Scored using Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
Explore Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0

JBL Clip 3 Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~£55Audio output power:3.00 WBattery life:10 hoursIP rating:IPX7Bluetooth version:4.1Weight:220 g

JBL Clip 3 Review: Compare 130 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Portable Speakers category and whether it is worth buying.

JBL Clip 3
6.5/10

Overall score

Score
6.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of products in the Portable Speakers category, based on technical analysis and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference for identifying the best products in the Portable Speakers category.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

80%

5.7

Technical score

20%

9.6

User score

â–¼Worse than 65% of portable speakers
7.5

Value for money

Value for money
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

6.5

Overall score

30%

10

Price

â–¼Worse than 60%
5.7

Technical score

Technical score
5.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

32%

5.1

Audio

20%

5.4

Battery

18%

7.5

Durability

16%

5.5

Connectivity

8%

3.8

Controls

3%

9.3

Design

3%

4.7

Smart features

â–¼Worse than 93%
9.6

User score

User score
9.6/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

9.4

User ratings

30%

10

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
★Better than 99%
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of portable speaker JBL Clip 3

Technical score
Technical score
5.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

32%

5.1

Audio

20%

5.4

Battery

18%

7.5

Durability

16%

5.5

Connectivity

8%

3.8

Controls

3%

9.3

Design

3%

4.7

Smart features

5.7
User score
User score
9.6/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

9.4

User ratings

30%

10

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
9.6
Popularity
Popularity
10/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you prefer products in the Portable Speakers category that have been chosen and reviewed by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Popularity:
JBL Clip 3 has a popularity score of 10 points, which is higher than 92% of products in this category.
10
Value for money
Value for money
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

70%

6.5

Overall score

30%

10

Price

7.5
Audio output power
3 W
This portable speaker has an audio output power of 3 W which is lower than that of 91.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 6.8% of portable speakers.
Driver unit size
40 mm
This portable speaker has a driver unit size of 40 mm which is smaller than that of 76.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 13.2% of portable speakers.
Number of drivers
1
This portable speaker has 1 drivers, which is fewer than 75.6% of portable speakers and equal to the number in 24.4% of portable speakers.
Frequency response tolerance
?
Lowest frequency
120 Hz
This portable speaker has a lowest frequency of 120 Hz which is higher than that of 90% of portable speakers and equal to that of 1.8% of portable speakers.
Show more
Bluetooth connectivity
yes
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth audio. 5.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Bluetooth version
4.1
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth version 4.1 which is older than that of 71.7% of portable speakers and equal to that of 4.9% of portable speakers.
Maximum Bluetooth range
10 m
This portable speaker has a maximum Bluetooth range of 10 m which is longer than that of 4.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 70.2% of portable speakers.
Bluetooth profiles supported
A2DP; AVRCP; HFP; HSP
Bluetooth LE Audio
no
This portable speaker does not support Bluetooth LE Audio. 2.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Battery life
10 hours
This portable speaker has a battery life of 10 hours which is shorter than that of 53.9% of portable speakers and equal to that of 12.9% of portable speakers.
Battery capacity
1,000 mAh
This portable speaker has a battery capacity of 1,000 mAh which is smaller than that of 87.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 2.1% of portable speakers.
Charging time
3 hours
This portable speaker has a charging time of 3 hours which is shorter than that of 35.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 35.1% of portable speakers.
Maximum charging input power
?
Built-in rechargeable battery
yes
This portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery. 18.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
IP rating
IPX7
This portable speaker has an IP rating of IPX7 which provides better ingress protection than 47.6% of portable speakers and the same ingress protection as 25.2% of portable speakers.
Water resistance
yes
This portable speaker is water resistant. 38.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Dust resistance
no
This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant. 51.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Waterproof depth rating
1 m
This portable speaker has a waterproof depth rating of 1 m which is deeper than that of 52.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 47.4% of portable speakers.
Drop resistance
yes
This portable speaker resists accidental impacts. 67.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
On-device controls placement
side; front
Touchscreen
no
This portable speaker does not have a touchscreen. 0.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Smartphone app control
no
This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control. 54% of portable speakers offer this feature.
No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
Remote control
no
This portable speaker does not include a remote control. 15% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Fast pairing
no
This portable speaker does not support fast pairing. 22.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Weight
220 g
This portable speaker weighs 220 g which is lighter than that of 88.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.2% of portable speakers.
Height
13.7 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 13.7 cm which is taller than that of 54.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.3% of portable speakers.
Width
9.7 cm
This portable speaker has a width of 9.7 cm which is narrower than that of 76% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.2% of portable speakers.
Depth
4.6 cm
This portable speaker has a depth of 4.6 cm which is shallower than that of 86.1% of portable speakers and equal to that of 1.3% of portable speakers.
Carry options
strap/handle
Show more
Companion app name
JBL Portable
Firmware updates
no
This portable speaker does not support firmware updates. 47.2% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
Firmware update method
?
Voice assistant support
?
Spotify Connect
no
This portable speaker does not support Spotify Connect. 10.8% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more

