Just in time for spring and cozy evening hours on the balcony or terrace, Ikea is presenting the “Vappeby”, a Bluetooth speaker with an integrated light. Ikea’s design is based on the helmet of the Star Wars character Darth Vader. The test shows whether the sound is out of this world.
It’s a shame that Ikea’s recently introduced speaker “Vappeby” does not offer in black – because if you can put the helmet of Star Wars legend Darth Vader on the terrace, then please in the correct color. Unfortunately, there is the “loudspeaker light”, as Ikea calls the Bluetooth speaker , only in a matte blue or grey. Anyway, the “Vappeby” designers are indeed very aware of the similarity to the helmet in question, but apparently it was exactly this shape that made the combination of a cozy lamp, a speaker and suitable for a rechargeable battery, and that’s exactly what Ikea now has in its shop – and the star in the test.
First a few numbers: The height is 25 centimeters, the width 18, the diameter 17. The weight is 1.4 kilograms. Ikea uses an LED ring with 1.5 watts for the light source, the small loudspeaker has an output of ten watts, the nominal impedance is eight ohms. Ikea specifies the capacity of the battery as 3300 mAh. With that “vappeby” come to around twelve hours of mileage. In the test with the highest light setting and low to medium volume, the device first switched off the light after a good eight hours, and the music playback also ended after almost ten hours – however, operation is also possible with a charger connected, here even a power bank would be sufficient in case of doubt, to continue listening to music in a relaxed light.
Few accessories, simple assembly
Since the “loudspeaker light” is a device for outdoor use, it is certified according to protection class IP65. This means that the lamp is protected against dust and can withstand splashing water from all sides, including rain. It is made entirely of plastic and polycarbonate. It’s easy to clean, but looks a bit cheap. Time will tell if the sun will fade the product or if it will keep its colour.
“Vappeby” comes with few accessories. Only a USB-C cable is included with the speaker, the charger was probably left out for the sake of the price. The box also contains the loose bracket for the lampshade, four screws and an Allen key. The assembly is done within a minute, then you can start setting up the speaker. The connection to the Bluetooth source works like any other wireless speaker, a long press on the corresponding button makes the device visible to others, and pairing takes a few seconds.
The device is very simple in design, music playback and light are controlled independently of each other. There is a button on the back of the lamp for the light, which switches the LED ring to full luminosity, half luminosity or off. Two more buttons and a rotary control are positioned on the front. The Bluetooth button is only used to pair new devices, the on/off button also takes on access to “Spotify Tap” in addition to its actual job, more on that below. A center knob controls the volume and is pressed to pause or resume the music. Apart from the USB-C connection, there are no other inputs or outputs, and there is no connection for a jack cable.
Two buttons, one rotary control – there is nothing more on the front of the “Vappeby”.
© star / Christian Hensen
Light perfect, sound ok
As for the light, Ikea hits just the right hue for cozy evenings outdoors. The maximum brightness is 20 lumens, the light color is 2700 Kelvin. With this, “Vappeby” shines in a beautiful, average warm white color. But hopefully for as long as possible, because the bulb is not replaceable and, according to Ikea, may only be replaced “by the manufacturer, a service workshop or a specialist”. The same applies to the battery, which is also permanently installed and not intended for easy replacement.
The small speaker in the lamp does a good job for the price. It sits in the shade and radiates downwards in a cone, spreading the sound evenly in all directions. Of course, “Vappeby” isn’t a miracle of sound, but it’s enough for the background music at sunset or a barbecue party with friends. The maximum volume is quite audible, trebles are reproduced correctly, there is no creaking or croaking. As to be expected from such a small driver, the bass is relatively weak. “Vappeby” doesn’t get along so well with dubstep as it does with lo-fi beats or podcasts, for example. Incidentally, unlike Ikea’s popular Symfonisk speaker series, Sonos was not involved in this device.
Inside the “Vappeby” is an LED light ring and the speaker. The battery is in the foot. A change is not planned for any component, which is somewhat surprising when it comes to the light source.
© star / Christian Hensen
“Spotify Tap” has proven to be a useful function. According to the manufacturer, the Ikea speaker is “the first speaker on the market” with this feature, but in fact only in-ears like Sony’s Linkbuds, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds or headband headphones from Bose can do it. If you press the on/off button very briefly, the loudspeaker either picks up where it was last stopped or switches to another song that suits the listener’s preferences, but does not necessarily have to be saved in an existing playlist got to.
Conclusion and price: Ikea Vappeby
The “speaker light” from Ikea costs 49.99 euros. In return, you get a table lamp and a Bluetooth speaker protected by a Darth Vader helmet. The sound is okay, the light is perfectly suited for the intended purpose. The battery life is long enough, and thanks to the USB-C connection, it can be extended with any mobile power source while on the go.
The feel is okay, but doesn’t appear luxurious. The missing charger is annoying, a suitable copy from Ikea currently costs around 7 euros. The lack of a cable connection for an external player was also noticeable, but it can be coped with with a Bluetooth speaker.
The (protected) USB-C connection is located on the underside, and the button for the light is above the cable duct.
© star / Christian Hensen
“Vappeby” shows the biggest disadvantages in terms of sustainability. Neither the battery nor the illuminant can be changed. The cost of the repair “by a specialist” mentioned above is likely to exceed the value of the speaker, so one can only hope that the device will last a few summer nights.
The concept of wireless outdoor speakers with a built-in lamp is still a rarity among well-known manufacturers. Alternatives would therefore be, for example Flinq Bali XL with wine bottle cooler (129.95 euros), the Schwaiger RGB speaker (59.99 euros) or the Lamp “Lucy” by Luminsky (56.99 euros). He didn’t have any of these speakers star tested so far.
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