Cue the lights, strike up the music and let the garden party begin. Ikea’s got a new outdoor lantern coming. What’s interesting is that it doubles as the first Bluetooth speaker on the market with Spotify Tap built in.
The one-touch Spotify functionality isn’t the only music streaming service you can use with the lamp, called the Ikea Vappeby. But it’s handy.
Ikea Vappeby outdoor lamp and Bluetooth speaker with Spotify Tap
Ikea’s lantern-esque Vappeby is both a portable Bluetooth speaker and an LED lamp, the company said. It could be a must-have for a party down at the beach at sunset or for a camping trip.
The device features 360-degree sound and a built-in rechargeable (USB-C) battery with 12 hours of playback.
The lamp/speaker comes with a handle on the top. Designed for outdoor use, the Vappeby is IP65-rated. That means it’s fully resistant to dust and splashes (but don’t toss it in the pool).
The Vappeby, when it’s released in April, will be the first Bluetooth speaker offering Spotify Tap, which is designed to generate new music based on your listening history with a tap of a button.
To activate Spotify Tap, download the companion app, configure the soft button, and set Spotify as the service. Then tap the speaker’s button. That’s it.
And note that you can still use Vappeby with other streaming services, like Apple Music, or to listen to music stored on your devices.
One in a growing number of Ikea Bluetooth speakers
“This is an essential add-on to our Bluetooth speaker range and an important step on Ikea’s journey to democratize music for the many people. Our primary focus is to increase user experience, lower the thresholds, and make music and light easily accessible,” said Stjepan Begic, product owner at Ikea of Sweden.
This is far from Ikea’s first foray into the Bluetooth speaker market. The Swedish-founded company makes the Eneby series speaker. It also partnered with Sonos to launch the Symfonisk series. It includes speakers in lamps and picture frames, and one in the shape of a bookshelf.
You can get the Vappeby speaker lamp in matte gray or blue colors. It comes out in the U.S. in April at a price of $64.99. The USB power adapter is sold separately.
