The Divoom FlowToo earns its place in Darren Yeo’s routine by removing a small but persistent task: finding a long background-noise recording, copying it to a memory card and keeping it looping. Its built-in library puts those sounds on the device, alongside Bluetooth music and an alarm clock.
After using it for a week, Darren finds it useful for winding down and playing music during home workouts. His detailed walkthrough shows why the controls and sleep settings matter more than the novelty of the retro design. It also identifies two buying considerations: no broadcast radio and an internal battery that does not appear easy for the user to replace. The original video description includes affiliate shopping links.
Physical controls make the screen part of everyday use
The gift bag, cable, stickers and lanyard are briefly introduced before the review moves to the speaker. The main attraction is the small, bright display above the grille, with an orange joystick beside it and dedicated controls on top. Darren lowers the screen brightness so it records clearly.
From the home screen, moving the joystick up or down cycles through faces, including retro computer graphics and sound-reactive layouts. Pressing it opens the menu; the back control returns to the previous screen, and a long press takes him home from deeper inside a menu. Those shortcuts make the device usable without opening the phone for every adjustment.
A dedicated brightness control offers another way to dim the screen. Darren also finds a particularly dark face that may suit a bedroom. A dark face and lower brightness are separate choices, letting you keep the information visible with less light in the room.
The key lock prevents accidental changes to the controls. Under the side flap are USB-C and the memory-card slot. Together, the physical controls and storage options explain how FlowToo can remain useful away from a continuously open phone app.
A voice message is only a shortcut away
Holding the large top control opens a recording screen. Darren records a short message, stops it, and plays it back from the notification on the display. His suggested use is leaving a message for a partner before heading out.
This is a different interaction from streaming phone audio: the message is recorded on the device and left for someone to discover there. It is a small feature, but the demonstration makes its purpose clearer than the menu name “Warm Message” alone.
Choose a sleep sound and decide when it should stop
The music-source button switches between Bluetooth, USB and memory-card playback. Darren describes USB audio as an option for a computer speaker and a card as a way to play stored tracks offline. In his walkthrough, those two sources are unavailable in the menu because no card or computer is connected; Bluetooth is the active source.
The nearby sleep shortcut leads straight to the built-in sounds. He samples examples including a train-like sound, water and brown noise, then uses the timer control to choose 30 minutes. This separates selecting the sound from deciding how long it plays: you can set an evening session without leaving it running indefinitely.
The built-in library saves the search for a usable loop
The longer Sleep Aid walkthrough moves through rain recordings, fan and cabin-like noise, colored noises, environmental ambience and melodies. Deep Brown Noise is especially relevant to Darren: he previously searched for a long file to use on another device when intermittent apartment sounds made it hard to settle.
His benefit is convenience. Instead of obtaining and loading a separate recording, he selects from the 90 built-in sounds described in the review. He likes the quality of the samples and listens for smooth repetition, noting that an abrupt cut between loops would be distracting.
Darren says a steady brown-noise background helps him feel less alert to occasional sounds around his apartment. That is his personal experience with sound masking, rather than active noise cancellation or a guaranteed sleep result. The feature makes the most sense if you already like listening to steady background sound.
Mix the layers, then adjust the sleep behavior
The custom mixer changes the relationship between sounds rather than simply switching tracks. Darren lowers frogs to zero, raises a campfire layer, then adds other sounds. Later he tries combinations involving birds and a singing bowl. Each layer has a level control, so the mix can keep one sound prominent and others in the background.
From this custom section he can enter sleep playback, choose a timer or keep the sound running. A recording option offers another route to using a personal sound without first copying a file to a memory card.
The sleep settings include before-sleep brightness and volume, along with an after-sleep section. Darren explores these briefly rather than performing an overnight automation test. The practical point is that choosing a sound and setting the display or volume behavior are distinct parts of preparing the device for bedtime.
Alarms and a Pomodoro timer give it daytime work
The alarm menu contains nine entries in his walkthrough. He opens an 8 a.m. alarm, checks its repeat setting and browses alternative sounds. There are also options involving a recording and other audio sources, plus an alarm-volume setting. His preference is for a calmer wake-up sound than a harsh conventional alarm.
The Pomodoro section lets you set work, short-rest and long-rest periods and repeat the cycle. Darren has not been using it much, so this is an interface demonstration rather than evidence of a productivity improvement. A visible work interval can still be useful on a desk if you want timing separate from the computer screen.
Other tools include a stopwatch, countdown, scoreboard and noise-meter display. These add casual uses between music and bedtime. The noise meter is shown responding to the room; the review does not establish it as a calibrated measurement instrument.
The app adds faces without becoming a constant requirement
The settings tour includes brightness, remembered volume, sound modes, date and time formats, and power scheduling. Darren then connects the phone app over Bluetooth and adds faces from the gallery. A selected design takes a moment to arrive on the speaker.
Once a face is saved, Darren explains that it stays available on the device when the phone is disconnected. That distinction is useful: use the app to extend the collection, then browse the saved faces with the joystick during normal use.
The app can also open tools remotely, including the stopwatch and scoreboard. Darren questions the need when the speaker is already beside him, but suggests changing an alarm without walking over to it as a more practical example.
Pixel art is available too, although it is not his main interest. He tries sending artwork and notices that the screen’s wide proportions affect how it appears inside a face. Choose the layout for the content you want to see; a narrow display does not present every piece like a square art panel.
The missing radio and internal battery are the main trade-offs
Despite the radio-like shape, FlowToo has no broadcast-radio tuner. Darren wishes one had been included. If listening to local FM stations is central to your routine, that is a meaningful gap; Bluetooth music and preloaded ambience serve different purposes.
He also questions long-term battery replacement. The internal battery does not look readily accessible, and he does not disassemble the device. The review therefore supports a concern about easy user replacement, rather than a confirmed battery-cell type or a repair procedure.
During the settings tour, he finds an option to unpair Bluetooth devices but no obvious switch to disable Bluetooth entirely. That matters if you specifically want a device with a clear radio-off control.
Useful when music, background sound and alarms overlap
Darren’s strongest recommendation comes from returning to the sound library. Having the loops built in removes the file-searching step he disliked, while the mixer and timer let him shape an evening routine. Music playback and alarms give the same object roles at other times of day.
FlowToo is a good fit for someone who wants those functions together and enjoys its tactile controls and changeable faces. The choice is less straightforward if a broadcast tuner or a readily replaceable battery is a priority. That balance explains the review’s verdict: a surprisingly useful daily companion, with a few features he still wishes were different.
Explore the Divoom FlowToo for current colors, availability and pricing. This link retains Darren’s affiliate referral; he may receive a commission from qualifying purchases.
Based on The Weirdest Little Gadget I’ve Actually Found Useful! Divoom FlowToo by Darren Yeo - Tech & Reviews.
For the controls, connection steps and setup instructions, consult the FlowToo official user manual (PDF). You can also choose other languages in the official Divoom manual library.
Divoom FlowToo Premium Bedside Speaker & Smart Sleep Clock Divoom FlowToo brings together the three devices most people keep beside their bed—a Bluetooth speaker, white noise machine, and alarm clock—inside one compact and beautifully d... €91,95 EUR Buy now
