Bluetooth speakers are often designed to be used outdoors, but few actively draw on the elements to give them a boost. Enter the Malibu, Urbanista's new portable speaker and the latest addition to the company's line-up of light-powered products, which the company boasts is the world's first solar-powered speaker using Exeger's Powerfoyle technology to give it some juice.
Thanks to said Powerfoyle tech, the waterproof Malibu self-charges whenever you expose it to either indoor or outdoor light, meaning you can keep your music topped up wherever you are (although it’s best to avoid dark caves and spooky dungeons).
Made from recycled materials, the Malibu is designed to be a sustainable sound solution for the eco-conscious audio consumer. Not that it appears to be particularly delicate: the eco-friendly speaker is IP67 rated, meaning the Malibu is pretty much fully waterproof and protected against the ingress of small particles.
According to Urbanista's current testing, the latest development-stage samples of the Malibu sees the speaker giving a playtime of up to 30 hours, extending to around 15 hours through 50k lux solar light charging (50k lux is the standard amount of light on an averagely sunny day). These are, of course, subject to change at this point.
The Malibu's companion app comes with fully customisable EQ, keeping you updated on the speaker’s live light charging and historical battery data to make the most out of your playtime. Better yet, the eco-speaker comes with a full-day battery reserve, ensuring you don’t run out of charge when the skies turn grey.
There's also a USB-C port for traditional charging if required, as well as a supplied carrying lanyard for ease of portability. If you’ve got two Malibus, you can employ Stereo Link technology to get them both playing at the same time for boosted sound wherever you go.
According to Giovanni Fili, CEO of Exeger (the company responsible for Powerfoyle technology): “We continue to push the pace and boundaries of innovation as this is our third light-powered product launch in three years. To bring yet another world’s first product with Powerfoyle technology to market is something we are very proud of and we are excited to see the adventure people go on with Urbanista Malibu.”
The Urbanista Malibu is priced at £149 / $149 and comes in a choice of Midnight Black or Desert Gray. It will be available to buy from late September 2023 onwards.
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