JBL Clip 3 vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • 1 m deeper waterproof rating
    This portable speaker has a deeper waterproof depth rating than the average portable speaker (1 m vs 0 m).
    1 m vs 0 m
  • Resists accidental impacts
    This portable speaker resists accidental impacts, while the average portable speaker lacks an impact-resistance rating.
  • Floats in water
    This portable speaker floats in water, while the average portable speaker does not float in water.
  • Has a USB Type-C port
    This portable speaker has a USB Type-C port, while the average portable speaker does not have a USB Type-C port.
    Has a physical USB-C port.
  • Better ingress protection
    This portable speaker has better ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IPX7 vs IPX5).
    IPX7 vs IPX5
  • 580 g lighter
    This portable speaker is lighter than the average portable speaker (220 g vs 800 g).
    220 g vs 800 g
  • 5 °C higher maximum operating temperature
    This portable speaker has a higher maximum operating temperature than the average portable speaker (45 °C vs 40 °C).
    45 °C vs 40 °C
  • 19.9% higher user score
    User score
    9.6/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    JBL Clip 3
    the average portable speaker
    JBL Clip 3 has a higher user score than the average portable speaker (9.59 vs 8).
    9.59 vs 8
  • 19.9% higher user score
    User score
    9.6/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    JBL Clip 3
    the average portable speaker
    JBL Clip 3 has a higher user score than the average portable speaker (9.59 vs 8).
    9.59 vs 8
  • 2.38x more popular
    JBL Clip 3 is more popular than the average portable speaker (10 vs 4.21).
    10 vs 4.21
  • Has a USB Type-C port
    This portable speaker has a USB Type-C port, while the average portable speaker does not have a USB Type-C port.
    Has a physical USB-C port.
  • 1 m deeper waterproof rating
    This portable speaker has a deeper waterproof depth rating than the average portable speaker (1 m vs 0 m).
    1 m vs 0 m
  • Resists accidental impacts
    This portable speaker resists accidental impacts, while the average portable speaker lacks an impact-resistance rating.
  • Floats in water
    This portable speaker floats in water, while the average portable speaker does not float in water.
  • Better ingress protection
    This portable speaker has better ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IPX7 vs IPX5).
    IPX7 vs IPX5
  • 5 °C higher maximum operating temperature
    This portable speaker has a higher maximum operating temperature than the average portable speaker (45 °C vs 40 °C).
    45 °C vs 40 °C
  • 580 g lighter
    This portable speaker is lighter than the average portable speaker (220 g vs 800 g).
    220 g vs 800 g
  • 3.7 cm shallower
    This portable speaker is shallower than the average portable speaker (4.6 cm vs 8.3 cm).
    4.6 cm vs 8.3 cm
  • 8.4 cm narrower
    This portable speaker is narrower than the average portable speaker (9.7 cm vs 18.1 cm).
    9.7 cm vs 18.1 cm
  • Is not rated as dust resistant
    This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant, while the average portable speaker is dust resistant.
  • 60 Hz less deep bass extension
    This portable speaker has less deep bass extension than the average portable speaker (120 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    120 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 17 W less audio output power
    This portable speaker has less audio output power than the average portable speaker (3 W vs 20 W).
    3 W vs 20 W
  • 1,600 mAh less battery capacity
    This portable speaker has a smaller battery capacity than the average portable speaker (1,000 mAh vs 2,600 mAh).
    1,000 mAh vs 2,600 mAh
  • Does not support smartphone app control
    This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control, while the average portable speaker supports smartphone app control.
    No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
  • 10 mm smaller main driver
    This portable speaker has a smaller main driver than the average portable speaker (40 mm vs 50 mm).
    40 mm vs 50 mm
  • Does not support stereo pairing
    This portable speaker does not support stereo pairing, while the average portable speaker supports stereo pairing.
  • Does not support True Wireless Stereo
    This portable speaker does not support True Wireless Stereo, while the average portable speaker supports True Wireless Stereo.
  • 60 Hz less deep bass extension
    This portable speaker has less deep bass extension than the average portable speaker (120 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    120 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 17 W less audio output power
    This portable speaker has less audio output power than the average portable speaker (3 W vs 20 W).
    3 W vs 20 W
  • 10 mm smaller main driver
    This portable speaker has a smaller main driver than the average portable speaker (40 mm vs 50 mm).
    40 mm vs 50 mm
  • 1 fewer speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has fewer speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (1 vs 2).
    1 vs 2
  • 0.9 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (4.1 vs 5).
    4.1 vs 5
  • 1,600 mAh less battery capacity
    This portable speaker has a smaller battery capacity than the average portable speaker (1,000 mAh vs 2,600 mAh).
    1,000 mAh vs 2,600 mAh
  • 2 hours shorter battery life
    This portable speaker has a shorter battery life than the average portable speaker (10 hours vs 12 hours).
    10 hours vs 12 hours
  • Is not rated as dust resistant
    This portable speaker is not rated as dust resistant, while the average portable speaker is dust resistant.
  • 5 °C higher minimum operating temperature
    This portable speaker has a higher minimum operating temperature than the average portable speaker (5 °C vs 0 °C).
    5 °C vs 0 °C
  • Does not support smartphone app control
    This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control, while the average portable speaker supports smartphone app control.
    No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
  • Does not support stereo pairing
    This portable speaker does not support stereo pairing, while the average portable speaker supports stereo pairing.
  • Does not support True Wireless Stereo
    This portable speaker does not support True Wireless Stereo, while the average portable speaker supports True Wireless Stereo.

