JBL Charge 3 Waterproof Portable BT Speaker

Ok. Let me get this line down nice and clear. The Charge 3 is beyond what it is. The sound, comfortableness, and value. For $120 it got its worth. Just to help you guys out there ill go over the features this awesome speaker does: Sound: Now, I know half of you out there who did research on this speaker probably had in mind of the The Bose mini link 2, its competitor. Although the sound is a little better quality and all of that, but for $200 it starts to get a little messy with the price. For overall price and sound, go with the JBL. It still has awesome sound, especially with the bass radiators on the side. Durability: It maybe a little heavy for its size, but you can palm it easily. I take it wherever I go and the weight is not bad. So for those of you who care about weight, and always need a speaker on hand you may want to stick with the smaller version, the JBL flip 4. But as I said I think its perfectly fine. Features: JBL claims up to 20 hours of playtime. I didn't try this feature out, but lets face it- thats a very long time if you ask me. I took mine out of the box and I haven't charged it since. About the waterproof situation it is fully waterproof with the back latch on. It isn't really meant to be just thrown in the pool its meant that if you dropped it in a lake or pool and you need to grab it your safe. JBL says themselves that it should not be Submerged for more than 30 minutes or else it may cause damage to the speaker Overall, its great. It will satisfy you for the price. My suggestion is if your looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker under $150, go with the charge 3. It is an awesome speaker. Worth it all of the way! UPDATE: Flash to 4 1/2 years later and my charge 3 is still pumping bass and the same quality. This thing is a legend of a speaker and there’s no question why it’s one of the top speakers now (even 5 years later!). It has gotten a small scratch on the side of the speaker, due to me dropping it on concrete while riding my bike. But didn’t affect it at all and the battery life does indeed last for what feels like forever! My whole family uses it and it’s a no brained we bring it to wherever we go! In my video I tried to show the bass and loudness of the speaker itself and play some piano to show a different angle of music. Anyhow, it can be heard crisp and loudly with the bass mixed in perfectly. It takes the cake for the best speaker! Overall, I simply cannot find a flaw in it. It performs to perfection. Never had trouble with Bluetooth, and for the price, there’s really no better option. Anyone would ask me what type of speaker to get, JBL Charge 3 without a doubt. Highly recommended for anyone in any case!

First and foremost, this speaker has awesome sound. Bass is full, but the mid and upper ranges are crisp and clear. I looked at just about every video on YouTube reviewing and comparing this speaker to other speakers on the market. I was not disappointed. The look is clean and compact and the speaker is easy to throw into a backpack or gym bag. I listen to a lot of technical metal, punk, and alternative rock. I am very pleased with the sound quality. I also listen to some jazz and reggae. The acoustics of this speaker stay really true to the recording. I will say that I have noticed that different mp3 player apps on my phone sound very different when played through the speaker. One of the apps I have used in the past in particularly made the Charge 3 sound boomy and distorted. I was also disappointed with the JBL phone apps. They were completely worthless. I had hoped that they would allow me to set options, but that was not the case. The "Connect" app just gave quick start type instructions. They were not tailored to the Charge 3 and it was not even clear what they were talking about. Nor did they interact with the device itself. It would not even verify that the firmware on my device was up to date. That was a disappointment, but minor. Battery life is awesome. I don't typically blare my music and I usually don't listen for hours on end, but I have had the speaker for about a week and it is still near a full charge. As I write this review, I am using the speaker to charge up my phone. I also used it while in the shower after I mowed the lawn this morning. The water proof feature is great. I feel like I can take this speaker anywhere with me and I expect I will probably take it just about everywhere. I also used it at the gym yesterday and played some music while I played pickleball. When the gym got active, the sound did get drowned out a bit, but I didn't play it at full volume. My son also has a Charge 3. We paired them for the first time yesterday. I expected that pairing them would give genuine stereo affect. Instead, it seemed like they both played the same exact sound. I may need to do some more testing. Placement of the speaker in the room can also make a big difference in the quality of sound. Placing the speaker on my bookshelf where the sound gets trapped in a cavity made the speaker sound really boomy and too bass heavy for my taste.

