The IKEA Kallsup Bluetooth speaker is a tiny, cube-shaped device roughly the size of a Rubik’s Cube—about 2 inches on each side—that costs just £10 in the UK. It arrives waterproof, with days of battery life, and available in white, pink, and green. On paper, it sounds like a steal. In practice, it is a lesson in why the cheapest option often stays cheap for a reason.
Key Takeaways
- The IKEA Kallsup costs £10 and offers waterproofing and multi-day battery life.
- Sound quality is weak, with distortion at higher volumes and minimal bass depth.
- No charging cable is included in the box; volume controls only work on your device.
- The speaker can pair with up to 100 other units, but this does not improve audio quality.
- Better value exists in the mid-range market for slightly higher prices.
What You Get for £10
The IKEA Kallsup Bluetooth speaker delivers on the basics of connectivity and durability. It pairs via Bluetooth, charges via USB-C (though no cable is included), and survives water exposure without complaint. Battery life stretches across multiple days of playback, making it genuinely practical for casual bathroom listening or outdoor use. The waterproofing alone sets it apart from many no-brand budget alternatives available on Amazon and similar sites.
The hardware is straightforward: two buttons on top handle Bluetooth pairing and play/pause/track advance. That is it. There are no physical volume controls on the speaker itself—you must adjust volume on your connected device. The speaker automatically powers off after a period of inactivity, which preserves battery but adds friction if you want to resume playback quickly. All three color options—white, pink, green—use identical internal hardware, so color is purely aesthetic.
Where the IKEA Kallsup Bluetooth Speaker Falls Apart
Sound quality is where the IKEA Kallsup Bluetooth speaker reveals its true cost. The audio is not high-fidelity. Bass is weak, clarity vanishes at higher volumes, and the entire presentation feels thin and compressed. Push the volume above moderate levels and distortion kicks in noticeably. There is no depth in the low end, no warmth in the mids, and no air in the treble. For a device marketed as a fun, inexpensive option for kids or teens, or as a bedside companion, it technically works. For anyone who cares about how music actually sounds, it does not.
The feature set compounds the disappointment. No charging cable in the box means you need to hunt down a USB-C charger immediately. No volume buttons on the speaker itself means fumbling with your phone every time you want to adjust levels. The missing essentials pile up quickly. The speaker can be grouped with up to 100 other Kallsup units for multi-speaker setups, which is a clever party trick—but it does not improve bass, does not add clarity, and does not solve the fundamental audio problem.
IKEA Kallsup vs. Better Alternatives
Budget Bluetooth speakers exist across a wide price range. Many no-brand options at similar price points sound worse than the Kallsup, which is not a compliment—it just means the competition is terrible. The real comparison is upward. Speakers in the £200 range deliver genuinely impressive audio quality, wireless convenience, and features the Kallsup cannot touch. That gap is enormous, but it exists because audio engineering costs money. The Kallsup tries to bridge that gap by cutting features and accepting audio compromise. The result is a device that belongs in neither camp: too expensive to be a disposable toy, too limited to be a real speaker.
Mid-range options offer better value for slightly higher prices. These alternatives provide superior sound for the additional investment, making the Kallsup’s price advantage less compelling when you factor in what you are actually getting.
Who Should Actually Buy the IKEA Kallsup Bluetooth Speaker
If you need a waterproof speaker for a specific, limited use case—a child’s first Bluetooth device, a shower companion, a desk novelty—the Kallsup works. Its durability and battery life make it functional for these scenarios. If you are shopping for something that sounds good, offers practical controls, or justifies its shelf space with actual audio performance, skip it. The £10 price tag is not a bargain; it is a warning label.
Does the IKEA Kallsup have a charging cable?
No. The IKEA Kallsup Bluetooth speaker includes a USB-C charging port but no cable in the box. You will need to provide your own USB-C charger, which adds a hidden cost to the purchase.
Can you adjust volume on the IKEA Kallsup speaker itself?
Volume controls are not available on the speaker. You must adjust volume through the connected device—your phone, tablet, or computer. This design choice saves cost but creates friction in daily use.
How long does the IKEA Kallsup battery last?
The IKEA Kallsup Bluetooth speaker offers multiple days of battery life per charge. The exact number of hours is not specified, but the battery endurance is one of the few genuine strengths of the device.
The IKEA Kallsup Bluetooth speaker proves that rock-bottom pricing and actual value are not the same thing. It is cheap because it cuts corners on audio quality, includes essentials, and accepts significant design compromises. For £10, you get what you pay for—and that is precisely the problem. Spend a bit more and find something that does not punish you every time you press play.
Where to Buy
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: What Hi-Fi?
