- Yes, Happy Plugs Joy is this li’l speaker’s real name
- In addition to (Grogu-like) green, it’s available in baby blue, pink and black
- It’s out now, priced at just £39.99 / $49.99 (around AU$80)
In the completely fictitious enjoy lifestyle I like to imagine I lead, this speaker would fit perfectly. It’s the life where I wake up naturally with the sun, drink hot lemon water with turmeric from a handmade stoneware mug, meditate for 20 minutes, write a gratitude journal, do a seven-minute workout, take a shower, put on a few things. from my perfectly pressed spring capsule wardrobe, add a pair of fresh, soft thick socks and slide towards my upcycled driftwood table to calmly start the work day, with a refreshed and positive attitude. And this lovely little speaker can be part of that discussion; it is attached to the mental mood-board I like to call ‘Sorting My Life Out’.
In fact, a magnificent Starbucks cup has curiously welded itself to my desk after an overtime shift at the end of last week, where it remains motionless next to some leftover Christmas chocolate and at least six post-it notes with headings like ‘DON’T FORGET’ double-underlined, and ‘MUST BE DONE ON THE 25TH!!’ to ease me into my day. Such is life. But I’d argue that there’s still room for this speaker – and music is always a good place to start.
What you’re looking at is Happy Plugs Joy – yes, that’s really its name. It’s not just happy. It’s not just joy. It is the sum of the two plus… plugs. In my imaginary aspirational cozy lifestyle, I sat at my upcycled driftwood table, picked up my smartphone (with the tactile wool cover I carefully crocheted, which is definitely not leather and shed blue stains all over the apartment) and streamed some niche acoustic covers to this speaker. I would do this while waiting for my lemon water to cool so as not to shock my body unnecessarily.
Happy Plugs Joy in your life
I want the green finish because it reminds me of Grogu, the Yoda-adjacent Force-sensitive character from The Mandalorian and The book about Boba Fett. But whichever option you choose, this is a pebble-like speaker that wants to blend in with your luscious taupes, your natural textures, your recycled products.
It also lasts eight hours on a single charge and weighs just 192g, so you can throw it in your waxed canvas bag, jump on your bike and head to a nearby mountain stream to read that paperback you promised yourself would come to since 2017.
It has Bluetooth 5.3 on board and, thanks to its IPX4 rating, it will also survive a light shower – and wouldn’t it look good on Instagram on a cloudy day, perhaps next to that beautiful old fountain pen you got, a stainless steel cafetiere and the cryptic crossword you’re trying to finish?
And it doesn’t cost much to get the look. Happy Plugs Joy (or JOY as it’s styled in Happy Plugs’ marketing) is available now for just £39.99 / $49.99 (or around AU$80), making it cheaper than almost every top Bluetooth speakers we currently recommend , and the same price as the likeable-but-not-so-cute JBL Clip 5. Will the Happy Plugs option take its place? I’m not sure yet. But we’re working on a full review, so once we know how good it sounds, you should too.
Okay, I’m going to go recycle that Starbucks cup…
