There are plenty of methods to be loud and annoying. For instance, there’s loud night breathing—a timeless basic that’s not solely loud, but in addition deprives you and others of sleep, killing two very miserable birds with one stone. Then there are extra vestigial and area of interest types of being obnoxious, like yodeling, which, if accomplished outdoors of the Swiss Alps, looks like extra of a cry for consideration than the rest.
However these are nothing whenever you enter Bluetooth audio system into the equation. Within the 12 months of our lord, 2025, because of Bluetooth connectivity and LTE, there are lots of of how to be loud and annoying, and plenty of them will price you. You’ve received premium choices like Bose’s SoundLink Plus, which convey type and finesse to the Bluetooth speaker sport, after which there are extra rugged choices just like the Soundcore Increase 3i that you would be able to actually throw in a pool. However what if type, sturdiness, and even sound aren’t your prime precedence? What if you happen to’re on the lookout for a small technique to sound actually massive? Nicely, if that’s your jam, JBL’s $100 Grip may need simply what you want.
JBL Grip
The JBL Grip is a conveyable Bluetooth speaker with extra quantity than you’d anticipate.
- Very tiny
- Nonetheless a giant sound!
- Customizable lights are enjoyable
- Barely costly for what you get
- Sound is simply okay
The tall boy of Bluetooth audio system
After I first noticed JBL’s Grip, I dubbed it the “tall boy of Bluetooth audio system,” and now, having held the Grip in my hand and having laid eyes on it for myself… I stand by that declare. The Grip is all concerning the dimension, which on this case, is much like a “can of seltzer” in line with JBL, or if you happen to’re a hoodlum like me, then a tall boy. For proof of its tall boy-ness, I put the Grip side-by-side with a can that equals one pint. Right here’s the Grip subsequent to a Narragansett on your viewing pleasure:
Whereas the Grip resembles a tall boy in dimension, it really weighs much less—this speaker is barely 385g, which makes it each light-weight and compact, which is nice as a result of portability is what JBL goes for right here. That’s additionally why there’s a loop on the highest of the speaker so you possibly can strap the Grip to a belt, or a bag, or perhaps clip it to your bike to blast tunes when you get some cardio in. I didn’t strap the Grip to something for my testing, however I did carry it round Manhattan and may affirm that it’s not very burdensome.
Don’t let the scale and portability idiot you, although; the Grip is not any slouch within the quantity division. The very first thing I seen once I performed the Grip out loud in my workplace was that it actually cranks. There’s 16W of energy on this tiny speaker, which doesn’t sound like a ton, however consider me once I say it holds its personal. Whereas utilizing the Grip within the park, I used to be in a position to drown out music from some stay jazz being performed within the neighborhood. To be trustworthy, I didn’t even know there was stay music taking place close to me till I made a decision to pause the Grip momentarily.
Sound-wise, you’re not going to get the identical nuance as an even bigger Bluetooth speaker from Bose or perhaps a larger moveable speaker like JBL’s Cost 5 (which I additionally personal), however that’s probably not the purpose of a speaker this dimension. What you need out of a speaker just like the Grip is portability with a sound that’s adequate, and I’d say that’s precisely what the Grip brings to the desk. It does a good job with treble (vocals are clear), although you gained’t catch a lot complexity within the midrange the place guitars stay. Bass isn’t notably booming, clearly, however I performed some Daft Punk whereas strolling round outdoors, and it didn’t sound bereft of low finish. Total, I’d say this speaker did higher in a rock style (I performed a couple of of my favourite tracks by Geese), however your mileage could fluctuate.
Evidently, this isn’t the speaker you need if you happen to’re making an attempt to fill a room with sound, however if you happen to’re simply making an attempt to seize a speaker to convey on a hike, or a picnic, or to the seashore/park for an off-the-cuff cling, there’s no purpose to not seize a Grip—particularly if you happen to’re low on house.
Tall boy, smaller battery
As is the case with any gadget that emphasizes portability, battery life is all the time in query. The JBL Grip is rated for 14 hours of battery, although that can rely on the quantity. I wasn’t in a position to take a look at the Grip battery life extensively, however in my utilization, the Grip appears to carry up as marketed, if not higher. I examined the Grip, utilizing the speaker at about 50% quantity for an hour. I began my take a look at at 40% battery, and by the point I used to be accomplished listening, I used to be solely at about 37%. Clearly, 50% quantity is just a little decrease than what most individuals will likely be listening to out within the wild, however it’s nonetheless a good displaying from a small speaker. In case you’re blaring this factor, you possibly can clearly anticipate much less.
The Grip has some character outdoors of the portability, too. There’s (in fact) a companion app that you need to use to fine-adjust EQ (seven complete bands) and swap between EQ presets. You may as well monitor battery life utilizing the JBL Transportable app and use your cellphone to decide on the colour of the LED on the again of the speaker. One good contact is with the ability to set the LED element to have totally different lighting results by way of the app. There’s nothing tremendous sensible about with the ability to do any of that, however I assume if you happen to had been fearful about shedding your speaker in the dead of night, it would really turn out to be useful. I’d have liked to see that function become a battery indicator so you possibly can inform how a lot juice you’ve gotten left within the Grip at a look, however utilizing it for just a little further personalization is ok. I like with the ability to toggle lighting results specifically, to offer it some further aptitude.
One other nice-to-have function is an IP68 water and mud score, which suggests this speaker is mainly as waterproof as an precise can of beer. To check that out, I gave the Grip a pleasant little bathe within the sink, working it underneath water for a few minutes. Fortunately, the Grip survived my take a look at and got here out just a little soggy, however absolutely purposeful and in a position to play music simply in addition to earlier than. It doesn’t float or something like Soundcore’s Increase 3i speaker, which I examined not way back, however you positively don’t have to fret about dropping the Grip in a pool or leaving it out within the rain by chance.
Nothing to jot down house concerning the button choice right here. On the entrance, there’s a play/pause button and a quantity up and down. On prime, there’s a Bluetooth button for pairing, an influence button, and a button for Auracast, which helps you to pair a number of audio system collectively, if that’s one thing you’re serious about.
Must you get a Grip?
JBL’s Grip isn’t for everybody. In case you’re an audiophile on the lookout for the absolute best sound, this isn’t your decide. Neither is this one of the best decide if you happen to’re on the lookout for the most of plenty of issues, together with options, battery, and even use in water. That being stated, it does strike a stable steadiness of all of these arenas that needs to be on the radar if you happen to’re on the lookout for a speaker that’s very moveable.
I do want the value was just a little decrease than $100, contemplating audio system just like the Soundcore Increase 3i, which do a couple of issues very effectively and solely price $30 extra. Certain, perhaps Soundcore’s floatable speaker isn’t fairly as small, however it’s nonetheless fairly rattling moveable, much more sturdy, and comes with extra options than you’d ever anticipate in that value vary. I’m left questioning after testing the JBL Grip if the distinction in dimension is de facto all that particular. In case you’re carrying a backpack round with sufficient room, will you really want the house? In case you’re mountain climbing, and each gram counts, that’s a special story.
So, if you happen to’re emphasizing dimension above all else and also you need one thing that sounds respectable and gained’t be overpowered by environmental noise, you then may wish to look JBL’s method and seize a pleasant tall glass of Bluetooth audio. And if dimension doesn’t matter to you, then there are tons of different choices on the market, although perhaps none fairly as beer-like.
