IKEA refreshes super-cheap Bluetooth speaker that we love, as part of new series that will ‘reimagine’ home tech

The pink and blue versions of IKEA's Vappeby Bluetooth speakers, on a pink table and being held on a string

(Image credit: IKEA)

IKEA announces a colorful new range of home electronics
The range will be made in collaboration with the colorist Teklan
Two new colors of its portable Vappeby Bluetooth speaker are out now

IKEA is no stranger to home tech, making smart lights, smart sensors and picture frame speakers, and more. Unfortunately, not many of those come decked in the bold colors that the homeware giant is famous for, but IKEA has just promised to fix that with a new series that it claims will "reimagine" home electronics.

The new home gadgets are being designed in collaboration with Tekla Evelina Severin, a designer and colorist known as Teklan on Instagram, and will apparently combine color, patterns and geometric forms to help the tech hold its own when surrounded by your bold, complementary home decor.

So far, so vague, but IKEA has given us a teaser of what to expect by refreshing its super-cheap (and surprisingly good) portable Vappeby Bluetooth speaker ($15 / £12 / AU$22) with two new colors. When the speaker launched last year it was available in black, red or yellow finishes, but the Teklan collaboration has delivered some rather fetching blue and pink versions that are available now.

The slightly less good news is that the full Teklan range isn't expect to launch until "early 2026" with more details to follow nearer that time. Come on, IKEAn – we were at least hoping to get some new stocking fillers in time for this Christmas. Still, the Vappeby speaker gives us some confidence that the new range could be worth the wait...

Cheap, cheerful...and actually good?

IKEA Vappeby Bluetooth speaker next to a rubber duckie, in a bathroom — It's right at home with your bathroom accoutrements – but don't be fooled, the sound is no joke, not for this money (Image credit: Future)

If IKEA's refreshed Vappeby speaker is a taste of what's to come from its new Teklan collaboration, then that's a good sign – particularly if it applies that formula to some actually new, affordable products.

The Vappeby's price tag might create understandable caution, but TechRadar's Audio Editor Becky Scarrott tested the Vappeby last year – and her surprising conclusion was that it's "excellent" and an "alarmingly good Bluetooth speaker for the money".

While the speaker's new blue and pink variants look promising, it's hard to conclude that yellow (above) still isn't the best for bathroom tunes. Still, blue or pink could suit your decor better, and whatever version of Vappeby you go for it's hard to beat it on bang-for-buck.

Our testing found it to be "wholly worthy of its IP67 claim" for waterproofing, which means it can be dunked in water down to one meter and still survive for 30 minutes. And our review concluded that "there's very little wrong with the Vappeby sonically" as long as you "expect a forward-sounding, excitable performance rather than a laid-back or refined listen". That's why it made our list of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers last year.

It would be great to see IKEA repeat the Vappeby formula with other tech – I'm thinking portable heaters, desktop speakers, microphones, perhaps even a genuinely desirable router. What cheap-and-cheerful product would you like to see IKEA rustle up in this new designer collection? Let us know in the comments below.

Mark is TechRadar's Senior news editor. Having worked in tech journalism for a ludicrous 17 years, Mark is now attempting to break the world record for the number of camera bags hoarded by one person. He was previously Cameras Editor at both TechRadar and Trusted Reviews, Acting editor on Stuff.tv, as well as Features editor and Reviews editor on Stuff magazine. As a freelancer, he's contributed to titles including The Sunday Times, FourFourTwo and Arena. And in a former life, he also won The Daily Telegraph's Young Sportswriter of the Year. But that was before he discovered the strange joys of getting up at 4am for a photo shoot in London's Square Mile.