I bought this almost 7 years ago to use on our small recreational boat. We use fairly pricey Bose speakers at home, so my expectations weren't high about this JBL delivering a similar sound quality. I've also learned the hard way in the past not to expect the term 'waterproof' to be taken literally. Turns out I was wrong on both counts. The sound quality was terrific when we got it, and remains so to this day. Bluetooth connects to my phone easily & reliably every time. And it has survived being accidentally submerged for a short time. But what finally brought me to write this review is a recent experience. The last time we used the speaker I forgot to put it away, and left it strapped to a pole on the boat. That was several months ago and it's been out in the open, exposed to the weather ever since. Finally discovered it yesterday and brought it home to charge, without much hope that it had survived the elements all that time. Wrong again. I turned it on, it lit right up, immediately connected, and sounds as just good as ever! Well done, JBL!

Fantastic speaker. I've had it for about a month now with no major complaints. I would love if I could hear a bit more of the mids. It's fairly bass-heavy, but then again, so is most of the music culture these days. Overall the sound is very good & it gets plenty loud. No distortion, even at maximum volume, which is great. It doesn't have the loudness to fill my whole condo, but certainly more than enough to fill the largest room. And much more than what I need to fill the garage. The point of the battery-powered speaker is that I can take it anywhere. If I'm going into a different room, I can just pick it up and bring it with me. No need to fill the whole condo. I once borrowed a co-worker's same model JBL Charge 3 & tested the stereo function & it worked great. The two speakers together make for a fantastic setup & very cool feature. I would love to have this at all times, but one of the points of having a battery-powered bluetooth speaker is so that I can take it places. And I don't have the space in my bag to lug around 2 of these things. It's already big-enough as it is. Big, but manageable. Possibly one of the greatest features about the Charge 3 is that the battery lasts FOREVER. It's awesome. I can watch movies on my tablet (which needs to be plugged in after 4 hours), but the speaker just keeps on going and going. More than anyone should ever need in one session. The other great thing about this guy's battery is it has removed the need to carry an additional portable phone charger during long trips. I can use this bad-boy instead. Only issue is on planes it makes a loud startup & shutdown noise. Then again, that can be somewhat muffled & the plane is already somewhat loud itself, so it's not the end of the world. Also, planes these days have plug-in chargers, so if you're really reluctant to use this to charge your phone on a plane, then you've got a work-around. And if you're thinking 20 hours of battery life seems excessive, then perhaps you haven't considered the life-span of the speaker. My last bluetooth speaker was the Jabra SoleMate. It was a great little speaker with weather resistance & an 8 hour battery life. The thing was great for the first year. However, after a year, that 8 hour battery life was more like 6 hours. And after 2 years it was more like 4 hours. If extrapolation is true across all batteries (but it probably isn't), then I would expect the Charge 3 will only last about 10 hours in 2 years. And I will be okay with that. That is still a great amount of battery for a whole day using the thing. Anyways, that's kind of like worst-case planning. Before buying this I did a bunch of comparative research. The closest competitor I found was the UE Boom 2. It's smaller/slimmer and at least marketed as durable during drop. My co-worker had one that he let me borrow to test. I think at medium volume that the UE Boom 2 sounded better. Very warm mids, no muddiness, great overall clarity; however, there was a lot of distortion above ~75% volume. If I can't use the full loudness range of the speaker, then why does UE even allow it to go that loud? Especially such a great-sounding speaker at medium volume? Very disappointed that their audio team wasn't allowed or able to push harder to fix this. Another, more minor downfall of the UE Boom 2 is that it doesn't float. So although it is waterproof, if you bring this thing out on the lake and accidentally drops in the water (God forbid), then someone better catch it before it sinks to the bottom & busts from excessive water pressure. And the last benchmark where the Charge 3 had the Boom 2 beat was the battery life. 15hrs for the UE Boom 2. Quite admirable, but it didn't match up to the Charge 3. So that's how I ended up with this bad-boy. TL;DR: Great speaker, buy it.

