I bought this last summer on Prime Day on sale for $30. I also bought a $90 speaker from an off brand at the same time that was much bigger. This JBL at 1/3 of the price and 1/4 of the size and outperformed that other speaker in pretty much every way. It is smaller, more portable, cheaper, and has a higher quality build than the off brand. I can listen to either podcasts or music on this speaker and both sound good with a decently high volume. This can't be used as a party speaker or anything where you are really trying to fill a large room with sound, but for working outside nearby, taking a shower, or just hanging out in the living room listening to some music this is a good option.
It is water resistant so I can use it in the shower just fine. I've accidentally dropped it from a height of about 4'-5' more than once with no damage or issues, it seems as good as new other than some paint I accidentally got on it once when painting a room. The volume control and play buttons are well marked, easy to access, and easy to use. They give you a nice "click" when you press them for tactile feedback. The power and Bluetooth buttons are also well designed and give similar feedback and you won't likely accidentally press one of them.
The biggest cons are that the Bluetooth connection does not show the battery charge level so you just have to use it for a while and charge it when it dies, or whenever you think about it. The battery does last at least one full work day. I can't say for sure exactly how long it lasts since I tend to use it for a few hours at a time rather than all day, but it lasts for at least several days of a few hours at a time with no issues. I would have liked it to display the charge percentage either on the device or on the bluetooth status bar on my phone though.
This speaker also doesn't have a lot of bass to it. It has enough for a non-audiophile to enjoy all types of music including rock and metal, but no one would confuse this for something with a subwoofer. It also gets fairly loud for its size, but won't work well for playing music at a house party or backyard party where you want to fill an area with music. Use this more a personal, portable speaker and you should be happy with the purchase.
I've had this speaker about 9 months now and would highly recommend it to someone looking for a good quality small Bluetooth Speaker for either music, podcasts, or audiobooks.
Product contains recycled material.
As certified by
Recycled Content Certification for Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Recycled Content Certification for Electrical and Electronic Equipment certifies the total percentage of recycled material in covered products. Covered products are required to achieve certification with more than one recycled material input to promote the use of more recycling inputs and most material impact. The minimum total recycled content to be eligible for the certification ranges from 10-50% depending on the product type. This certification is third-party verified by SCS Global Services.
