Ultimate sound, unbelievable value: the best JBL speakers of 2024

A favourite amongst both audiophiles and budget shoppers alike, the JBL Charge 5 impressively balances cost and performance, easily offering the most bang for your buck from most speakers on the market.

Under the hood, there's an incredibly impressive 40W audio output, alongside 20 hours of battery, waterproofing, and more. the JBL Charge 5 deep, rumbling bass is enough to impress, but then there's its surprising clarity and balance to its sound - vocals aren't muddied under waves of thumping bass, quite the opposite.

Not small, but not overly large - the JBL Charge 5 is perfect for taking to parties, bringing along for woodland adventures, and keeping your camp supplied with classic tunes all night long thanks to its 20-hour battery life.

Just make sure that before you head out onto the trail, you give the JBL Charge 5 plenty of time to charge, as it takes roughly four hours to reach full capacity. Besides its little longer-than-average charging times, the JBL Charge 5 is an incredibly impressive speaker and is likely a contender for one of the best Bluetooth speakers for bass of the year.

A phenomenal speaker at a competitive price, the JBL Go 3 is the ultimate pocket speaker, capable of lifting a room with powerful bass and impressive sound. The small size and brilliant design give it an absurdly sturdy feel in the hand, and when paired with its IP67 waterproof rating, you can rest assured it'll endure a quick splash of water or an unfortunate dusting of debris.

As for its sound, there's no denying that for the price, the JBL GO 3 is impressive, but it's certainly not party-ready. At 4.2W, there isn't a whole lot of kick from the JBL GO 3: bass is certainly fantastic for its size, but it isn't exceptional compared to pricier speakers on the market. Then, there's the charging time, which is half of the overall battery life - which is only five hours.

This was tried and tested by Chris Duffill, who has this to say about his experience: "I chose the green version of the JBL GO 3 for its outdoorsy look and was immediately impressed by its vibrant design. The tactile, oversized controls are a delight to use, especially when on the go. The orange rubber grips on two sides add stability, which is practical for various surfaces. Although the battery status light placement is a minor inconvenience, the overall design is well thought out and user-friendly."

"Pairing with my iPhone was seamless, and the sound quality exceeded my expectations for such a compact speaker. While it won’t compete with larger portables, it delivers a well-rounded sound with a decent amount of bass for its size. The Bluetooth connection is reliable, and the speaker’s durability makes it perfect for outdoor adventures. Despite wishing for a longer battery life and a larger loop for more versatility, I found the JBL GO 3 to be a fun, tough, and great-sounding little speaker."

You can read his full review here.

We think the JBL Flip 6 is a perfect mix of portability and performance, making it a top contender in the mid-range Bluetooth speaker market. Launched in 2021, the Flip 6 offers powerful sound, deep bass, and durable construction. Its compact size makes it ideal for on-the-go use, whether heading to the park or setting up a party in your backyard. With features like water- and dust-proofing, it can handle a variety of environments, making it a reliable choice for any occasion.

The product was put through its paces by Olivia Sheed, who shared her thoughts on the experience: "The JBL Flip 6 exceeded my expectations. From the moment I unboxed it, I was impressed by its compact design and ease of setup. Connecting it to my Samsung S21+ was a breeze, and the sound quality blew me away. I tested it with various genres, and the bass response was exceptional, with no distortion, even at higher volumes. It's a speaker that can handle anything I threw at it, whether in the shower or at a party."

"I appreciate the attention to detail JBL put into the design, especially the passive radiators that enhance the bass without compromising battery life. The Flip 6 is a versatile speaker that delivers outstanding sound in a portable package. If you're looking for a mid-tier speaker that punches well above its weight, this is definitely one to consider."

You can read her full review here.

If power is your preference, there are few speakers on the market that can equal the bass of the JBL PartyBox 310, an all-in-one entertaining machine. With dynamic lighting, built-in karaoke, and enough audio power to tear the roof off, the JBL PartyBox 310 is a huge speaker with an even larger presence.

The JBL PartyBox has an almighty audio output of 240W, outperforming most speakers on the market almost 10 times over. Its sound is nothing if not huge, and its bass - is even mightier. But JBL's precise engineering and massive enclosure make for exceptional sound, and this speaker certainly has plenty of it.

What's even more impressive is the incredible 18-hour battery life, which for a speaker with such volume is often difficult to achieve. And with only 3.5 hours of charging time, your party will remain entertained until the early morning hours without worry.

If portability is your concern, however, we'd suggest you look for something on the lighter side - at a whopping 17.4kg, the JBL PartyBox 310 is certainly an arm workout, and it isn't going to fit snugly into any backpack. That being said, for the ultimate sound: you have to go big or go home - for one of the ultimate Bluetooth speakers for sound quality, you cannot do much better than the JBL PartyBox 310 at its price.

Reserved for those in search of earth-shattering sound, and with plenty of cash to get it, the JBL Boombox 3 Bluetooth speaker is easily one of the larger speakers on our list, with a striking design that's bound to catch the eyes, and ears of your guests.

