If you're looking for the best Bluetooth speaker for listening to in the bath or just taking with you wherever you may roam, IKEA has a new and eminently affordable option: the new waterproof VAPPEBY portable Bluetooth speaker. It'll go on sale worldwide in early April and it costs just $14.99 in the US; other countries' prices haven't been confirmed yet but around £15 seems likely.
Fifteen bucks isn't a lot for a Bluetooth speaker, so I doubt it'll sound as good as some of the best waterproof speakers we've tested. But if you're more interested in practicality than sheer music power this looks like it'll be a good option for bathtime listening, especially if you're more into podcasts than power pop.
What are the specifications of the VAPPEBY waterproof speaker?
IKEA says the new VAPPEBY speaker is IP67 rated, so it can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes (although it's not designed to be chucked into the bath or pool for a long float). It's lightweight at just 170g, and it's two inches thick and three inches tall. It'll be available in red, white or yellow and it has a little strap you can use to hang it from things such as your shower rail.
The new VAPPEBY is also pairable for stereo sound, something you wouldn't normally expect from a basic, budget Bluetooth speaker. £30 for proper stereo is really cheap even by the standards of the budget speaker market.
Although IKEA promises up to 80 hours of listening time between charges, it's worth noting that that's at 50% volume. If you're a loud shower listener it'll drain a lot more quickly. You'll also need to provide your own USB-C charging.
The new VAPPEBY is already on sale in the US and will come to other IKEA locations in April.
