#HTE

Ikea Unveils New Bluetooth Speaker with a Surprising Form

Ikea has unveiled a surprisingly designey take on the Bluetooth speaker, and I can’t stop looking at it.

Called VAPPEBY, the Darth-Vader’s-helmet-like form resembles a mushroom or lantern, and does indeed illuminate; the indoor/outdoor speaker’s hood keeps water off of the speaker, and the light source makes it easy to locate during eveningtime barbecues. “"We see VAPPEBY as an essential companion for the balcony, in the garden, or wherever it is needed,” Ikea writes.

I really like the colors, the simplicity of the form, the fact that it has actual physical buttons and a knob, and the handle’s a nice touch too. I have no idea what the sound quality is, but Ikea says in addition to pairing with a local device, the speaker is also Spotify-Tap-enabled, meaning you can pause Spotify and un-pause it later.

The USB-C-chargeable battery reportedly has a run-time of up to 12 hours.

VAPPEBY will be available both online and in Ikea stores next month, and will retail for $65.