There’s so many different bluetooth speakers on the market these days, it can be hard to choose something that’s right for you and your family. At Dads Stuff HQ we’ve tried a few different well-known brands, some of which are better than others. When we were asked to take a look at the JBL Charge 3 we jumped at the chance, for a three big reasons really, but we’ll get onto those in a moment.
First impressions are important, and the JBL Charge 3 looks good – we opened up the box to see a bright red speaker, which actually looked a lot better than you may think. For a moment it took me back to my childhood and I couldn’t work out why. Then it hit me, this thing reminded me of a giant sticklebrick! Remember them? I loved them! Not sure what they are? Well let me show you here.
Childhood memories aside, that rubber casing actually serves a really good purpose – and if you’re a Dad or have pets or are just clumsy, you know what I mean. It’s rugged and it can withstand a bit of bashing around. First big TICK of the review.
On the subject of being rugged – is your current speaker waterproof? How quickly do you have to move it from a rogue wave, a surprise rain shower, a spilt drink or an over eager toddler who wants to take their favourite song into the pool with them? Not only is the JBL Charge 3 waterproof, it can be submerged in water. Second big TICK of the review.
I mentioned there was three big reasons and I know all of you reading this can’t wait for the third one. This one however, is a big winner, especially if you and your partner and child have differing musical tastes (which of course is a big possibility). You can connect up to three smart phones or tablets to the speaker at any one time, so it’s not just one person hogging the music choice, you can battle it out with your favourite tunes and keep everyone happy! Third big TICK of the review.
So what else is impressive about the Charge 3? It’s battery life for one, it’s rechargeable battery delivers up to 20 hours of music playback, and you can also charge your phone or tablet via USB. The Charge 3 also doubles up as a speaker phone thanks to a built in microphone, with access to Siri or Google Now available too. You can also connect the JBL speakers together for an ultimate sound system – a pretty cool trick that would definitely impress your mates.
Finally the sound quality – which is, after all the key feature of a speaker and one that you really need to be happy with when you buy something like this. You can turn it up pretty loud without any hint of distortion, it pumps out some really impressive bass for a speaker of its size (which works best if you have it on a flat surface to help the sound resonate).
The JBL Charge is a great speaker for its price, its perfect for a family, a great way to take music on a camping trip or a weekend staycation. Read more about it here.