Wow, the reviews were right. This is an outstanding portable Bluetooth speaker, with great sound that seems to outperform its size. It's a tad heavy, but not terribly so, and that is part of the reason that you get the sound performance that you do from the speaker. The unit is very ruggedly built, has clearly marked controls, and has a five-stage lighting area to shows battery charge. There are bass ports on each side of the speaker, with the mid-range speakers positioned in the forward-center location of the unit. There is even a connection on the bottom front under a flap for charging a cell phone. I have to say, I was impressed the moment I opened this up. The speaker comes packaged in a very, very nice box that takes its queues from Apple and Sony, but employs color in the design. There is a heavy, photographically imprinted outer box, which is quite thick and sturdy, and inside, folded boxes for each section. In addition, the inside top of the main box has a layer of padded foam attached to the top cover (removable from the box). The speaker itself, as does the charger, come individually wrapped in plastic, and the whole packaging array just speaks of someone who took the time to think about how people want to receive their products. This is one of the nicest packaging jobs I've seen on a device. Then there is, of course, the speaker itself. As soon as you pick it up, you feel not only its weight but also its build quality. This thing feels very solid, and you can tell the first time you handle it. It took a couple of hours to charge using the included charger and cable, and--must I say it--the blue model with the orange charger and cord is just visually gorgeous. The most important thing is the sound, and I was not disappointed at all with the speaker's performance in this regard. In fact, this being my third Bluetooth speaker, I have been impressed with how the unit reproduces sound, with a full range and some decent bass from the side ports. (Be realistic in your expectations: this is not a $600 speaker.) I have to say that the sound is surprisingly full-bodied, particularly for a speaker in its price range, and so I have to agree with most of the reviews I have read that this is among the very best of Bluetooth speakers in the price range, maybe even those in a higher price range. It is definitely putting out sound that one might only expect with a much higher price tag. Another cool thing is that the unit makes use of a lithium-ion battery which should hold back the "memory effect, but more than that, you can actually use it to charge your cell phone in an emergency via a cable that connects between the speaker and your phone! The device is also water resistant. Combined with the quality feel and the beautiful packaging, this is simply an EASY five-star item!

I enjoyed the excellent Charge 2 plus for 3 years or so. With repeated recharges and frequent use (I am semi retired and listen to a lot of music for multiple hours per day) the battery got "tired" and would not hold a charge very long. Instead of purchasing a battery, thought I would upgrade to the JBL Charge 3. I opted not to purchase the newest Charge 4. JBL decided on the 4 to go to one larger transducer, and not the left right channel separate drivers. In essence, a mono speaker. Hello 1958. Some pro reviewers say you can't notice the difference anyway but I disagree. Even when there is not a dramatic separation effect due to small distance of the separate transducers in the case, there is an overall improved clarity in the different instruments. So I went with the older but similar and stereo version, the Charge 3. It's bulkier than the 2 plus, but still portable. The battery life is amazing. I'm on about hour 11 now and 4 out of 5 led lights (power indicator) are still showing. JBL claims 20 hours. The Charge 2 is about 12. "Your mileage may vary" of course depending on volume levels, etc. Features include built in phone monitor capability. Also what is called "Connect Plus", to pair it with another JBL speaker with the same capability. Unfortunately my older Charge 2 Plus does not offer that feature to my disappointment. Now the important issue: the sound. THE GREAT: If you enjoy a big boomy feel it type bass response this will blow you away, especially if you utilize any of the many free EQ apps for your smart phone. The Charge 2 plus also performs well in this category, but the 3 takes it to another level. Pretty amazing for what can still be called a portable speaker. THE GOOD: The Mid Range tone is very lush and most vocals would be in this category as well as most stringed instruments. THE NOT AS GOOD: Compared to the more bright sound of the Charge 2 plus, the highs are somewhat muted. Not muffled at all, and some might prefer this "analog" sound as opposed to overly crisp high hat for example. Still, I was a bit surprised at the difference. The casing is very heavy to make it totally waterproof, and perhaps that effects the high end. Not a deal breaker for me, as the overall BIG, RICH sound is impressive considering the size, price. JBL only makes quality stuff and they did it again. WARNING: Make sure the dealer Amazon utilizes is approved by JBL, or you run the risk of getting knock off junk as other reviewers have noted. Just Google the phrase JBL APPROVED DEALER for the list. Finally as I mentioned above, to receive the best sound experience for any blue tooth speaker, download an Equilizer App. They are free with minimally annoying ads. You can add or minimize bass, mids and highs and your music will sound so much more dynamic.

