The IKEA KALLSUP is an ultra-budget portable Bluetooth speaker. It's aimed at buyers who want an inexpensive yet stylish-looking device for listening to music or podcasts. Its cute, cube-shaped design and built-in battery make it easy to move around the house or slip into a bag. You can also connect multiple units for synchronized playback, but this feature only works with other KALLSUP speakers.
Our Verdict
The IKEA KALLSUP is disappointing for music. It has a thin, bright sound, with hardly any low end to give kick drums or basslines punch. Voices and instruments also lack some fullness, while the emphasized high-mids make singers and lead instruments sound forward and sometimes harsh. It's loud enough for close-up background listening, but it can't fill a room with music. You'll also get a duller sound as you move beside or behind it. It plays stereo tracks in mono, and there's no EQ to adjust its sound.
Exceptionally small and lightweight.
Can link multiple KALLSUP speakers for synchronized playback.
Thin, bright sound with very little bass.
Doesn't get very loud.
Downmixes stereo audio to mono.
The IKEA KALLSUP is disappointing for watching videos and movies. Its emphasized high-mids help dialogue stand out, but voices can still sound thin and harsh. There's also very little bass, so action scenes full of explosion effects lack impact. Since it downmixes stereo content to mono, wide soundtracks also don't feel very immersive. Its limited volume makes it better for watching up close, and you'll want it facing you because the sound will be duller if you're seated off to the side. On the plus side, Bluetooth latency is very low on iOS, but higher on Android. Regardless, latency can vary with the connected device and app, so your experience may differ.
Exceptionally small and lightweight.
Very low Bluetooth latency on iOS.
Thin, bright sound with very little bass.
Doesn't get very loud.
Downmixes stereo audio to mono.
The IKEA KALLSUP is acceptable for podcasts. Voices sound clear and prominent, making speech easy to follow, although hosts can sound harsh due to the peak in the high-mids. Its limited volume makes it best for listening nearby rather than listening from the other side of a large space. You'll also want to keep the speaker facing you, since voices sound noticeably duller from the sides and back. On the plus side, it's small and light enough to carry around the house or toss in a bag.
Exceptionally small and lightweight.
Very low Bluetooth latency on iOS.
Doesn't get very loud.
Downmixes stereo audio to mono.
The IKEA KALLSUP doesn't have a built-in microphone for voice assistant support.
The IKEA KALLSUP is inadequate for outdoor use. On the plus side, it's battery-powered and exceptionally small and lightweight, making it easy to slip into a bag for a trip to the park. But it doesn't have an official water- or dust-resistance rating, and its exposed USB-C port is vulnerable to moisture. It also doesn't get loud enough for larger outdoor gatherings, and people standing beside or behind it will hear a duller sound than those in front. Its six-hour battery life is another drawback if you're spending most of the day away from a charger.
Exceptionally small and lightweight.
Can link multiple KALLSUP speakers for synchronized playback.
Thin, bright sound with very little bass.
Doesn't get very loud.
Downmixes stereo audio to mono.
No water or dust resistance.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The IKEA KALLSUP speaker comes in three colors: 'White,' 'Pink,' and 'Yellow-Green.' We bought and tested a 'White' unit and took a photo of its label.
If you come across a different variant, let us know in the comments, and we'll add it to our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The IKEA KALLSUP is an ultra-budget Bluetooth speaker designed for casual listening around the house. Given its low price, perhaps a major selling point is the ability to link multiple units together for synchronized playback. The catch is that they all play the same mono audio. In truth, if your budget can stretch a bit higher, you'll be much better off with a speaker like the Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go or the Sony SRS-XB100. Both offer longer battery lives, dust and water resistance, and support for true stereo pairing with a second unit. The Sony also spreads sound more evenly around the speaker, and the Anker has an app for sound customization. If you're looking for a small speaker to use primarily at home, the Amazon Echo Pop offers built-in Alexa support and Wi-Fi connectivity, though it doesn't have a battery. But if you want to spend as little as possible on a small speaker, the IKEA is a solid choice.
You can also check out our recommendations for the best small Bluetooth speakers, the best portable Bluetooth speakers, and the best smart speakers.
The Sony SRS-XB100 is a better small speaker than the IKEA KALLSUP. Both are tiny, battery-powered Bluetooth speakers, but the Sony has both water and dust resistance, a detachable carrying strap, and over 20 hours of battery life, compared with just under six hours for the IKEA. Its 360-degree design also means music sounds more consistent as you move around it, whereas the IKEA sounds noticeably duller from the sides and back. The Sony also has a built-in microphone for calls and phone voice assistants, as well as dedicated volume controls.
The Amazon Echo Pop and IKEA KALLSUP are both small, budget-friendly speakers, but they serve different purposes. The Amazon is designed to stay plugged in at home, with built-in Alexa support for hands-free voice commands and Wi-Fi connectivity. It also comes with an app that lets you adjust its sound. The KALLSUP has none of those smart features, but its built-in battery makes it much easier to carry from room to room. Neither speaker produces much deep bass or gets loud enough for larger spaces, so the choice largely comes down to whether you want a basic portable speaker or a voice-controlled home speaker.
The Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go is a better small Bluetooth speaker than the IKEA KALLSUP, particularly if you want to take it outdoors. It has water and dust resistance, a built-in carrying loop, and around 10 hours of battery life, compared with just under six for the IKEA. Neither speaker produces much deep bass, but the Anker's more balanced mid-range helps voices sound more natural. It also has dedicated volume controls on its body and a companion app with a graphic EQ, so you can adjust its sound to your liking. You can pair two Anker speakers for stereo playback. While the IKEA lets you link multiple units, it doesn't offer stereo playback but rather synchronized mono audio.
The Amazon Echo Dot Max is a much better, and typically much more expensive, speaker than the IKEA KALLSUP. But the IKEA's battery power means it's the better choice if you like to carry your speaker with you. The Amazon's mid-range and treble are more balanced, so voices and instruments sound more natural, although both speakers struggle to reproduce deep bass. The Amazon's spherical design also spreads sound more evenly around a room, whereas the IKEA sounds duller if you're off to the sides of it. The Echo Dot Max also has built-in Alexa support and Wi-Fi connectivity. The main attractions of the IKEA are its tiny size and battery-powered design, which makes it easy to tote around with you.
Test Results
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