Looking for a new portable speaker? There are tons of options to pick from, although I can’t say that all are particularly portable. I wouldn’t want to chuck lots of the options in my backpack all day. But JBL’s latest release is focused on being portable.
The JBL Grip is the brand’s latest attempt to convince us that small really can mean mighty – and honestly, I’m inclined to believe it. In fact, this speaker is the same size as a can of beer, but packs a whole lot of punch.
JBL knows this speaker is small, but it can still do a whole lot. It crams in 16 watts of output, which for something you can strap to your handlebars or kayak, is quite a bit of clout. JBL’s thrown AI Sound Boost into the mix, which is a bit of fancy processing that’s meant to keep bass punchy without going all muddy and distorted.
It’s got a rope hook, of course, which makes sense for something you can take anywhere. The Grip’s upright design looks built to hang, whether that’s on your rucksack, a tree branch, or the corner of your pool. It’s also IP68 rated, so unless you’re submerging it in the ocean, you should be set. JBL even made the logo vertical, showing you just how to plonk down the unit.
Battery-wise, you’re looking at 12 hours of playback. JBL reckons you can squeeze out an extra 2 hours if you enable something called Playtime Boost. The back panel has ambient lighting you can tweak through the app, in case that’s your sort of thing. Want it to glow a menacing red while you’re grilling sausages in the rain? Go for it.
And if you’ve got more than one of these things – or you’re deep in JBL’s speaker ecosystem – you can Auracast them together for a stereo setup or whole-area audio assault. Just don’t be that person at the beach who thinks everyone wants to hear your bangers.
The JBL Grip portable speaker lands this month in seven colours, including black, white, camo, and pink. It’ll set you back $99/£80/€100, and it’s available to order directly from JBL and other retailers like Amazon.
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