Marley Riddim Mini Bluetooth speaker review

Marley produces some powerful speakers that look brilliant whether they’re in your living room or outside in the garden.

And if you’re looking for something to liven up a barbecue, you could do worse than the Riddim BT Mini.

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It’s one of the smaller models available from the company inspired by the late Bob Marley.

But it certainly doesn’t sound small and has more than enough power to make itself heard over a crowded room or even outside for a garden party or festival.

First off, the Riddim looks the part. A mixture of bamboo panels, black mesh and cork, the speaker got compliments whenever I brought it out during testing.

The materials are recycled and/or sustainably sourced wherever possible according to the blurb on the website - although I’m not sure how the leather carrying strap fits into that particular model.

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Either way, having tested out a range of Bluetooth speakers recently, the Riddim stands out as the best-looking option and wouldn’t look out of place on your mantelpiece or coffee table.

It’s powerful enough too. It’s got two 8 Watt 1.5 inch full range active drivers and 2 passive bass radiators which translates into a lot of sound from such a small unit.

• House of Marley Riddim BT Mini - £79.99 from HMV -

In fact, the whole speaker is just 7.5 inches long and weighs less than a kilo.

It's got a very decent 10-hour battery life and a built-in microphone if you fancy using the unit as a hands-free phone, although I never felt the urge to do so.

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There are, however, a couple of drawbacks to the Riddim: it’s not necessarily cheap considering you can now buy the excellent speakers for under £60.

But equally it doesn’t feel terrible value at £99.99.

The Riddim isn’t waterproof which is also a shame considering how many of its competitors are.

And the decision to have a leather strap partially obscuring the charging port - that you can only loosen by breaking out a screwdriver - is baffling to me, although not a deal-breaker.

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But all things considered, if I was spending my own money, I’d definitely consider the Riddim BT.

The sound is good, the speaker doesn’t struggle to get loud and it looks fantastic, which counts for a lot.

• House of Marley Riddim BT Mini - £79.99 from HMV -

If you want to find more great Bluetooth speakers for under £150, find our list here.