun little speaker. With a few tweaks, it'd be really awesome, but it's pretty good as is.

This is REALLY tiny, light weight, easy to carry along and the sound is surprisingly good. Like it a lot.

When I ordered this speaker, I expected it to be a little bigger than it was. It's definitely very small - about the size of one of those ancient flash drives that would block up two USB ports. Still, it sounds pretty decent for its size, and the way it charges is pretty cool! Basically just plugs straight into any USB port. Battery lasts about 3-4 hours in my experience.

I love Polk Audio products. This is the smallest of them, but it is bigger than it looks in terms of sound. This little guy is literally about the size of your thumb, and it is light as a feather. Clip it on your messenger bag strap, or your shirt collar, anywhere handy, and enjoy some pretty loud tunes without having to cover/fill your earholes, haha. I keep this with me all of the time, and I use it a lot. It is a nice bridge between listening through your phone's inadequate speaker and popping in/on the headphones. Catch it when it is on sale and you will be even happier with your purchase.

Picked this up as a gift for my mother-in-law. She uses EVERYWHERE! Small in size but it does get decently loud. Quality is good enough for the size. It's only a bit louder that the phones speakers but that's enough for its intended application.

Great little Bluetooth speaker. Works great in low to medium ambient noise. The response on reception is great. No echoing or background noise. Just talk as if you were talking normal and they can hear you great. Also great for listening to Soundcloud, Pandora, or even YouTube. Cons- no privacy. If volume is turned all the way up, Everyone in a 15-20 ft radius can hear your conversation. And the 3hr battery life that is advertised is no where near 3hrs. It's more like 1.5hrs and that's pushing it. In result, would I recommend, for short phone conversations or a quick run or bike ride then yes. As an all day use then no. Not even close to a maybe.

I use this for Biking with my daughter. She sits in a bike trailer, and I have the speaker clipped either to my belt or the trailer itself. I stream some fun music that she can hum along to while we ride. Easy to set up. Fine sound for the size of the speaker. More for "personal" use than for filling out a party space.

The Polk - Bit Portable (wearable) Bluetooth Speaker has great mid-range sound quality when you consider its diminutive size. Clipped to my collar close to center of my shirt front the volume was adequate for street use while allowing for good safety through improved situation awareness (you hear other sounds in your environment). The Bluetooth speaker was easy to use for playing music or using for cellphone calls. It has 2 buttons (a + and a -) that are easy to identify by touch and provide good functionality. Battery life is fine for a commute or walk of about 2-3 hrs. I used the online instructions – a .pdf file to learn what I needed to know. When used with my cellphone it functioned just fine. The low price makes it a nice inexpensive personal accessory or gift. While it seem to resist moisture I would prefer waterproof construction.

The Polk Boom Bit works great. I followed the “Quick Start Guide” instructions included in the package and turned the unit on and then tried to listen to something on my phone. First I made sure my Bluetooth on my phone was turned on. But when playing my music from my phone, it only came out of my phone speaker. I went online to search for better instructions. The instructions reminded me to open my Bluetooth list on my phone and to scan for devices, then make sure I had enabled the Boom Bit on the list – something which I usually do but had forgotten. I didn’t need to do the scan because the device was already listed when I opened the Bluetooth on my phone. All I had to do was click on the device to connect it. Then everything worked fine. Here is a link to the on-line manual: https://d3vqw2nv1topde.cloudfront.net/assets/Product%20Documents/Bit_Owners_Manual.pdf I clipped the Boom Bit to my shirt and turned on some music on my phone. I could hear it perfectly. By clipping it on my t-shirt near my ear, I was hoping that only I would be able to hear the music. I asked someone in the same room if they could hear it and they could not – which was a huge plus to me. I had to walk over very close to them before they could hear it and I could still hear it perfectly. Then I stepped outside to test it. I found that I could hear traffic and car noises perfectly while also listening to my music. It immediately made me feel safer since I could hear other noises in my surroundingsI stopped to talk to someone and I was quickly and easily able to turn the volume down while we talked and back up when I started off again by using the plus and minus buttons on the side of the boom bit. The Boom Bit is light-weight and did not make my shirt hang down. In fact, it was so comfortable that I could hardly feel it there. I was able to keep my phone securely in my pocket without worry of dropping it while running. I also liked that I didn’t have to deal with uncomfortable ear buds that tend to fall out when I run or with ear bud cords dangling down. I had tried both regular and blue tooth ear buds but didn’t feel safe that I couldn’t hear other outside noises when using them. While using the Boom Bit, I could still hear traffic noises and dogs barking in the distance and felt more aware of my surroundings while still being able to hear my music. The clip is very strong and it felt very secure. The instructions recommend that you do not clip it on to anything more than 1/4” in thickness. To charge the device, just remove the bottom part of the rubberized case and it reveals a USB plug which you can plug into your computer or into a USB port on a wall plug. Also, the bottom part that you open to reveal the plug has a flexible rubber tab that allows you to access the plug but keeps that part of the case still attached to the rest of the case, so there’s no losing it. When charging, the LED light on the Boom Bit turns red. It will turn off when the device is completely charged. According to the manual (online), it takes 2 hours to fully charge and will give 3 hours of uninterrupted music play at half volume. When connected to your phone, a battery icon is supposed to appear on your phone telling you the status of the battery on the Boom Bit, but I didn’t have one appear on my phone. The Quick Start Guide includes directions on how to: turn the power off and on, play and pause your media, connect and disconnect Bluetooth, volume control, track forward or back, answer or hang up from a phone call, and factory reset. The only instruction lacking (for me) was a reminder to enable the device on my phone.

Any product review should rate the product based on what it was designed to do. To say the Polk Bit doesn't have much base or high dynamic range is to miss the whole point. It was designed as a small speaker you can take with you on the go which will produce decent sound in sufficient volumes to make headphones unnecessary. And to that end it does its job. In fact, it does it well. And it's light, is easy to charge without an adapter to lose (it has a USB connector built in), and works well as a hands-free speaker for your cell phone. I took off a star because the buttons are a little difficult to operate. They are covered with a thick rubber piece that can make it a challenge to get a positive press on the button, especially when you are required to press both buttons at the same time. For example, to turn it on you hold both the volume - and + keys for a couple of seconds. Sometimes I think I have both buttons pressed, but the Bit doesn't come on. After 5 or 6 seconds of this, I figure it out, but it's just not as easy as it could be. I'm used to it now, so it doesn't really bother me that much. For the price, I think this is a great little speaker, especially if you don't want to wear headphones but like a little sound when you are running, working in the garden, or doing whatever you do. Just clip it to your clothes and go.

Love the sounds. Would recommend to anyone. Awesome!