I took this to the beach and was very pleased with it. Sounds great to be so small. I showed it to a friend and they are going to buy one as well. For the price it is really great.

Attractive; Easy To Set Up; Good Power Output; Great Sound; Simple Controls

The JBL is an excellent option if you are looking for a high quality yet affordable Bluetooth speaker. With its great highs and lows and its ability to pump out some crisp music the Charge 3 should cater to everyone's needs.

The king of affordably priced portable Bluetooth speakers has returned. And it's bigger, better and more powerful than before. JBL has for a long time been the best at making portable speakers that were unbeatable.

Ultimately, the JBL Charge 3 is a decent-sounding speaker, that also happens to rugged, good-looking, has great stamina and is completely waterproof. It isn't the last word in refinement, at least not when it comes to compact Bluetooth speakers.

There are a zillion wireless Bluetooth speakers you can buy these days, but three brands rise to the top of the heap: Bose, Ultimate Ears and JBL. And of those three, only JBL makes models that also double as backup batteries for phones and other USB-powered devices: the Charge line.

The JBL Charge 3 is larger than its predecessor, fully waterproof, and plays louder -- but it should sound a little better.

The JBL Charge 3 is a well-designed, fully waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker that features good battery life and doubles as an external charger for your portable devices; It also has built-in speakerphone capabilities, and plays loudly with strong bass for its size and price class.

While it plays louder than the JBL Charge 2+ it doesn't sound as good.

JBL has been one of the bigger names in portable Bluetooth speakers for a while now. In fact, the Charge 3 that's the subject of this review is...

Thumpy bass; Outstanding run time; Links up with other JBL Bluetooth speakers

Poor documentation; Audio lacks clarity and separation

JBL has been one of the bigger names in portable Bluetooth speakers for a while now. In fact, the Charge 3 that's the subject of this review is actually the fourth iteration: There was the original, the Charge 2, and the Charge 2+ previously.

JBL Charge 3 is the ultimate, high-powered portable Bluetooth speaker with powerful stereo sound and a power bank all in one package. The Charge 3 takes the party everywhere, poolside or in the rain, thanks to the waterproof design, durable fabric and rugged housing.

Waterproof; Excellent sound; JBL Connect; Charges phone; Looks as powerful as it is

No protective bag included; No way to hang it

In the world of cylindrical bluetooth speakers, the Logitech UE Boom I reviewed is the first that usually comes to my mind. It had great 360 degree sound plus a waterproof design.

IPX7 waterproof; anti-roll design; Dual bass radiators; 6000 mAH power bank

Smartphone app is limited to configuring JBL Connect-enabled speakers

With each new version of the Charge, JBL has made minor improvements to an already good Bluetooth speaker. The Charge 2 boosted bass; the 2+ added moderate water resistance. With the new Charge 3, JBL has added even more features, including better water resistance and a longer lasting battery, but...

Waterproof; Loud; Good battery life

Weaker sound quality than JBL Charge 2; Limited app