It pumps out 20W of power at 360 degrees through its downward-firing 127mm main driver and 25mm tweeter. Plus it has the advantage of being weather-resistant, so a splash of rain needn't kill the beach party. And there's an extremely funky blue ambient light to add ambience to any night-time boogie behaviour. It runs off eight size D batteries and Grundig claims it offers good sound at up to 50m.
Travel Tripod Mini MP3 Speakers (£15)
The Travel Tripod definitely has a distinctive look, but it's practical too. The tripod flattens into a single tube measuring a compact 40 x 150mm and comes with a protective cap to defend the 3.5mm jack plug against unwelcome knocks when it's stowed in your pack.
The downside of that skyward-pointing jack is that you'll need to plug in a larger iPod upside down, although it's ideal for the nano, which has its headphone plug on the bottom. It claims ten hours playback from two AAA batteries, though it can also be powered by USB link to PC or from the mains with a USB adapter. And speaking of the nano, it's also available in shocking pink, if you're that way inclined. You can pick one up from Go Planet Go .
Ixos XMM238 iPod Speaker Cube (£18)
This dinky little cube is ideal for stashing away in the bottom of your holdall or suitcase. It measures just 7cm each way, weighs 130g and offers a respectable 2W of sound from its speaker. Don't expect much in the way of bass from a speaker this small, but the cute quotient is off the scale.
The Ixos XMM238 connects to your iPod via 3.5mm jack, claims eight hours of iPod playback from four AA batteries. And it will also play from your computer via USB connection, or the mains, though you'll need a USB adapter for this. It comes in white, or a rather tasteful pastel pink.
Dave Oliver and Rob Mead
