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Lodge's Solar-Powered Bluetooth Speaker, Designed to Live Outdoors
For about a decade, Bose and JBL have dominated the portable Bluetooth speaker market, targeting slightly different submarkets. Bose is the go-to for indoor audiophiles, while JBL's rugged offerings are well-suited to beaches and barbecues.A Michigan-based startup called Lodge has done JBL one better. Lodge's weatherproof Solar Speaker 4 is designed to be outside—and stay there. As the name suggests, it doesn't need to be plugged in to recharge; instead it's covered in 180 square inches of shatter-proof solar panels that draw juice from the sun. The 10.5"H x 7"W x 6"D speaker weighs 7.5 pounds. Its Bluetooth range is 100 feet. To cover larger outdoor areas and approximate stereo or surround sound, you can pair multiple units; you just have to designate one as the "main" speaker—that's the one you need to keep the source within 100 feet of—and the others can be placed 30 to 70 feet away, depending on obstructions. To keep the speakers off of the ground, Lodge offers a $25 stake with a circular metal plate on top. You pound the thing into the ground, then the speaker attaches to the plate magnetically. The speakers themselves run $400 a pop ($50 less than JBL's Boombox 3, which lacks solar charging), or $700 for a pair. The company says every hour of direct sunlight provides 2-3 hours of playback time, and that the battery can store 22 hours' worth of juice. And yes, if you're beset by cloudy weather, you can haul the thing over to an outlet and charge it the old-fashioned way.As for audio quality, you'll have to dive into reviews written by your chosen tribe. A ZDNet writer called it "simply the best-sounding speaker I have ever tested" while others complained that the treble is "sizzly" and the bass is "boomy." The product's strongest appeal is undoubtedly that you've got, essentially, infinite battery life.
For about a decade, Bose and JBL have dominated the portable Bluetooth speaker market, targeting slightly different submarkets. Bose is the go-to for indoor audiophiles, while JBL's rugged offerings are well-suited to beaches and barbecues.
A Michigan-based startup called Lodge has done JBL one better. Lodge's weatherproof Solar Speaker 4 is designed to be outside—and stay there. As the name suggests, it doesn't need to be plugged in to recharge; instead it's covered in 180 square inches of shatter-proof solar panels that draw juice from the sun.
The 10.5"H x 7"W x 6"D speaker weighs 7.5 pounds.
Its Bluetooth range is 100 feet. To cover larger outdoor areas and approximate stereo or surround sound, you can pair multiple units; you just have to designate one as the "main" speaker—that's the one you need to keep the source within 100 feet of—and the others can be placed 30 to 70 feet away, depending on obstructions.
To keep the speakers off of the ground, Lodge offers a $25 stake with a circular metal plate on top. You pound the thing into the ground, then the speaker attaches to the plate magnetically.
The speakers themselves run $400 a pop ($50 less than JBL's Boombox 3, which lacks solar charging), or $700 for a pair.
The company says every hour of direct sunlight provides 2-3 hours of playback time, and that the battery can store 22 hours' worth of juice. And yes, if you're beset by cloudy weather, you can haul the thing over to an outlet and charge it the old-fashioned way.
As for audio quality, you'll have to dive into reviews written by your chosen tribe. A ZDNet writer called it "simply the best-sounding speaker I have ever tested" while others complained that the treble is "sizzly" and the bass is "boomy." The product's strongest appeal is undoubtedly that you've got, essentially, infinite battery life.
