Ikea is no stranger to speakers. The Swedish goliath has been making and selling audio products since the 1970s — and, more recently, it’s been diving into the world of wireless speakers. (It’s probably best known for its collaboration with Sonos on its Symfonisk line of speakers.) Today, Ikea announced its newest speaker: the Vappeby, which is a portable Bluetooth speaker that also doubles as an outdoor lantern. It has a 12-hour battery life, an IP65 water-resistance rating, an integrated handle and it can deliver 360-degree sound.
When looking at the Ikea Vappeby, it’s easy to compare it to the company’s Symfonisk speaker lamp, as the two share a similar mushroom-shaped design and either can work as a light. However, the Vappeby is very much different: it works as a traditional Bluetooth speaker, not a Sonos speaker. Plus, it’s portable, so it doesn’t need to connected to power to work.
The other interesting thing about the Ikea Vappeby is that it’s particularly good for Spotify subscribers. According to the company, it’s the first speaker (as opposed to wireless earbuds or headphones) to support Spotify Tap. This feature allows you to single press a button on the speaker to quickly resume whatever you were listening to on Spotify. If you do a double press, Spotify will play songs based on your listening preferences.
The Ikea Vappeby charges via USB-C, but it doesn’t come with a compatible wall adapter to work. Like many of the latest Apple products, Ikea is likely doing this because it’s assuming you already have a wall adapter that can power the Vappeby. It also helps keep the price of the speaker down, while also being environmentally conscious.
You’ll be able to buy the Ikea Vappeby exclusively from Ikea in April. It comes in one of two colors: blue or gray. The price: $65.
Ikea