While the winter days in Denmark can be short and cold, the summers are marked by long days. Those long periods of sunlight are prime conditions for solar-powered tech, such as the intriguing (if oddly named) Earwig speaker.
The Earwig is a solar-powered Bluetooth speaker from Danish company Earwig Audio. While a rechargeable portable speaker that runs off solar power isn’t a new concept, the Earwig boasts some impressive battery life numbers. At full charge, Earwig Audio claims the speaker will play for 60 hours at full volume — and 200 hours at moderate volume. In addition, Earwig Audio claims the Earwig speaker’s solar regulator system is so efficient it can recharge its internal battery while simultaneously playing music, essentially resulting in unlimited playback off the grid.
“I still haven’t charged a prototype from 2015,” claims Earwig Audio’s founder Jonas Gissel.
Each Earwig speaker is handmade at Earwig Audio’s Copenhagen workshop, and every part of the speaker is designed and engineered in-house. The speaker features a uniquely Scandinavian aesthetic with a simple, minimalist design. The rectangular case is crafted with 12mm-thick Scandinavian birch plywood, and features handholds for carrying, a polished aluminum grille over its two front-firing eight inch drivers, and an “unbreakable” monocrsytalline solar panel on the top. The speaker measures approximately 20 inches wide by 10 inches tall and 10 inches deep, making it a bit larger than your average Bluetooth speaker.
The Earwig can be connected to source devices like smartphones or tablets via 3.5mm Aux input, or wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.0, and includes power and volume controls directly on the speaker.
The speaker was originally designed with festival-goers in mind. Being separated from easy access to normal power supplies while camping out for several days at a busy music festival makes constantly recharging battery-powered devices impossible, hence the solar-powered nature of the Earwig. However, the speaker has grown in popularity, shipping all over Europe.
Note the use of “Europe” in that sentence. Unfortunately, this speaker isn’t currently available in the United States, only shipping to Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, France, Netherlands, and Poland. If you happen to live in one of those countries, the Earwig Bluetooth speaker is available from Earwig Audio’s online store for €530. If not, maybe try reaching out to any distant relatives you may have, otherwise you’ll have to sit tight for now.