Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go Bluetooth Speaker Review
A pocket-sized, waterproof speaker that floats — built for showers, pools, and trails.
A waterproof speaker that floats, fits in a jacket pocket, and costs about as much as a few coffees. For showers, pools, and trails, that combination is hard to beat.
What the Soundcore Select 4 Go actually is
This is Anker's budget pocket speaker, sitting in the $25 to $35 range on Amazon. It's small, rugged, and rated to survive water. The headline trick is that it floats, which matters more than it sounds if you've ever watched a speaker sink to the bottom of a pool.
Think of it as the speaker you don't worry about. Toss it in a beach bag, clip it to a backpack, hang it in the shower. It's built to get wet, knocked around, and generally abused. That's the whole pitch, and Anker has a long track record of nailing this exact category.
How it sounds day to day
Set your expectations to the size and price. A speaker this small physically cannot move much air, so deep bass isn't happening. What you get is clear mids and a surprisingly loud top end for the footprint. Podcasts, acoustic stuff, and pop all come through clean at conversational-to-party volumes in a small space.
Push it hard outdoors and it shows its limits. On an open trail or a windy beach, the sound thins out and you'll want to keep it within a few feet. Indoors in a bathroom or kitchen, it punches well above its weight because the walls do the work the speaker can't. If you want room-filling sound or actual bass, you're shopping in the wrong price bracket.
Battery, waterproofing, and the practical stuff
Owners consistently report all-day battery life on a charge, which is plenty for a pool day or a long hike. The waterproof rating is the real selling point here. It handles splashes, rain, and a dunk without drama, and because it floats you're not fishing it out of the deep end.
Pairing is quick and Bluetooth range is fine for the way you'll actually use a speaker this size. There's a strap or loop on most units in this line for clipping it to a bag, which is exactly what you want from a grab-and-go device. Charging is over USB-C, as it should be in 2025.
Who should buy it, and who should skip it
Buy it if you want a cheap, durable speaker for the shower, pool, kitchen, or campsite and you don't care about audiophile sound. It's a great gift, a great second speaker, and the kind of thing you can hand to a kid without flinching. For under $35, the value is genuinely strong.
Skip it if you want bass you can feel, if you're trying to fill a backyard with sound, or if you mostly listen in big open spaces. Step up to a JBL Clip 5 or a larger Soundcore Motion model for more output and low end. Those cost more for a reason.
The verdict
The Soundcore Select 4 Go does one job and does it well: be loud enough, survive water, and cost almost nothing. It's not a hi-fi device and it never pretends to be. As a knockabout speaker you stop worrying about, it earns its spot in the bag.
For the money, it's an easy recommendation as long as you know what you're getting. Set expectations correctly and you'll be happy.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the Soundcore Select 4 Go really float?
- Yes. It's designed to float on water, so a pool or lake drop won't send it to the bottom. Combined with its waterproof rating, that makes it a solid pick for swimming and beach use.
- Is the sound good enough for outdoor parties?
- For a small gathering on a patio at close range, it's fine. For a big open backyard or anywhere windy, it gets thin. Step up to a larger speaker like a JBL Clip 5 or a Soundcore Motion if you need real volume and bass outdoors.
- How long does the battery last?
- Owners commonly report all-day playback on a single charge at moderate volume, which easily covers a pool day or a hike. It recharges over USB-C.
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