Getting outside and in the elements is a perk of any summer, but in this, the second summer of coronavirus it’s the perk. Being outside means you can push fears of airborne pathogens aside and enjoy being around friends — new and old — as well as family you might not have seen in a literal year or more. Of course, in this summer of love and outdoor socializing, you still want to party. And to do that properly, you’re going to need some tunes from one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers — the JBL Flip 5.
Who is the JBL Flip 5 for?
Shower singers. The IPX7 covering means that it’s completely resistant against water. Sure, this is great for poolside jams — but if you like to bring your music into the shower with you, this is perfect.
Anyone looking for their first Bluetooth speaker. While I wouldn’t say it’s necessary to go out and upgrade to the Flip 5 if you already have the Flip 4, I would just get this one if it’s going to be your first speaker. It isn’t that much better than the Flip 4, but you might as well future-proof your purchase for as long as you can with the USB-C charging found here.
Someone who is going to be outdoors. If you’re into hiking, camping, or just headed to the beach the Flip series has always been a great companion and that doesn’t change with the Flip 5.
Key features of the JBL Flip 5
Certainly the JBL Flip 5 speaker’s petite size and light weight mean it’s a go-anywhere speaker. Whether in the palm of your hand, your car’s cup holder (or even your bike’s bottle cage), or hanging from its strap on a hook off your boat, the speaker is unobtrusive and easy to incorporate into whatever activity you’ve got going on. Throw it into your gym bag, your beach bag, your day-hike backpack, or your suitcase without a second thought or rearranging everything to make room for your tunes. The shape and texture mean it’s grippy enough that you can also literally throw it back and forth like a hot potato, as my kids encouraged me to do in the name of science and testing. It emerged from our friendly game of toss without a scratch or diminished sound.
How’s the build quality of the Flip 5?
If there’s one thing the JBL Flip series is known for, it’s for being tough. The Flip series started out splashproof, and eventually made the jump to being completely waterproof — and that’s still the case with the new JBL Flip 5. It’s wrapped in a durable fabric material that gives it an IPX7 rating, meaning: it can survive being submerged in up to three feet in water. On either end of the speaker is a tough rubber that protects the exposed bass radiators.
Day-to-Day Use
If you’ve ever set up any device with Bluetooth (push, ping, pair), you won’t break a sweat setting up your JBL Flip 5 with your phone. My 13-year-old had tunes blaring through the speaker from his iPhone before my coffee had finished warming up in the microwave. The raised buttons for play, volume up or down, and Party Boost are intuitive, as are the depressed power and Bluetooth buttons. When you power up the device, the on button lights up and a drum sound briefly plays — the same drum sound plays when the device turns off. Bluetooth pairing comes with the pluck of a guitar and that button lights up too — it’s one of the easiest, best Bluetooth speaker designs to use.
I walked the speaker all over my two-story, 1,500-square foot house and there was an occasional blip at the outer ranges as it adjusted, but I never completely lost connection and could even take it another 30 or so feet into my yard without losing the beat. The bass performs best indoors in rooms with good acoustics, but even outdoors playing a creeping, low end-rich song such as “Angel” from Massive Attack, the sound comes through in appropriately spine-tingling waves. At the highest volume, the sound breaks up a bit, loses a bit of quality. Will it outperform your expensive soundbar or surround sound home theater setup? No. But you can’t take your soundbar to the lake or into your rented ski chalet, either, so…
This JBL portable speaker claims the battery lasts a full 12 hours. You’ll lose a bit of time if you have it cranked up all the way, but we got it to play at a comfortable in-home volume for just about 12 hours without trouble. If you’re like me and you always forget to turn your speakers off, the auto power off feature is a godsend, and it helps boost the play life too.
Who Should Buy the JBL Flip 5?
The JBL Flip 5 waterproof bluetooth speaker is a smart buy for those looking for a compact, portable speaker with decent sound quality at a fairly low price point. Durability plays a key role here, too. Those who use their speakers outside or near water, or who have pets or kids (who always seem to find a way to spill something on or otherwise abuse electronic devices) will be especially drawn to its ability to be dropped, thrown, abused, and submerged with little effect on performance. Audiophiles might quibble with sound quality, especially at top volume, but given the speaker size, battery life, and portability, it’s a decent trade-off for wireless outdoor speakers to take to weekend soccer games and pull out for the annual limbo contest at the family reunion.
Any of our winning options are quality speakers that will serve you well, but selecting the perfect one is about your preferences and ideal price point.Want more recommendations for the best Bluetooth speaker? Check out our guides to the DinDinModern.
Why choose DINDINMODERN
● A variety of high-quality Bluetooth speakers are available.
● Delivery from the local warehouse, within 3 days.
● Manufactured in our own factory, cost-effective.
● Excellent pre-sales and after-sales service.
● Free returns
● Excellent materials, safe and durable.
● Pursue innovation and optimize design
● We listen to customer needs and feedback.
