I bet you’ve seen a vestabOard out and around – some coffee shops use them to tell you that an order is ready, hotels have them around to show the weather or custom text, restaurants have them up and you can even have one in your home or apartment.
It has existed a bit, and there is even a smaller, much more affordable version for now – more about it later – but VestabOard is an expensive smart display that lacks a LED screen, and it makes it especially refreshing.
VestabOard in itself does not scream ‘smart’, and that is the kind of point; It’s a classic ticker board that looks like it was taken straight out of an old airport terminal or train station. But these 132 character modules, they can turn, fold and clap to instantly show the right character, icon or color. Since it is connected to the Internet, you can send almost everything to it … provided it fits.
Techradar Smart Home Week
This article is part of Techradar’s Smart Home Week 2025. From lighting and switches to robotic quacuum and smart thermostats, we are here to help you choose the right devices to make your life easier and make the most of them.
I have been testing a VestabOard unit for a while and have used it to show different things, including the weather, what is currently playing on Spotify, a random Springsteen -Lyric, election results, the latest sports results and even inspirational quotes. With any of these when it gets input from the Companion app to iOS or Android, as well as a status update from one of the connected services, it will jump to life and update the board.
This may be to switch from the weather forecast that blinks every morning to a quote on the day, or, if I have it synced with music playback, updates every time a new song begins. Yes, the turning of the flaps to show a new message can be pretty shyling at first, but I’m used to it. I really like the simplicity of this smart screen.
However, the price of this simplicity and minimalism does not come cheap. VestabOard is $ 3,499 (about £ 2,500 / AU $ 5,300) in either the Flagship Black or VestabOard White, and to access these third -party extensions and service relations, you need VestabOard Plus for $ 99.99 (about £ 70 / AU $ 150) one year. Obviously, it’s not super accessible or affordable, though there is a cheaper, smaller, equally click-clicked VestabOard note to order now at the reduced price of $ 899 (about £ 660 / AU $ 1,370), which will eventually jump to $ 1,299 (about £ 950 / AU $ 2,000).
Price aside, let’s dive into WestabOard, starting with the fact that it needs to be wall mounted. Fortunately, a plate is included in the box. I was able to install the unit itself using a family member, first mount the wall bracket, then the central unit, connect it to power and then attach the cover over the front.
(Image Credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
VestabOard comes with a super-card power cable that is not ideal, especially for tenants. Why? Well, you’re probably not someone who installs a dedicated outlets for this and you will have to pay $ 24 for a longer eight-foot power cable that the brand sells, or chooses an extension of some sort. Given the device itself is so expensive, I really want you to get both in the box or just it anymore.
To be ready, however, it may not just get up on your own, so you will have to mount it. As much as it is a smart display and messaging table, it is also designed to be a work of art that can be updated. You can even design your own creations with icons and colored flaps to appear on the board or, with VestabOard+, make it cycle through several categories, either user -generated or made internally at the company.
Once mounted and connected, I followed the steps of the app to discover VestabOard, connected it to Wi-Fi and went through tutorial. I also called to pay $ 95 for a year of VestabOard Plus as it really makes the experience. I think it should be included as it gives you access to a whole series of pre -formed things to vomit and extensions.
(Image Credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
The latter is the most exciting – I can sync my WestabOard with my Sonos account to show the song title and the artist when playing, or even connect to a particular service like Spotify. There are also a number of content, including daily jokes, small games like Word Scrambles and quotes from everything -from Bruce Springsteen songs to Disney movies or historical characters. It is extensive and aims to include a number of genres.
(Image Credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
You can also write everything you would like to show – so for a friend’s birthday I could write ‘Happy Birthday Karalyn’, or for a New Year’s Eve, I had the WestabOard display Ticker a countdown that ended up saying ‘Happy New Year’ and flipping the various flaps to simulate fireworks.
There was even a Santa-Tracker-beautiful Techradar’s own live blog was a little more real-time-a choice tracker, and almost all major sport leagues are covered here. I also have my set to show the weather forecast daily at. 8, and it’s nice to quickly see on the screen and see if I need an umbrella or not. Again, you don’t have to spend $ 3,500 just for that, but that’s part of the VestabOard experience.
One thing to note is that VestabOard cannot be used to control other smart home gadgets. It really is a display board that can be used for custom messaging, text from widgets or art created using its colored flaps. It’s a expensive, expensive smart home device that is definitely a lavish expense, but I have no doubt that it will be nice when it starts to show something new.
(Image Credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
At this price, I really think that the longer network line and a subscription to Plus should be included in the box. I mean, $ 3,500 is a lot and depending on your setup you need the network cord and the subscription really allows you to get the most out of the device.
I think that’s what makes the smaller WestabOard really exciting, and the fact that the ecosystem is slowly but surely expanding. Similar to spending thousands of dollars on a TV, VestabOard falls into the nice-to-garden category.
After a few months of testing, the tension is not worn off; I have just become more used to it jumping to life to update the Ticker board. It’s easy one of the most elegant tech pieces in my apartment, and the one who catches the attention of family and friends every time, without failing.
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