JBL Go 3: RIch Audio, Low Price

JBL makes lots of large, powerful Bluetooth speakers, but the Go 3 isn’t one of them. At $39.95, the Go 3 is about as portable (and affordable) as it gets—it’ll fit in any backpack or tote without issue. It’s also fully waterproof, making it ideal for outdoor use. There certainly isn’t any powerful bass depth coming out of a speaker this size, but the Go 3 does its best to muster some rich low-end presence at higher volumes. It could have longer battery life, but for the price, this a very solid value.

- TIM GIDEON

PLENTY PORTABLE

Available in black, blue, gray, red, or teal, the 2.7-by-3.4-by-1.6-inch (HWD), 7.4-ounce Go 3 is tiny enough to fit in just about any bag and even some pockets. Its rectangular body has rounded edges and is covered mostly in cloth grille, with rubberized feet on the bottom. The JBL logo is emblazoned in large letters across the front panel, and a stylish, sporty lanyard is built into the left panel, next to the USB-C port for the included charging cable.

Up top are buttons for volume up/down and play/ pause. Pressed twice, the play/pause button skips forward a track. The speaker has no track backward navigation, which seems like an oversight. And it has no speakerphone functionality, which would be annoying if the price weren’t so low. The right side panel houses a power button and a Bluetooth pairing button.

Internally, a single mono 1.5-inch driver delivers 4.2 watts of audio. Obviously, this speaker isn’t here to deliver powerful output or thunder, but for its size, it does project some respectable volume. It’s compatible with Bluetooth 5.1.

The Go 3’s best feature is its IP67 rating, which indicates a fully dust-tight and waterproof build that can be submerged up to a meter in water for up to 30 minutes. Yes, it’s true that a Bluetooth signal won’t do well underwater, but the point is that the speaker can get soaked without issue, which also means you can clean it off under the faucet or use it in the shower.

JBL estimates battery life to be roughly 5 hours, but results will vary with your volume levels. Regardless, 5 hours is pretty short—the similar-size Sony SRS-SB12 ($50) gets roughly 16 hours.