JBL Charge 5 Waterproof Portable Speaker with Built-in Powerbank and gSport Carbon Fiber Case (Black)

I don't write reviews too often unless I really like something, and this is one of them. Originally had the Charge2+, which lasted for almost 8 years till the battery life went downhill. Since the Charge 2 held up perfectly for so long despite going on vacations out of country and used repeatedly in various situations, I didn't hesitate to pick up the latest version. I use this Charge 5 primarily for when I go golfing. I put this in the back of the golf cart and enjoy it for 4 hours at a rather high volume. It never goes dead on me despite the lengthy amount of time being used, and I can still hear it well even if I get out of the cart and walk up on the green to putt. There's been times when I've had my phone in my pocket when I do this, and despite being 40 yards away, the connection remains solid. There's be a couple of times when it's rained while on the golf course, but it doesn't phase this speaker. What I need it to do- long battery life, quality sound at high volume, and great blue tooth range, this speaker covers it all. As for the case, it's top notch. The zipper works easily & flawlessly, and has a nice felt lining inside with a custom fit to protect the speaker when not in use. The carbon fiber exterior and carrying handle hold up well, and I don't have a scratch on it. Like most people, I like to take care of my things, and with the durability built into this speaker, it should last for years to come. I have average sized hands, and can grab this speaker with one hand without worrying I'll drop it. The construction of the speaker is rugged, and I have complete confidence it'll hold up to my next international vacation. As for the sound quality, it has good bass for it's class size. With the speaker separation, it provides a nice clear sound enhanced by the bass. I can't stand "tinny" sounding speakers. If it doesn't sound good, I don't wanna hear it. All in all, I'm very happy with this speaker in all aspects.

Honestly, my friends and I put this speaker through hell. It's been dropped, rolled off of truck hoods, dropped in water, sat on sandy lakesides and layed on just river banks. It's also played at max volume most of the time. The fact that's it's still working, and working just as well as the day I got it, is a testament to the build quality and quality one gets from JBL. It's a powerful speaker for it's size, charges quickly (and can charge another device). It's the perfect size and has a enough volume for what I use it for, which is everything. Multiple color options, so you can match it to your vehicle, your outfit, or just about anything. The Bluetooth connection is great and has a good range. I actually like hiding the speaker somewhere and messing with my friends by playing something annoying or embarrassing when they least expect it. Yes, it shows some wear after what I've put it through, but that hasn't effected the usability at all. I would definitely buy again!

Why did you pick this product vs others?:Great sound with a great protective case.

Wow. I was impressed by the fact that this speaker sounded louder and cleaner than I expected. I love this portable speaker. Easy to use. This is a really nice camo color. I liked this color. I liked that it also came with a protect bag. I'm so happy to because I bought this boombox JBL Portable Charge 5. Highly recommended! 😏👍🏼📻

The JBL Charge 5 with its rugged gSport case is an excellent pick for anyone needing a durable, all-weather speaker that sounds fantastic and doubles as a powerbank. It’s perfect for road trips, pool days, kitchen jamming, or simply chilling outdoors. Just don’t expect ultra-fast charging or perfect acoustics at full blast—this is about portability and resilience without compromise.

I have had a charge 3 for about 3 or 4 years. I still have it and it still works great. The round design can be a little funky. Mostly because it's prone to rolling. One day recently I set my charge 3 down on my kitchen counter and it rolled off and hit the ground. Then it had this slightly crackly sound when playing music, so i decided maybe it's time to buy a new charge and I bought this charge 5. Before the 5 even arrived I decided to take the charge 3 apart and fix it. I watched a quick YouTube video to figure out how to remove the mesh cage without damaging it. I removed the cage and pinpointed the speaker the bad sound was coming from. I removed that speaker and found the wire terminal or the wire itself (can't remember) was making contact with the speaker cone. I bent it back so it wasn't making contact anymore and put it back together. Speaker works perfectly again. Ok. On to the actual review.The charge 3 I've had at least 4 years, I think, still sounds great, the battery still lasts a very long time and the speaker overall just consistently works. Always pairs right away and off it goes to play great tunes for many many hours on a single charge. The charge 5 on the other hand, sounds almost exactly the same to me. Maybe a tiny bit more bass and overall volume, but honestly i don't think that much. The battery i feel like doesn't last anywhere near as long as my charge 3 does. Both the charge 3 and 5 have a weird looking button on them that you push to connect multiple charges together. Now here's what annoys me. On the 3 it's called like "connect" and on the 5 it's called "connect plus" or something like that. They do not work together. You can't connect the 3 to the 5, UNLESS supposedly you do a firnware update on the 3. I upgraded that firmware update (as I saw in a youtube video) and loaded the JBL app. I see both devices and supposedly my 3 now is using "connect plus", but no matter which order i go in (connecting 3 to 5, or connecting 5 to 3) I can't get them to pair and play music together. Oh well, I can live without that, even though it's just annoying to have two devices of different generations from the same brand that don't really work together like two of the same generation most likely easily would. Overall, I'm just saying, the 5 really isn't all that big of an upgrade over the 3. You can still find and purchase charge 3 for like $80. I originally bought mine for i think $150, and honestly the charge 3 sounds really good and has great battery life, and this charge 5 sounds just as great, but definitely seems to have less battery life from my experience so far. So what I'm saying is you could buy two charge 3s for the price of one charge 5 and have two great speakers with great sound.