'This stylish outdoor speaker has levelled up my picnic game this summer'

08 August 2023 , 08:17

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There's a lovely, old-school feel about the new Pure Woodland speaker, and it would look the part on any rustic picnic rug, perhaps beside an antique wicker hamper, trickling out some classical music.

But it's actually a thoroughly modern little unit inside its classy casing, and Pure is a company serious about sound, so it has a versatile speaker set built in. But I'll come back to that.

There are more compact wireless speakers out there, and there are more powerful wireless speakers out there, but the Pure Woodland has an ace up its sleeve. It comes with an FM and DAB radio built in.

This uses Pure's tried and tested interface, through a small but sufficient digital display, to tune into stations and reception is as good as you'll get from your car stereo, especially with the telescopic antenna at full mast.

On the top of the unit, alongside that display, is an array of buttons. At first, you might think this looks a tad messy compared to the minimalism we see from some wireless speakers, but I personally think it makes it easier to use. There's no worrying about having to memorise a long-press, short-press, or sequence, all the controls you need are laid out.

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Connecting to a smartphone via Bluetooth is a doddle, made all the more easy with the LCD to guide you, and the Bluetooth 5.1 connection ensures reliability and versatility.

Battery life is strong, thanks to a built-in 5,000mAh battery. Pure reckons you'll be good for 14 hours. That's not market-leading, but it's very good. I've found it depends on volume and which mode you're using, but for general use, you'll find you're rarely recharging.

Topping it up when the time comes is done through a long USB cable - and that's really the only socket you'll find. There's no line-in or anything like that.

'This stylish outdoor speaker has levelled up my picnic game this summer'

That said, it is waterproof, which is important for British picnics. It's also designed to be dust resistant and easy to clean.

Sounds is delivered through a 10-watt dual acoustic setup, and there's a familiar richness to its output, which I've experienced before from other Pure speakers.

One of the things that really surprised me was the depth of sound. While I'm not the sort to play heavy metal or bassy dance tracks on a picnic or in a campsite pitch, it handles them well. As well, in fact, as lighter, classical or vocal tracks - which feels so much more appropriate on the Pure Woodland Speaker.

So it's very versatile, then. Whether on radio or through Bluetooth, the sound quality is impressive, and the volume isn't going to blow your socks off, but at more subtle levels it handles any music or voice very well.

And that leaves us with the price. It's available on the Pure website at £139.99. That compares well to its rivals, of which there are quite a few, but it must be remembered that it's going to be hard to find a wireless outdoor speaker with radio services built in.

And that gives it a trump card. The Pure Woodland outdoor speaker is versatile, robust, delightful to listen to and oh, so stylish.

It's the perfect accompaniment to a summer picnic, in fact.