# JBL Charge 5: specs and price

**Price (US):** $179.95 at manua.ls (US launch MSRP $179.95 (March 2021). Current street price may be lower. EU launch €179.99 per TechRadar NL review.), as of 2026-06-27. A sourced, dated price of record — other retailers (incl. Amazon) may be lower. Among the 15 portable speakers we track it is #7 cheapest of 15; category median $179.99.
**Brand:** JBL
**Released:** 2021
**Deskmark:** Silver Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 57/100, #7 of 20 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $179.95 |
| Brand | JBL |
| Released | 2021 |
| Battery hr | 20 |
| IP rating | IP67 |
| Drivers | 1×90mm woofer + 1×20mm tweeter + 2 passive radiators |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 |
| Weight (lb) | 2.12 |
| Stereo pairing | Yes |
| Aux (in) | No |

## Where it stands

At $180, the JBL Charge 5 is #7 cheapest of the 15 portable speakers we track, where the median is $179.99. On the spec sheet, its bluetooth of 5.1 is the lowest of the 17, its battery hr of 20 is at the median of the 20, and its weight of 2.12 lb is at the median of the 15.

## What reviewers say

Three whitelisted testers (Tom's Guide, TechRadar, SoundGuys) covered the exact JBL Charge 5 hands-on; only Tom's Guide took instrument measurements. All praise balanced, bass-forward sound, loud output, IP67 ruggedness, and a 20-hour battery with USB-A power-bank charging, while flagging audible distortion once you push past ~60% volume. (Based on 3 reviews, 1 lab-tested, 2021-04-23–2025-06-05.)

Praised: Balanced, bass-forward sound that punches above the speaker's size; Long ~20-hour battery life plus USB-A power-bank charging; IP67 dust/waterproof rugged build for outdoor use; Gets impressively loud.
Flagged: Audible distortion at high volume (past ~60% / at max); Dropped the 3.5mm aux jack from the Charge 4; Weak or absent app EQ/sound controls; No fast charging.
Disagreement: The three sources broadly agree on sound, loudness, battery, and ruggedness. The one real nuance is the app EQ: Tom's Guide (2021) found no sound adjustments at all, whereas SoundGuys (2025) reports and praises a 3-band customizable EQ in the JBL Portable app — a later firmware/app update rather than a genuine dispute. Only Tom's Guide independently measured loudness (~94 dB max, 85 dB clean); TechRadar and SoundGuys are hands-on without their own numbers.
Sources: Tom's Guide (2021-04-23, tomsguide.com), TechRadar (2024-02-16, techradar.com), SoundGuys (2025-06-05, soundguys.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the JBL Charge 5?**

Three whitelisted testers (Tom's Guide, TechRadar, SoundGuys) covered the exact JBL Charge 5 hands-on; only Tom's Guide took instrument measurements. All praise balanced, bass-forward sound, loud output, IP67 ruggedness, and a 20-hour battery with USB-A power-bank charging, while flagging audible distortion once you push past ~60% volume. Praised: Balanced, bass-forward sound that punches above the speaker's size; Long ~20-hour battery life plus USB-A power-bank charging; IP67 dust/waterproof rugged build for outdoor use; Gets impressively loud. Flagged: Audible distortion at high volume (past ~60% / at max); Dropped the 3.5mm aux jack from the Charge 4; Weak or absent app EQ/sound controls; No fast charging. (From 3 tester reviews, 1 lab-tested.)

**How much does the JBL Charge 5 cost?**

The JBL Charge 5 has a US price of $179.95 (US launch MSRP $179.95 (March 2021). Current street price may be lower. EU launch €179.99 per TechRadar NL review.), as of 2026-06-15.

**How does the JBL Charge 5 compare on price?**

At $180, the JBL Charge 5 is #7 cheapest of the 15 portable speakers we track, where the median is $179.99.

**When was the JBL Charge 5 released?**

The JBL Charge 5 was released 2021.

**What are the JBL Charge 5's key specs?**

JBL Charge 5 (JBL): battery hr 20, ip rating IP67, drivers 1×90mm woofer + 1×20mm tweeter + 2 passive radiators, bluetooth 5.1, weight lb 2.12. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-15.

Source: https://www.manua.ls/jbl/charge-5/manual/page/20 (manua.ls, accessed 2026-06-15)
Corroboration: https://global.techradar.com/nl-nl/reviews/jbl-charge-5 (accessed 2026-06-15)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/portable-speakers/jbl-charge-5/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the JBL Charge 5 price of record was $179.95 as of 2026-06-15 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/portable-speakers/jbl-charge-5/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl