Remember when Altec Lansing was the name in portable audio? I remember getting an Altec Lansing iPod dock for my bar mitzvah almost 10 years ago. That device was amazing and lasted until it was stolen from my luggage on an unlucky flight years later. Since then, Altec Lansing and I hadn’t been acquainted, but I was excited to try LifeJacket, the company’s latest device. Playing music by the pool when I’m in Florida or just everyday singing tunes in the shower, I’ve been waiting for a good waterproof Bluetooth speaker.
Rated for IP67 waterproofness, the LifeJacket is made to withstand water of most any kind and has fantastic battery life of up to 16 hours. The black and blue exterior is fairly boring, with no design flourishes. There’s a noticeable heft to the device. You have power and volume buttons on top, with an annoying “You are now paired” message every time you connect a device. It’s charged through MicroUSB and can also charge other devices with its impressively large battery. The LifeJacket also has NFC for quick pairing with Android phones with that feature.
While the LifeJacket gets fairly loud and works rather well, it lacks in audio quality: the most important feature of any speaker. Perhaps due to its waterproof coating and protection, or maybe just because Altec Lansing has fallen from grace, the LifeJacket sounds mediocre, with weak bass and crackly sound at loud volumes. While you can make calls over Bluetooth, they’re almost inaudible and result in me switching to my phone speaker over any long periods.
Though it’s not perhaps the best Bluetooth speaker on the market, the LifeJacket’s excellent battery life, waterproof rating, and loud volume make it an excellent shower speaker, if not much else. It’s difficult to recommend at $150, but if you can find the device for a lower price, jump on it.
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