Hands-on with the California Roll wireless, waterproof, and solar-powered Bluetooth speaker

There are Bluetooth speakers and then there are Bluetooth speakers, and the California Roll from LEMON is the latter. These speakers can go wherever you want to go, and pack virtually an endless amount of battery life.

The California Roll is built to handle your active lifestyle too. It is waterproof, shockproof, and temperature proof, while also serving as a power bank for your mobile devices if needed.

You do not have to worry about draining the battery while in the field because on the back face of this oval-shaped (roll shaped?) speaker are 9 custom made solar wafers in silicum. The solar panels are made in the USA. The shape of the California Roll is easy to hold.

The California Roll is more than just a robust design though, it also has great sound for a portable Bluetooth speaker, and it has a number of features that are not always found on other portable speakers. The California Roll will support multi-connections, up to 3 smartphones, which enables a multi-host DJ mode. You can also pair two California Rolls together, amplifying sound, both can be controlled by a “master” speaker if you adjust volume directly using volume buttons. Paired speakers will also respond to volume input

With CD-like quality audio, the California Roll is ready to add the right amount of ambience to whatever you are doing, playing on the beach, camping in the mountains, or trekking through the desert. LEMON says that 7.5 hours of sunlight will provide roughly 20 hours of playtime from its 5,000mAh battery. Of course, that playtime can be extended if you let the solar panels take a charge while also streaming audio.

To handle your other gadgets, there is an Aux-in port, micro-USB for charge-in, and a USB for charge-out (5V 2.1A maximum).

The California Roll is available in 5 colors, black, blue, red, silver, and white. Each color available in two styles, with a cloth-styled speaker grill and same color logo, or a metal grill with a black and chrome logo. As far as styling goes, the California Roll is functional, and durable while leaning a bit on the conservative side.

At $249.00, the California Roll does charge a bit of a premium, but the feature set and rugged design justify that price. Pre-order now at LEMON’s website, and use coupon code 5W20, you will save 20%. California Rolls ship in March.