It might feel like we’re in the middle of summer, but we still have more than two months to go until the leaves start falling and pumpkins appear out of nowhere. In the meantime, I’m trying to spend as much time outside as possible — poolside, lakeside, or even just on my patio, with the grill fired up and ready to go. No gathering is complete without some music, and no matter the event, I always turn to the same exact gadget: my trusty JBL Charge 5. It doesn’t go on sale often, but if you’re looking for some fantastic Bluetooth speakers for Prime Day, it’s hard to beat today’s sale.
Since JBL launched its latest hybrid battery bank and Bluetooth speaker last year, it’s all but stayed steady at its $180 price. It might be hard to justify spending nearly two hundred dollars on a portable speaker, but at $150 — as it’s marked down to today — it’s easier to stomach. The Charge 5 was the first device I reviewed for Android Police when I started working here, which means it’ll always have a special place in my heart. Simultaneously, though, it’s also something I use every week — something I can’t say about every run-of-the-mill Bluetooth speaker I’ve owned in the past.
Part of my love for this thing comes from its massive battery. Although the Charge 5 pulls double-duty as a battery bank, I don’t usually turn to it as a way to power my phone. Instead, the built-in 7,500mAh battery means I can go a couple of weeks — with regular use — without having to plug it in. Between various smartphones, tablets, laptops, headphones, and more, I have plenty of gadgets that need to be charged on a near-daily basis. With the Charge 5, it usually doesn’t need much more than a quick top-up.
Of course, none of that would matter if it didn’t sound good. Thankfully, I’m still impressed by how much sound JBL was able to squeeze out of the Charge 5’s relatively small footprint, especially when it comes to bass. Those side-mounted woofers pack a serious punch, something you don’t usually see in portable Bluetooth speakers. That’s not to say it doesn’t work well with podcasts and other genres where heavy bass isn’t important — to be honest, I have yet to find audio that doesn’t sound great on the Charge 5.
JBL Charge 5 — $30 off
With the warm weather, I’ve been turning to this speaker a lot. It was there when I held a July 4th cookout, and I’ll likely throw it in my bag when I head to a friend’s pool this upcoming weekend. Its water-resistant design means I don’t need to worry about bringing it to the beach or anywhere else where other speakers might not survive in the event of an accidental splash or dunk.
And you don’t need warm weather to make the most of it. When I moved into a new house earlier this year, the Charge 5 was with me every step of the way. From painting and packing to moving boxes and cleaning out my old apartment, having a reliable, portable speaker that could bounce around rooms and locations genuinely made the process more enjoyable.
JBL doesn’t put this thing on sale very often — in fact, it barely dropped in price during its first year on the market. $30 off might not seem like a big discount, but it’s within $10 of the all-time low, making it as good a time as any to grab one. At $150, I really don’t think anyone could regret it.
