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JBL Charge 5
If you’ve spent any time researching outdoor-ready Bluetooth speakers, you’ve most likely come across the JBL Charge 5. Promising decent sound and battery life encased in a rugged yet portable design, is the Charge 5 the key to great sound in the great outdoors? We take it to the mountains to see how it performs in this JBL Charge 5 review.
What's new?
- This JBL Charge 5 review was updated on May 7, 2024, to answer more FAQs and add a section on how it compares to the JBL Flip 6. It was updated again on November 18th, 2024, to add more relevant alternatives.
- See our rumors hub for the JBL Charge 6 to find out when it might be released and if it's worth the wait.
With its IP67 protection rating and robust build, the JBL Charge 5 is for any listener after a portable speaker with decent output that can take on the great outdoors.
What’s it like to use the JBL Charge 5?
The JBL Charge 5 is roughly the shape and approximate weight of a football. The unit is wrapped in durable fabric, with silicon bumpers on the side protecting its passive radiators. Rubberized silicone strips are also found on the bottom of the enclosure, keeping it in place while you crank up your tunes. Combined with an IP67 protection rating, making this speaker both dust-proof and water-proof, it’s safe to say that the Charge 5 is ready for your next beach day or weekend camping trip, thanks to its rugged build.
While this speaker is marketed as portable, it won’t exactly fit into your pocket. However, it will fit into a backpack with no problem. You’ll find your backlit power and Bluetooth buttons on the top of the unit and your raised playback controls, which offer a satisfying tactile click when pressed. Around the back of the unit, you’ll find your USB-C charge port and a courtesy USB-A outlet for charging devices in the field.
Should you download the JBL Portable app?
We recommend downloading and installing the JBL Portable app. Here, you’ll find access to a 3-band customizable EQ and the option to pair a second Charge 5 for stereo performance. If your best pal shows up with a Flip 6, don’t worry; you don’t have to tell them to leave. You can use the PartyTogether feature and pair the speakers for extra room-filling power, but they will only play back in mono. PartyTogether works with a variety of JBL speakers, including the new Clip 5, Go 4, and Xtreme 4.
How does the JBL Charge 5 connect?
The Charge 5 connects to your device via Bluetooth 5.1, and pairing is easy enough—press and hold the Bluetooth symbol on the top of the speaker and select it from your device’s Bluetooth menu. The Charge 5 also offers Bluetooth multipoint, so if you and a friend want to take turns playing music through your speaker, you won’t have to switch source devices each time.
JBL states the Charge 5 can achieve 20 hours of playback off a single charge. Unfortunately, it does not offer fast charging.
How does the JBL Charge 5 sound?
The Charge 5 gets decently loud, enough for a medium-sized gathering, indoors or out. Our Executive Editor Chris Thomas once DJ’d a small wedding with a pair of JBL Charge 3 speakers—the Charge 5 could undoubtedly pull that off!
It's easy to parse apart all the elements of a song with the JBL Charge 5.
The vocals are clear thanks to the driver setup inside the speaker. It features a long-excursion driver and a separate tweeter, and each side houses a passive bass radiator. Taylor Swift’s Mr. Perfectly Fine sounds excellent through the Charge 5, with her vocals ringing out clearly during the bridge at 3:32, but it doesn’t mask the quieter guitar parts. When the drums and bass return at 3:46, you can identify all the instruments and vocal tracks in the song, an impressive feat for a single speaker.
To contextualize the sound quality a bit more, the JBL Charge 5 has a louder sound than the famous Bose SoundLink Mini and Bose SoundLink Flex. JBL’s bass response is more powerful, which makes sense considering the speaker is larger.
Should you buy the JBL Charge 5?
The JBL Charge 5 is an excellent buy when it comes to outdoor-oriented portable Bluetooth speakers. It’s rugged, offers decent sound, which you can now personalize via the JBL Portable app, has excellent battery life, and can charge a device or two in the field if you’re in a pinch. You can throw this one in your backpack without worry. What else do you need to keep your next outdoor party going?
JBL Charge 5 VS JBL Flip 6: Which Bluetooth speaker is better?
If you prioritize audio performance and longer battery life, the JBL Charge 5 is the better speaker choice. The Charge 5’s larger size produces a fuller bass response and louder volume output than the Flip 6. It also has a significantly longer battery life at 20 hours versus 12 hours on the Flip 6. However, the Flip 6 is more portable and travel-friendly due to its smaller size and lighter weight.
It sacrifices some sound quality and battery life for the sake of portability. So, if you need a speaker that can easily be thrown in a bag for trips, the Flip 6 may be preferable. But for pure audio performance at home or outdoor parties, the Charge 5 is the superior JBL portable speaker of the two. You can read our full versus article to see how they compare.
What should you get instead of the JBL Charge 5?
For less money, consider the Anker Soundcore Boom 2. ($89.99 at Amazon) This lightweight speaker offers a durable build and stereo playback with a decent amount of bass on tap, but it also features built-in LED lights on its passive radiators that will pulse insync with you music. While the Boom 2 is designed with an IPX7 protection rating and floats on water, it does not offer any protection against dust, not ideal if you’re a regular beach goer.
If you need something a little beefier than the Charge 5, consider sizing up to the JBL Xtreme 4. (on the product's website) It offers the same IP67 protection rating and plenty of booming bass, but now offers up to 24 hours of battery life. If that’s not enough to keep your party going, you can buy an additional battery pack and swap them out as needed.
Lastly, we can’t forget the ultra-portable. JBL dropped the new Clip 5 and the new Go 4 just this year. To learn more about the difference between these two on-the-go models, check out our video below:
Frequently asked questions about the JBL Charge 5
Yes, the Charge 5 has decent audio quality for a Bluetooth speaker and is impressive in its volume output.
Yes, the JBL Portable app offers a simple equalizer with sliders to adjust bass, mid, and treble frequencies.
It can play in both stereo and mono, depending on whether you use PartyBoost to pair it with another compatible JBL speaker or not.
No. Your two JBL Charge speakers must be of the same generation for stereo mode to work, and it also won’t work with two different models of JBL speakers released in the same year, either.
No, the USB-C port is only for charging the JBL Charge 5. Additionally, the USB-A port in the back is a service port so that you can charge your phone from it, but you won’t be able to play music off your phone to the speaker through the port.
Yes, you can use the speaker while it’s charging.
No, the JBL Charge 5 plays audio in mono. You can pair two Charge 5 speakers together for stereo sound.
Yes, you can adjust the bass frequencies on the JBL Charge 5 using the JBL Portable app for Android or iOS.
No. The JBL Charge 5 does not have a microphone.
Glad you asked, you can read our Charge 5 vs. Pulse 5 comparison article here: JBL Charge 5 vs. JBL Pulse 5