REVIEW – Portable Bluetooth speakers are populating almost every moment of our lives. Music is everywhere. Many Bluetooth speakers I admire are made by Tribit. They have figured out how to make good-sounding speakers priced so that anyone can afford them. One of Tribit’s latest smaller speakers is the new StormBox Mini+. Who said good speakers have to be expensive? No one anymore.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $39.99
Where to buy: Amazon
What is it?
The Tribit StormBox Mini+ is a successor to the original StormBox Mini. The Mini+ model has been added to the Tribit app, and now sports many hardware upgrades: AAC codec (higher quality audio for Apple users), more power, and true wireless stereo (TWS). The size remains the same.
Dual 48mm drivers combined with a passive radiator deliver rich audio, with Dynamic Range Control (DRC) enhancing clarity and balance.
The Mini+ has a short lanyard attached for hanging on a hook, short tree branch, or whatever works. Built-in circular lights at the top of the speaker provide a mini light show that pulses to the music.
A waterproof rating of IPX7 means the Mini+ is protected from immersion in water up to 3.3 feet deep for up to 30 minutes without permanent damage.
What’s included?
- Mini+ speaker
- Lanyard strap
- USB-C charging cable
- Manual
Tech specs
- Dual speaker drivers
- Bluetooth 5.4
- IPX7 waterproof rating
- 12-hour playtime
- True Wireless Stereo
- LED lights
Design and features
The Tribit StormBox Mini+ is exactly that: a mini portable Bluetooth speaker. It’s made to be carried around wherever you find yourself. Its lanyard can hook onto anything (a carabiner would make it even more useful), and the non-slip bottom helps hold the speaker in place when rocking out. And rock it does. With its two large (for its size) speaker drivers and passive radiator, the audio sounds fuller than expected.
Tribit is somewhat lacking in the design department. Their speaker designs feel derivative, owing to Ultimate Ears’ and JBL’s, with the cloth covering and giant Volume/Play buttons. However, I’m not complaining because the design is dead-simple and doesn’t get in the way of function. This is one sturdy speaker.
How sturdy? It can survive 30 minutes in 3 feet of water with no damage. Impressive. It can be left in a downpour with no worries. Note that the thick, rubber port cover must be sealed for the waterproofing to work.
The wrap-around cloth exterior is easy to grasp and hold. There are no slippery parts unlike the Tribit StormBox Flow, a nice indoor portable speaker I previously reviewed.
The rear of the Mini+ speaker features the controls. From top to bottom are: The On/off button, the Bluetooth pairing button, followed by the LED lighting button that controls two light show settings. Lastly, there are an AUX (for headphones) and USB-C charging ports. Both are protected by that rubberized protective cover. It’s a clean, easy-to-use arrangement.
Let’s start with the On/off button. Tribit’s buttons are instant on/off. There’s no press and hold. One quick press and release is all it takes to power the speaker on or off. You would think all speakers would be like this, but no. It’s a nice touch (pun intended) that Tribit should tout.
Bluetooth pairing is instant when the Mini+ is first powered on. After that, it remembers the connection, or it can be long-pressed for a new connection.
The top of the StormBox Mini+ contains the passive bass radiator. It’s ringed by an LED light that pulses to the music. The mini light show is okay, but I tired of it quickly and now leave it off. Younger listeners will love it.
The Mini+ can double as a speaker phone. So many portable speakers are awful phone speakers. Not the Mini+. It actually works well! My brother is the test subject for my calls. He said he could tell I was using a speaker, but I sounded clear and loud enough to be easily understood. That was a nice surprise.
Audio is the main reason to buy a Tribit speaker with budget being a close second reason. The StormBox Mini+ follows Tribit’s ethos of price with quality. You would be hard-pressed to find a better-sounding speaker for the money in any Tribit model.
Audio from the round Mini+ radiates out in a 360° circle. There isn’t a “sweet spot” for listening. It can be placed just about anywhere, and it will sound the same.
If there is a weakness in the audio, it’s the bass. Yes, it’s powerful for its size, but because of a thing called physics, bass is difficult in a small speaker. Plus, the bass is enhanced by a passive radiator rather than a built-in bass woofer, which could bring much more to music. However, a woofer speaker would increase the price substantially. Bass can be increased using the Tribit app EQ settings—or a custom EQ that can be saved and named, which is what I did.
The Tribit app handles many Tribit speakers. With the Mini+, the app handles master volume, LED lighting control, 5 preset EQ settings, Custom 9-band EQ, and Settings (Naming, reset, and firmware updates). There’s no fluff in the app. It’s all fairly basic and useful.
I am not dissing the Mini+’s audio. For what it is, the speaker sounds great. It just has limitations based on its size and price constraints.
Then there’s True Wireless Stereo (TWS). This is a game-changer for anyone wanting the most out of their portable speakers, especially if they are used in a more stationary way. Let me explain. If used outdoors, portable speakers handle stereo badly. It’s the environment, not the speakers. However, stereo audio can be controlled much better indoors if the speakers are left in one spot.
To achieve TWS, two speakers are required. Each speaker must be set up in a specific way—one speaker becomes the “left channel” and the other speaker, the right channel”—true stereo. I have the speakers sitting on each corner of my desk, and the left/right separation is both startling and eerie. It’s eerie because well-placed speakers create an invisible center speaker sound. Bottom line: if you can afford double the price of a single speaker, TWS is magical. It will spoil you.
To use a cliché, Tribit’s StormBox Mini+ speaker ticks many boxes. As good as it sounds, TWS raises it to a new level.
Final thoughts
Tribit keeps hitting home runs with most of its Bluetooth speakers. They continually combine great sound with affordable prices—a feat that’s not easy to pull off. Two StormBox Mini+ speakers cost less than many single speakers, and with the included TWS, it’s hard to beat.
What I like about Tribit StormBox Mini+ speaker
- Affordable
- Good audio
- TWS is magical
- Easy-to-understand buttons
- A no-frills app
What needs to be improved?
- A separate woofer would be nice
Price: $39.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Tribit. Tribit did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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$34.90 (as of September 25, 2025 18:36 GMT -04:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