I read all the reviews and considered the few nagative ones. However I am so glad I bought this. I have no issues with it. The only thing I could even criticize this speaker about is the noises it makes when you turn on and off but really I don't care. I don't think the Bluetooth connection is a problem with people being able to jump in. It makes it easier for different people to play and it works smoothly and connects very fast. The sound quality is actually very nice and it produces loud tones and plays clear at high volume. The bass is surprising for a portable Bluetooth speaker. It cannot play rumbling bass but it doesn't crackle or make any odd noises. For the most part any "standard" bass, nothing crazy that you need special subwoofers for, it can pump out a tone. Also the fact that this speaker is completely waterproof is just amazing. You can take this anywhere even play it rain or pool because well it's waterproof! For the price this is high quality. I feel like I got a steal at $130. It's not very big which is nice and it has weight to it. I also bought a separate hardhsell carrying case and it fits the speaker and charger set nicely and keeps the speaker protected. I'm not sure why some people had low ratings on this speaker. As of right now I really have no issue with it. You simply cannot compare actual speakers and subwoofers to a portable Bluetooth speaker. As far as compact speakers go tho I think this is the way to go. I like the sound better than the bose sound link mini and it can play louder and has a longer radius of sound outside. Can't wait to use this at the next party. I highly recommend this product as I am extremely with what I received.

While I am seasoned in writing Amazon reviews to help my fellow millennial shoppers and older alike... I don't know where to start with this bad mamajama. So I'm going to give you an unbiased review of this awesome speaker from this point on... OK. Overview- I got the JBL Charge 3 in black. It is a bulky design for your more extravagant consumer. The red JBL plate on the front is almost reflective, making it look like it lights up under indirect light. The Charge 3 is 100% water submersible and the bass subs on either side are able to house water which bounces to the tunes when your particularly bassy hip-hop starts booming. Has a stand built in on the bottom made of rubber to prevent rolling. 6 buttons on the top, four protruding to make it easier to know what you're pressing while not looking, and two flush. Behind the rubber tab on the back (built for waterproofing) houses an auxiliary port, probably 3.5mm, a micro USB port for charging the speaker itself, and a USB port for charging your mobile device (can be used as a power bank). There are 5 LED indicators for battery on the bottom of the frontal side. They are covered by rubber so they provide a very matte, non intense light. Same goes for the dual connect (read later) and the power indicator. A non voice activated pairing system uses various pulses, light coloring and sine waves to notify you when it is searching, pairing, and paired. It does not have NFC. The dual pairing feature allows you to pair two JBL speakers together. It has a built in speaker phone, I haven't tested it myself, but uve heard from many people there's no difference in sound quality from a normal phone microphone. Specs- The loudest read I got on the Charge 3 (using the app "Sound Meter" not an SLM) was around 88 dB while playing "Congratulations" by Post Malone (see pictures). A step up on the 75 dB from the original Charge. With a 6,000 mAh power bank and a 13 hour battery life at full and 25 hours at half (measurement I took myself), the playtime is above most available speakers on the market today. The Charge 3 has a rated power of 2 x 10W and a frequency response of 65Hz-20kHz. Application- Amazing outdoor/pool speaker. Great for rain or shine because you don't have to worry about splash damage. However, if you want a travel speaker, I'd go with the JBL Flip 4 ($100) or the Bose Soundlink Mini II ($180, an oldie but a damn goodie). Or if you're just "that guy", I'd recommend the JBL Extreme or the JBL Pulse... they're for the flashier of people. Biased- For the price, it can't be beat. For the partying, rock n roll, hip-hop, rap, EDM listener. The bass cannot be beat in a speaker this size if you like your music bassy (part of us all do). For a relatable example of the bass, at full volume, if you cup your hands around the subs while playing the song "Feel the Bass" by DJ MagicMike, you can feel the vibrations in your legs... crazy power. I hope that this review has made an impression on your choice of what speaker to purchase. If not, I highly recommend Jim's Review Room on YouTube for highly professional, unbiased reviews! Have a wonderful day.

Great sound for indoor and outdoor. Excellent base! I take this speaker everywhere.

"This is a great product! Very useful, well-made, and durable. The quality is excellent, and it works perfectly. Highly recommend!"