The Google Home Mini is an adorable little gateway device into the world of Google Assistant, smart speakers, and smart home control. You may want to bring it with you from room-to-room during your daily activities, but it’s chained to a power outlet. It doesn’t have to be, though! There are a few battery bases out there for the Google Home Mini — and here’s how they stack up.
Get a grip
KIWI Rechargeable Battery Base
This silicone base hugs your Google Home Mini tight and keeps grime from sneaking in during a messy muffin-making mission in the kitchen, but it also blocks the mute switch. KIWI claims up to 16 hours of battery life, and an included strap lets it hang it from a bedpost or your wrist as you carry it around the house. The white is cute, but black will stay cleaner longer.
$30 at Amazon
Shiny and sophisticated
Ninety7 JOT Portable Battery Base
Ninety7 is the go-to brand for smart speaker battery bases, and it just released the “Made for Google” JOT last month. This shiny base locks the Mini in place under a plastic collar — a gap in the back gives mute switch access — and the 5,000mAh battery can last up to eight hours. The black model is understated while the silver shines no matter what color Mini you slip into it.
$35 at Ninety7
Go big and don’t go Home
Insignia Voice Smart Portable Bluetooth Speaker
For just $10 more than the JOT, you can grab yourself a brand-new Google Assistant-powered speaker. The Insignia Voice packs a much larger speaker, a frosted LED display, and five hours of portable playback with its internal battery. This is the speaker I currently use for my daily alarm, bringing it from the bedroom to the bathroom without interrupting my morning music.
$45 at Best Buy
Upgrade pick
TicHome Mini
Want a smart speaker that’s portable, water-resistant, and about the size and adorability of the Google Home Mini? Mobvoi has you covered with the TicHome Mini, which is IPX6 splashproof, boasts a 6-hour battery life, and powered by Google Assistant, just like the Google Home Mini.
$99 at Mobvoi
Given the Google Home Mini’s low price point, there’s not much of a price margin for a high-quality battery base before third-party Google Assistant speakers like the TicHome Mini become the more practical solution than a $35 base for a $50 speaker. The grippy silicone and carry strap of the the KIWI can make a Google Home Mini the only speaker you need in a dorm or studio apartment — especially with the included carry strap — but if you want to dress your Mini up for a holiday party, the Ninety7 JOT looks so good in silver!
