The $99.95 JBL Grip Bluetooth speaker bridges the price and size gap between the diminutive JBL Clip 5 ($79.95) and the more significant JBL Flip 7 ($149.95). It’s only slightly larger than a soda can and delivers decent audio, though we wish it had more thump in the low end and more sizzle at the top. We like its waterproof build, good battery life, rugged design, and LED light, which gives it some party personality. It's a fine little speaker. Ultimately, however, the Anker Soundcore Motion 300 ($79) remains our Editors' Choice for small speakers thanks to its support for high-resolution codecs, superior audio response, and speakerphone capabilities.

Design: Compact and Ultra-Portable

Like many JBL speakers, the Grip is a compact cylinder with a small footprint, making it easy to fit in a bag or backpack. Measuring 6.0 by 2.5 by 2.6 inches (HWD) and weighing 13.6 ounces, it's especially well-suited to the bottle pockets built into the sides of many backpacks. It is available in black, blue, camouflage, purple, red, and white. I received the black model for review. By comparison, the Anker Soundcore Motion 300 is shaped more like a paperback book, measuring 2.2 by 7.9 by 3.9 inches and weighing 1.7 pounds. It's available in Fern Green, Frost Blue, or Mirage Black.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The Grip's physical controls are located on the top and the front of the speaker. The power, Bluetooth, and dedicated Auracast buttons sit on top, while the volume controls and play/pause button are on the front. You can use the play/pause button to change tracks: double-press it to skip forward, or triple-press it to skip back.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

A nylon loop on the speaker's rear panel lets you attach it to carabiners or hang it from hooks. The back panel also features an LED strip, which isn't common on speakers this small. A nearby button lets you cycle through various lighting effects, and you can adjust the color and brightness in the JBL Portable app. The LED serves as a status indicator, too, for things such as the progress of a firmware update. It's not the brightest light ever, but it provides enough illumination to serve as a nightlight or to help you find something in a dark tent. A USB-C port is also on the back for charging the speaker.

The JBL Grip connects via Bluetooth 5.4. The company doesn't specify which codecs it relies on, but you can count on SBC at a minimum. The speaker generates audio with a 43mm by 80mm full-range driver capable of producing frequencies from 70Hz to 20kHz. That's not a bad range for a single driver. The Grip cannot produce stereo audio on its own, but you can pair it with other JBL speakers to achieve a stereo effect.

The speaker has an IP68 rating, which means it’ll survive full submersion in up to 4.9 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. A waterproof build is table stakes for a portable speaker like this. The Motion 300 has an almost-as-good IPX7 rating, which means it is limited to 3 feet of water submersion. JBL claims the Grip is drop-proof, saying it can handle a 3-foot drop onto concrete. I wouldn't call it rugged, but the build quality is certainly tough.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

JBL says the Grip delivers up to 14 hours of battery life with the volume set to 50%, which is pretty standard for a speaker this size. It takes 3 hours to reach a full charge. You’ll need to provide your own USB-C cable to charge the speaker, as JBL doesn't supply one. By comparison, the Motion 300 lasts approximately 13 hours on a single charge and takes about 5 hours to fully charge.

App: Custom EQ Included

The JBL Grip works with the JBL Portable app (available for Android and iOS), which is well-designed and easy to use. On the app's main screen, you can control features like the lighting and EQ modes. Additionally, you use the app to pair two JBL speakers for stereo playback.

(Credit: JBL/PCMag)

Four EQ presets are available: Chill, Energetic, JBL Signature, and Vocal. There’s also a user-adjustable EQ, with seven bands between 125Hz and 8kHz. It’s not the most advanced EQ, and it falls well behind the impressive EQ available in the JBL Headphones app. Still, it works well and mostly lets you adjust the audio to suit your preferences. 

Sound: Not Exactly Bombastic

Choosing a portable speaker is all about striking a balance between portability and audio performance. Given its compact dimensions, it's inevitable that the bass response is the weakest aspect of the Grip’s music experience.

With the default EQ enabled, our test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," has surprising depth. Understandably, the deep sub-bass you expect from a larger speaker is missing, but the bass synth and kick drum still have some body. I actually miss the high-end response more than I do the bass; the percussion feels tucked away and lacks clarity. It's almost as though the default EQ is shaped like a bell curve, with less bass and highs and more mids, rather than the inverse (more bass and treble, less mids).

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The speaker's inability to produce deep bass is more apparent on Kendrick Lamar's "Loyalty." On this track, the speaker is unable to generate any of the sub-bass line that's present throughout much of the song, including the higher notes. Lamar and Rihanna's vocals still sound relatively rich, and while the percussion isn't particularly detailed, it isn't subdued, either.

Bill Callahan's “Drover” sounds pretty good. The kick drum isn't as impactful as it should be, but Drover's signature baritone vocal is deep and full-bodied, and the acoustic guitar sounds rich, though it lacks some high-end detail that would give it a more natural feel. The cymbals sound surprisingly lively, if not quite crisp.

Orchestral tracks, such as the opening scene to John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound pleasing. However, the large number of instruments, coupled with the mono driver, makes the track feel cluttered, and the instruments lack separation. The solo vocalist cuts through the mix quite well, even if the brass instruments behind it aren't very bright or prominent.

(Credit: Christian de Looper)

The JBL Grip is a decent-sounding speaker for its size and price point. It avoids distortion except at excessively high volume settings, and while the bass response and high-end extension aren't as good as I like, they're still respectable for a speaker that you can stick in a bicycle bottle cage.

The Grip doesn't have a microphone, so you can’t use it for voice calls or to summon a smart assistant.