Braven has adopted a rugged look for its new 855 portable Bluetooth speaker, unveiled at IFA 2013. It's designed to be shockproof and certified water resistant, so should be able to handle a few knocks and life outdoors.
It packs a 8800mAh battery said to be good for 20 hours of continuous playback, can be used to charge mobile devices such as iPads and tablets, has an output of 20W and two speakers can be wirelessly daisy-chained to act as a stereo pair.
There's a built-in speakerphone and microphone for hands-free calls on your mobile, and music streaming is taken care of by the higher-quality Bluetooth aptX codec.
If you want a more elegant design for your home or office, Braven also offers the 850 model. It has the same tech specs as the 855, but wrapped up in a high-grade aluminium finish. Both models cost £250.
By Andy Clough