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

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cnet.com
18/07/2018
Summary of the review
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pcmag.com
02/08/2018
Summary of the review
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majorhifi.com
06/12/2018
Summary of the review
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techgearlab.com
27/07/2020
Summary of the review
S
soundguys.com
13/12/2021
Summary of the review
S
speakerfanatic.com
15/09/2018
Summary of the review
B
breakingeighty.com
04/05/2021
Summary of the review
C
computerbild.de
27/07/2018
Summary of the review
A
areadvd.de
25/07/2018
Summary of the review
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satvision.de
19/09/2018
Summary of the review
P
perfectacoustic.de
02/11/2021
Summary of the review
L
lesnumeriques.com
19/07/2018
Summary of the review
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leclaireur.fnac.com
04/10/2018
Summary of the review
C
cnetfrance.fr
17/07/2018
Summary of the review
2
20minutes.fr
11/07/2018
Summary of the review
P
perfectacoustic.fr
02/11/2021
Summary of the review
L
letemsvetemapplem.eu
15/07/2018
Summary of the review
P
perfectacoustic.nl
15/09/2018
Summary of the review
T
tweakers.net
26/09/2018
Summary of the review
B
bright.nl
23/08/2019
Summary of the review

Third-party reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
Reviews last updated: August 2026 · How we calculate this

What customers like about JBL Clip 3

  • Highly compact and lightweight design makes it extremely easy to travel with.
  • The integrated metal carabiner clip allows for effortless attachment to backpacks, belts, and gear.
  • IPX7 waterproof rating provides reliable protection against rain, spills, and brief submersion in water.
  • Surprisingly loud volume output and clear sound representation given its miniature size.
  • Durable, rugged build featuring a tough fabric grille and a protective silicone backing.
  • Solid 10-hour battery life on a single charge is sufficient for full-day outdoor activities.
  • Includes a built-in noise-cancelling microphone for taking clear hands-free speakerphone calls.

What customers don't like about JBL Clip 3

  • Lacks substantial low-end frequency response, resulting in weak or thin bass performance.
  • Audio can become tinny, harsh, or bright at high volumes, which may cause listener fatigue.
  • Does not feature any battery level indicator, making it difficult to gauge remaining power.
  • Uses an outdated micro-USB port for charging instead of the more modern USB-C standard.
  • Lacks support for JBL Connect, meaning you cannot pair multiple speakers together for stereo or boosted sound.
  • The built-in microphone quality is mediocre and less impressive than the speaker's audio output.
  • No dedicated button to skip backward to a previous track directly from the speaker controls.

Verdict

The JBL Clip 3 is an ultra-portable, rugged Bluetooth 4.1 speaker measuring 9.7 x 13.7 x 4.6 cm and weighing just 220 grams. Driven by a 40mm transducer with 3W RMS output power and a frequency response of 120Hz – 20kHz, it features a fully integrated metal carabiner and an IPX7 waterproof housing that survives immersion up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Its key pros include excellent travel convenience, a built-in noise-canceling speakerphone, a 3.5mm auxiliary input, and up to 10 hours of playtime from a 1000mAh rechargeable battery that charges via micro-USB in roughly 3 hours. However, main cons include a weak bass response due to its compact size, the lack of a precise battery level indicator, and a lack of support for JBL Connect, meaning it cannot daisy-chain with other speakers.

Compare JBL Clip 3 with other products in the Portable Speakers category

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