New LG Xboom 360 speaker eclipses the Sonos Move with its lantern-shaped design

All of us at one time or another should own a rugged speaker that was made ready for some serious alfresco listening. LG is tapping into this market by debuting its new Xboom 360, which is a pretty unusual addition to the Bluetooth speaker scene.

We’ve seen various releases in this area over the past few months, with the versatile Sonos Roam that can not only plug into your existing audio setup but also be robust enough to survive knocks and drops. Elsewhere, ruggedization seems to be happening on a bigger scale than ever before, as speakers get sturdier and more waterproof. 

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The LG Xboom 360, though, looks like no other outdoorsy speaker on the market. First, its cone-shaped design gives it the appearance of a sort of kerosene lamp you take away camping. Though the carrying handle certainly adds to the whole tenting feel, it’s clearly a lot sleeker than your average lantern, with a hollowed-out section of the speaker that throws out ambient light.

The light can be switched between different modes, letting you tweak the lighting based on the occasion. Unlike the Sonos Move, though, LG says that the speaker itself is “omnidirectional and connects via Bluetooth," which means that the Xboom 360 stops short of being a fully-fledged hybrid smart speaker that you can take outdoors.

Will the LG Xboom 360 become one of our best Bluetooth speaker systems this year? It's hard to know in a sector that's overflowing with talent. However, it certainly looks impressive and could carve out a unique place for itself based on its image alone. 

Customers will be able to grab the new speaker in burgundy, beige, black, or green fabric outer coverings. According to LG, the speaker will drop this month in ‘key markets.’ It’s already listed on LG's American webpage, and it will set you back a cool $399.99.