Inateck’s BTSP-20 is an IPX5-certified splashproof 3W Bluetooth speaker that’s ideal for rocking out to your tunes in the bath, shower, at the beach or in the pool. Also see: 13 best portable speakers. It might be only a 3W speaker inside, but this Inateck Bluetooth speaker has enough of a punch to fill even the biggest bathroom with sound. A suction cup is supplied that, in our tests, secured the lightweight (230g) speaker to bathroom tiles, doors, walls and more. There is also a rubber lanyard, which might come in handy if you’re carrying this highly portable speaker to the beach. The IPX5 certification means the Inateck is splashproof, rather than fully waterproof, so don’t try submerging it along with your rubber duck. The odd drop of water or a bit of steam won’t harm the device, since the AUX and charging ports are concealed behind a rubber flap, and the power, volume and speakerphone buttons are also protected with rubber. However, the speaker itself is concealed behind a black plastic mesh through which water can creep. The Inateck BTSP-20 has a rugged appearance: a small 85mmx85mm square, just 46mm deep, with a black rubber tread and orange trim that circles the edges. Even in dripping wet hands this Bluetooth speaker is easy to grip, and should the suction cup fail or you drop it on the hard floor of a swimming pool we wouldn’t be too worried about its safety. The Inateck pairs with your phone, tablet, laptop or PC over Bluetooth 3.0. You can also use an AUX cable, but note that the speaker will not be splashproof in this mode. Given that many of the latest smartphones feature waterproof protection – and even some tablets, such as Sony’s Xperia Z2 Tablet and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact – in Bluetooth mode the Inateck will be most useful with entry-level and mid-range handsets that don’t take like a duck to water. But even with high-end waterproof phones, Inateck’s BTSP-20 allows you to turn up the sound louder than what is available from your device. Given that low price, and the small 3W speaker inside, you shouldn’t expect the ultimate audio quality from the Inateck BTSP-20. At times we found it could sound a little muffled, although plenty loud, and there’s no distortion. While it won’t be the best bass speaker in the world the Inateck is more than capable of pumping out the sort of relaxing music you might want to pair with some candles and a bath bomb. As with other cheap Bluetooth speakers the Inateck doesn’t come with a dedicated mobile app, but playback is easy to control using the volume buttons on the device itself and software preinstalled on your phone. The 500mAh battery inside supports fast charging, filling up in two hours, and should last around five, depending on your usage. Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter. Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
