JBL Charge 5

The JBL Charge 5 is the all-rounder of portable Bluetooth speakers, and the one most people should buy. At $199, down from a $299 recommended retail price (RRP), it nails the things that actually matter outdoors: it is properly waterproof, it goes loud, the battery lasts all day, and it can charge your phone when you are out of power. It is not the most refined speaker here, but it is the most useful.

The spec is built for real life. An IP67 rating means full dust protection and survival under water, 20 hours of battery, 30 watts of output through dual passive radiators for genuine bass, and a USB-C port that doubles as a power bank for your phone. JBL's PartyBoost lets you pair two for stereo or a row of them for a bigger sound. There is no aux input and no microphone, so it is Bluetooth only.

What the RefDat test lab found

We took it to a backyard gathering and it filled a courtyard comfortably, hitting around 85 decibels without distorting. The signature is classic JBL: bass-forward and fun, great for pop, hip-hop and anything you put on at a barbecue, less ideal if you want a neutral, accurate sound for acoustic or orchestral music. Real-world battery landed close to the rated 20 hours. We splashed it, dunked it and rolled it through dust with no issues. The power-bank trick genuinely got a flat phone back to life.

What owners actually report

Owners on Whirlpool and OzBargain rate it as the default recommendation for good reason, praising the battery, the bass and the durability. The recurring watch-outs are honest: the sound is tuned for fun rather than accuracy, there is no microphone so you cannot take calls on it, and at 530 grams it is chunkier than pocket-sized rivals. None of that stops it being the speaker most people end up happy with.

Who should skip it? If you want neutral, audiophile-leaning sound, or the lightest possible speaker for a backpack, look at the Bose SoundLink Flex or Sony's compact models. For one speaker to live by the pool and travel everywhere, the Charge 5 is the safe pick.

You will find it at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and Officeworks. OzBargain catches discounts during tech sales, often dropping it well under $199.

Australian Consumer Law (ACL): a portable speaker at $199 should reasonably last 4 to 6 years, with the consumer guarantees realistically covering 2 to 3, beyond the usual 1-year warranty. If the battery fails, Bluetooth drops out or a driver stops working in that window, you have a claim. Because it carries an IP67 rating, water ingress is a genuine fault rather than misuse. Take it to your retailer.

Bottom line: the best-value all-rounder in portable audio, loud, tough, long-lasting and able to charge your phone. Highly recommended for most buyers. Skip it only if you want neutral sound or the smallest possible speaker. RefDat score 4.4 out of 5.