No, it's not the prettiest portable Bluetooth speaker. But it is very portable, rugged, waterproof, has epic battery life, and sound that'll blow your socks off - especially considering its small scale. All that makes it easy to recommend.

Big sound quality from this size; Lots of bass; Portable and water resistant; Long battery life

Slow to recharge (and requires mains plug too); Not the most attractive of designs

The biggest difference is only useful to 0.1% of people.

Good build; Gets loud; Long battery life; Can charge your portable devices; USB-C charging; Plenty of color options

Basically the same sound as the Charge 3; Slightly bigger and heavier than previous model; The buttons that aren't lit up are hard to see in the dark; Vocals in the mids can get masked by bass; No microphone for phone calls

The JBL Charge collection is probably one of the best and most popular Bluetooth portable speakers available on the market. From the very first Charge, to the Charge 3, the company has constantly strived to improve and develop the speaker to make it the best portable speaker out there.

JBL is one of the most popular and well-known names in the Bluetooth speaker market for a reason.

Excellent durable build with IPX7 rating, Fantastic for hiking and travelling, Charges portable devices well, Plenty of design options to choose from, Excellent sound quality and volume, 20 hours of battery life, Good Bluetooth connectivity, Option to sync with other devices with Connect+, Small...

No microphone for control or hands-free calls, Buttons are hard to see in the dark, Mid-range can be a bit fuzzy

The Charge 4 sounds excellent for a mono speaker at this price. Its solid build is waterproof and, for all of its output, not terribly big. There are other solid options in this price range-the EcoXGear EcoSlate , the Bose SoundLink Color II , and the Sony SRS-XB3 are all winners, and if you want to...

Powerful audio performance with rich bass and crisp, clear highs; Gets quite loud for its size; Waterproof

No speakerphone function; Mono audio output

Ease of connection is good. I intend to use it on my boat this summer and eliminate the traditional "car stereoish and speaker combo." A couple of velcro straps on the dash and I should be good to go.

Marginally larger than Charge 3, very good sound, very nice. Right now the price is the same as Extreme (1), about 1500, a little expensive. If you want more portable end of choice on this Charge 4, you want better sound it becomes Extreme.

Despite cutting a couple of handy features, the Charge 4 is an impressive fourth entry into JBL’s mid-range Bluetooth speaker series

Rugged and waterproof; Impressive audio; Doubles up as a power bank

No speakerphone or voice assistant; Generation-specific multi-speaker pairing

Despite cutting a couple of handy features, the Charge 4 is an impressive fourth entry into JBL’s mid-range Bluetooth speaker series

Rugged and waterproof; Impressive audio; Doubles up as a power bank;

No speakerphone or voice assistant; Generation-specific multi-speaker pairing;

JBL knows how to deliver the goods when it comes to portable Bluetooth speakers. The previous iteration of the Charge was a hit, and the JBL Charge 4 ($179.95) is not dropping the baton. With a waterproof design, the speaker outputs huge sound for its size, and it's small enough to be thrown in a tote. The bass depth here is also impressive, thanks mostly to dual passive radiators that add richness and thump. The only two bummers are the lack of a speakerphone function and that the speaker is mono (this is forgivable, though, since the size would prevent true stereo separation anyway). The JBL Charge 4, like its predecessor, wins our Editors' Choice award. Design The cylindrical 3.7-by-8.6-by-3.7-inch (HWD), 2.1-pound Charge 4 is available in a multitude of colors—10 in all, including mustard yellow and teal, as well as more standard black or red models. The speaker has an IPX7 rating, meaning it has an unspecified level of dust-ingress protection and is fully waterproof. In fact...

The JBL Charge 4 is an excellent option for those who want a waterproof, powerful-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker in a moderately sized frame.

Powerful audio performance with rich bass and crisp, clear highs; Gets quite loud for its size; Waterproof

No speakerphone function; Mono audio output