Which JBL speaker fits where you go

The JBL speakers here run from palm-sized to party-sized, and the size you pick decides where the speaker travels with you.

• Backpack and beach: the Go 4 and Clip 5 are IP67 waterproof and dustproof. The Clip 5 has a built-in carabiner for a backpack strap and plays up to 12 hours on one charge.
• Rough days out: the Go 5, Grip and Flip 7 move up to IP68, and the Go 5 and Flip 7 are also built to be drop-proof.
• Long sessions: the Charge 6 lists up to 24 hours of music playing time in its spec table. The Xtreme 4 gives up to 24 hours plus 6 more with Playtime Boost, and the Boombox 4 up to 34 hours with an IP68 rating.
• Parties: the PartyBox 130, 330 and 520 and the PartyBox Encore 2 add a light show. The Encore 2 is sold with one mic, and the PBM100 wired mic is made to pair with PartyBox speakers.

JBL speaker families by playtime and power

The JBL families differ in battery and output power. Hours below are per charge, as each listing states them:

• Go 4 and Go 5: up to 7 and 8 hours, each plus 2 more with Playtime Boost.
• Clip 5 and Grip: up to 12 hours each, plus 3 more with Playtime Boost on the Clip 5 and 2 more on the Grip. The Clip 5 lists 7 W of output power.
• Flip 7: up to 14 hours, or 16 with Playtime Boost, from a 25 W woofer and a 10 W tweeter.
• Charge 6: a 30 W woofer and a 15 W tweeter, and its spec table lists a power bank feature.
• Xtreme 4: two woofers and two tweeters, up to 2 x 30 W plus 2 x 20 W on AC power.

All of these speakers, and the Boombox 4, support Auracast, so you can link two or more Auracast-enabled JBL speakers to play the same music.

JBL earbuds and headphones

With earbuds, look at how the battery is split between the buds and the charging case. The Live Flex 3 gives 10 hours in the buds and 40 more in the case, the Live Beam 3 gives 12 plus 36, and the Live Pro 2 gives 10 plus 30. All three are true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds.

The Tune Flex 2 Ghost earbuds also have Adaptive Noise Cancelling and up to 48 hours of listening, and the listing gives an IP54 water and dust resistant rating.

Prefer headphones? The Tune 530BT is a lightweight, padded on-ear pair with up to 76 hours of battery life. The Tune 730BT is an over-ear pair with a flat-fold design and a built-in mic.

Where to start

If you want one speaker for your backpack and the beach, start with the Clip 5. If you want earbuds with the longest listed battery life, start with the Live Flex 3. Browse all portable speakers, the wireless earbuds and headphones, or the wider sports tech range.