Packed with 200W of pure audio power, the JBL Boombox 3 is designed for crisp vocals, gorgeous balance, and above all - ferocious bass. Keep the party going all day long with up to 24 hours of listening time, a phenomenal amount of time for a speaker as powerful as the Boombox 3.

Again, with a speaker of this magnitude, size is always a concern, and with the JBL Boombox 3: it's certainly huge. Lugging this speaker in the outdoors, despite there being a solid IP67, is not an easy challenge.

Be that as it may, the JBL Boombox 3 is a worthy contender for one of the best speakers for music in 2024.

Portable, powerful and perfect for music on the road, the JBL Clip 4 is a reliable speaker that offers a little more power than your typical portable speaker, and at a competitive price too.

We love the overall padlock shape of the JBL Clip 4, and its built-in carabiner that's perfect for hanging off of a backpack for day-long, weightless music at your side. Whilst the size and overall power of the speaker are small, the impressive sound engineering makes the most out of the JBL Clip 4's components, delivering what is a triumphant sound.

An improvement on cheaper models, JBL's Clip 4 speaker has roughly 10 hours of playtime on three hours of charge - which isn't exceptional, but is ahead of the curve in the portable speaker market.

This perfectly portable speaker is cheap, delivers some impressive power for its price, and has enough power to keep you bobbing your head to some groovy tunes throughout your day.

If picking your songs isn't your style, try discovering something new with the JBL Tuner 2 portable radio, a fantastic DAB radio that's perfect for sitting deskside, and if need be, a potential dedicated shower speaker.

Of course, this speaker's small size and low wattage results in lower overall volume and less bass, but for a DAB radio with Bluetooth speaker functionality, you can hardly fault it - it's a brilliant deal, and gives even the best portable DAB radios on the market a run for their money.

This was tried and tested by Kyle Purves, who has this to say about their experience: "The JBL Tuner 2 impressed me with its practicality and ease of use. Despite not being the most powerful Bluetooth speaker, its sound quality is clear and the projection is adequate for outdoor use. The radio function is where it truly shines, with a user-friendly interface that makes navigating and saving stations a breeze. I found the small screen helpful for displaying station names, eliminating the guesswork of tuning."

"I was pleasantly surprised by the Bluetooth connection's reliability, even though it uses Bluetooth 4.2 instead of a newer version. The battery life and quick charging time are notable features; a full charge took about three hours with a strong power bank. However, the speaker's bass performance could be better. While it's not a deal breaker, those who enjoy bass-heavy music might feel it lacks some punch. If you value the radio functionality, the JBL Tuner 2 is a solid choice."

You can read his full review here.

JBL speakers aren't just for music, in fact - their range of JBL soundbars are excellent, and offer plenty of value for budding home cinema builders after a refreshing, high-quality sound. The JBL SoundBar combines our favourite aspects of great speakers all into one affordable package: great sound, a compact design and powerful volume.

At 80W, this is no small speaker: the sounds of cinema are bombastic, piercing and reverberating, filling the room with heart-racing volume. The compact size of the speaker is ideal for smaller setups, or for those who may struggle to hide a massive speaker setup. Its appealingly compact size conveniently sits beneath a speaker, or upon a shelf without any concerns of overcrowding or cable overload - simply use a HDMI cable, plug in and play.

For many, a setback of the JBL SoundBar 2.0 is its lower bass, despite its high audio output, its sound isn't as booming as you'd expect, and for some, this is a dealbreaker. If you're looking for true sound balance, JBL's SoundBar 2.0 is excellent, and its bass, while not excessive, is enough to give you goosebumps, it's a truly brilliant TV speaker.

The power of a mega speaker meets portability: JBL's Xtreme 3 is a great-value speaker with huge bass, making it perfect for large gatherings and on-the-go sound.

At 2kg, this isn't the heaviest speaker on the market, but its size necessitates a convenient arm-strap for some added comfort. This rugged speaker has an IP67 resistance rating, so it'll endure a tough outdoor excursion, if you have the space, or the chaos of a house party.

A whopping 100W of power isn't small: this huge sound is well-balanced, with plenty of bass to punch through sharp treble and impressive vocals, making this speaker ideal for a range of music listeners, not just club music.

Despite its significantly more portable design than other larger speakers on the market, the JBL Xtreme 3 isn't the best for lugging around. It's heavy, and its arm strap while in use looks somewhat awkward, despite the speaker's gorgeous design.

For less than £200, however, there isn't a doubt in our minds that this is a great speaker, an investment in the JBL Xtreme 3 is an investment in excellent sound for the foreseeable future.

If portability isn't a concern, and maximum power is what you need: gather your friends for the party of a life-time with the JBL IRX108BT speaker, a professional-grade PA speaker that's bound to shake the room, and then some.

The sound on this JBL speaker is undoubtedly impressive: there's a monumental 200W of audio output power, delivering enormous volume and stunning sound accuracy across the board. There is no shortage of bass here, in fact - for some quieter neighbourhoods, you might want to buy carefully, this is no ordinary speaker.

At 7.9kg, the JBL IRX108BT is hefty, and lacking any kind of wheels, you'll need a strong arm to lug it to your next housewarming. That being said: a heavier speaker generally means solid sound, and for the sheer quality, it's a speaker worth lugging.