Fans of singing in the shower should start warming up their vocal cords. IKEA has just released its Vappeby Bluetooth speaker at a budget price, and it’s totally waterproof.
Product Design Developer at IKEA of Sweden Stepan Begic stated “The fundamental goal with the new speaker was to offer quality sound in a versatile product that can really be used anywhere." At just three inches square and two inches thick this is an incredibly portable speaker indeed. It even comes with a lanyard so you could wear it around your neck like Flavor Flav, or at least hang it in the shower easily.
The sound on any device so small is of course not going to rival the best Bluetooth speakers but it is possible to combine two speakers together for stereo sound. It’s not just the portability of these speakers that stands out. They’re pretty tough too; an IP67 rating means that it has complete protection from dust and can survive in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
Not a fan of recharging? IKEA also claims that at 50% volume, the battery will last for a mighty 80 hours, long enough to assemble even the trickiest of furniture. Or at the very least a few weeks' worth of showers.
At a $15 price, the Vappeby portable speaker has little direct competition, but with summer BBQs and pool parties hopefully not too far away it will be interesting to see how it matches up with the likes of the JBL Go 3, the best waterproof speaker for under $50.
Available in a choice of colors and all regions this is a speaker that is likely to prove popular with IKEA fans and beyond. It's a shame it doesn’t come with a USB-C charger, but we all have plenty of those lying around.
The Vappeby lineup also includes an outdoor lamp that doubles as a speaker but at $89, we expect the cheaper portable speaker to fly off the shelves first. Stay tuned for our full review.
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