Any product that can bring beer and music together is a beautiful thing. The Burton Lil Buddy speaker cooler might not produce the best sound quality, but the bag is a first-class way to bring the party outdoors.
Donald Bell
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
If someone shows up at your house with a heavy-looking Lil Buddy bag, greet them as your new friend and invite them inside. Chances are, they've got some beer and music to share. Is it just me, or does this photo make me look like I've got arm hair like Robin Williams'?
Beyond the compartments for speakers and chilled beverages, the Lil Buddy offers of two additional compartments on each side--presumably for beer nuts, MP3 players, and maybe some hangover vitamins.
The portable speaker system is great, but if the Lil Buddy can't keep your beer cold, then what good is it? Thankfully, the Lil Buddy's insulated lining worked like a charm. We left cold beer in the bag overnight, and when we pulled it out the next morning it still had some chill on it. The best part: We got to expense a 12-pack of beer in the name of product testing. Hooray, beer!
With the Lil Buddy priced under $50, features such as a padded shoulder strap, metal hardware, a weather-resistant speaker system, and an integrated bottle-opener just seem too good to be true.
It's the little details that make the Lil Buddy awesome. Integrating a bottle opener into the zipper pull is all the proof we needed that this bag intends to party.
The Lil Buddy's front compartment opens up to reveal a AA-battery-powered speaker system that can be plugged into any music source with a stereo minijack connection. There's no built-in volume adjustment or battery-life indicator, so you'll have to adjust the volume on your music player instead--and make sure to switch the amp off when you're finished rockin' out. As a bonus, the entire speaker system can be removed from its Velcro backing if you want to use it independently of the bag or need to use the front compartment for more precious cargo.
