Light my fire! A Bluetooth speaker that’s powered by candles

Your music collection need never burn out with this new Bluetooth speaker from Pelty that’s powered by the heat of a candle.

Designed by Gianluca Gamba and partners, the aesthetic invention converts the thermal energy from a candle flame to usable power via a thermoelectric generator. This enables the speaker to amplify sound once connected with a Bluetooth device such as an iPod touch or a smartphone. It’s wireless, battery-free and unique in that it is powered exclusively by a wax candle.

Careful thought has gone into the sleek design: it’s made from heat-resistant Italian ceramic, a high-quality material which also has excellent acoustic and insulation properties. Heat produced by the candle is maximised through its enclosure within the glass egg-timer shape of the speaker, thereby producing more power.

You don’t have to buy Pelty-specific candles, either (although these are available, and obviously fit perfectly) – almost any candle will do. Hours of power can be produced from a single candle, depending on its size.

So what about sound quality? Well, the Pelty puts out 95 decibels (measured from 50cm away) from its 3″ full range speaker, which is pretty similar to other small Bluetooth speakers. Judging by the sample videos it sounds good, but it really depends what you’re looking for – Subwoofer, this ain’t. It ticks all the right boxes when it comes to style; hopefully it’ll turn out to have impressive substance, too.