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 4 Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~£55Audio output power:5.00 WBattery life:10 hoursIP rating:IP67Bluetooth version:5.1Weight:239 g

JBL Clip 4 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 4
6.8/10

Overall score

Score
6.8/ 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%

6.1

Technical score

20%

9.7

User score

â–²Better than 59% of portable speakers
7.8

Value for money

Value for money
7.8/ 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%

6.8

Overall score

30%

10

Price

â–²Better than 68%
6.1

Technical score

Technical score
6.1/ 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%

5.3

Audio

20%

6.6

Battery

18%

9.1

Durability

16%

5.0

Connectivity

8%

3.6

Controls

3%

9.3

Design

3%

4.2

Smart features

â–¼Worse than 76%
9.7

User score

User score
9.7/ 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%

9.5

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 4

Technical score
Technical score
6.1/ 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%

5.3

Audio

20%

6.6

Battery

18%

9.1

Durability

16%

5.0

Connectivity

8%

3.6

Controls

3%

9.3

Design

3%

4.2

Smart features

6.1
User score
User score
9.7/ 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%

9.5

User ratings

30%

10

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
9.7
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 4 has a popularity score of 10 points, which is higher than 92% of products in this category.
10
Value for money
Value for money
7.8/ 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%

6.8

Overall score

30%

10

Price

7.8
Audio output power
5 W
This portable speaker has an audio output power of 5 W which is lower than that of 80% of portable speakers and equal to that of 8.9% 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
100 Hz
This portable speaker has a lowest frequency of 100 Hz which is higher than that of 82.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 6% of portable speakers.
Show more
Bluetooth connectivity
yes
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth audio. 5.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Bluetooth version
5.1
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth version 5.1 which is newer than that of 70.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 4.8% 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
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
?
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
IP67
This portable speaker has an IP rating of IP67 which provides better ingress protection than 80% of portable speakers and the same ingress protection as 19.1% of portable speakers.
Water resistance
yes
This portable speaker is water resistant. 38.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Dust resistance
yes
This portable speaker is dust resistant. 48.6% 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
?
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
239 g
This portable speaker weighs 239 g which is lighter than that of 86.7% of portable speakers.
Height
13.45 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 13.45 cm which is taller than that of 53.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Width
8.63 cm
This portable speaker has a width of 8.63 cm which is narrower than that of 83.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% 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
?
Firmware updates
no
This portable speaker does not support firmware updates. 47.2% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Firmware update method
?
Voice assistant support
no
This portable speaker does not support voice assistants. 26.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Spotify Connect
no
This portable speaker does not support Spotify Connect. 10.8% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more

JBL Clip 4 vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • Better ingress protection
    This portable speaker has better ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IP67 vs IPX5).
    IP67 vs IPX5
  • 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
  • 5 dB higher signal-to-noise ratio
    This portable speaker has a higher signal-to-noise ratio than the average portable speaker (85 dB vs 80 dB).
    85 dB vs 80 dB
  • 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.
  • 561 g lighter
    This portable speaker is lighter than the average portable speaker (239 g vs 800 g).
    239 g vs 800 g
  • Supports AAC Bluetooth audio
    This portable speaker supports AAC Bluetooth audio, while the average portable speaker does not support AAC Bluetooth audio.
  • 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
  • 21% higher user score
    User score
    9.7/ 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 4
    the average portable speaker
    JBL Clip 4 has a higher user score than the average portable speaker (9.68 vs 8).
    9.68 vs 8
  • 21% higher user score
    User score
    9.7/ 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 4
    the average portable speaker
    JBL Clip 4 has a higher user score than the average portable speaker (9.68 vs 8).
    9.68 vs 8
  • 2.38x more popular
    JBL Clip 4 is more popular than the average portable speaker (10 vs 4.21).
    10 vs 4.21
  • 5 dB higher signal-to-noise ratio
    This portable speaker has a higher signal-to-noise ratio than the average portable speaker (85 dB vs 80 dB).
    85 dB vs 80 dB
  • 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.
  • Supports AAC Bluetooth audio
    This portable speaker supports AAC Bluetooth audio, while the average portable speaker does not support AAC Bluetooth audio.
  • 0.1 Bluetooth levels newer
    This portable speaker has a newer Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (5.1 vs 5).
    5.1 vs 5
  • Better ingress protection
    This portable speaker has better ingress protection than the average portable speaker (IP67 vs IPX5).
    IP67 vs IPX5
  • 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
  • 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
  • 561 g lighter
    This portable speaker is lighter than the average portable speaker (239 g vs 800 g).
    239 g vs 800 g
  • 9.47 cm narrower
    This portable speaker is narrower than the average portable speaker (8.6 cm vs 18.1 cm).
    8.63 cm vs 18.1 cm
  • 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
  • 40 Hz less deep bass extension
    This portable speaker has less deep bass extension than the average portable speaker (100 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    100 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This portable speaker has fewer microphones than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • 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.
  • 15 W less audio output power
    This portable speaker has less audio output power than the average portable speaker (5 W vs 20 W).
    5 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
  • Does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input
    This portable speaker does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input, while the average portable speaker has a 3.5 mm AUX input.
    No built-in 3.5 mm AUX input.
  • 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.
  • 40 Hz less deep bass extension
    This portable speaker has less deep bass extension than the average portable speaker (100 Hz vs 60 Hz).
    100 Hz vs 60 Hz
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This portable speaker has fewer microphones than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • 15 W less audio output power
    This portable speaker has less audio output power than the average portable speaker (5 W vs 20 W).
    5 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
  • 17 ms higher audio latency
    This portable speaker has higher audio latency than the average portable speaker (102 ms vs 85 ms).
    102 ms vs 85 ms
  • Does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input
    This portable speaker does not have a 3.5 mm AUX input, while the average portable speaker has a 3.5 mm AUX input.
    No built-in 3.5 mm AUX input.
  • 1 fewer multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has fewer multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (0 vs 1).
    0 vs 1
  • 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
  • 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.
  • Does not provide voice prompts
    This portable speaker does not provide voice prompts, while the average portable speaker provides voice prompts.
    No spoken status prompts; feedback is absent, visual, or tone-based.

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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uk.pcmag.com
03/02/2021
Summary of the review
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pcmag.com
03/02/2021
Summary of the review
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whatgadget.net
26/05/2021
Summary of the review
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technuovo.com
12/10/2021
Summary of the review
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techadvisor.com
03/11/2021
Summary of the review
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seriousinsights.net
22/11/2023
Summary of the review
R
rtings.com
11/01/2024
Summary of the review
W
whatsthebest.co.uk
01/03/2024
Summary of the review
S
soundguys.com
26/11/2024
Summary of the review
C
cnet.com
09/02/2021
Summary of the review
T
techgearlab.com
15/07/2021
Summary of the review
G
geardiary.com
17/02/2021
Summary of the review
G
gadgetguy.com.au
15/03/2021
Summary of the review
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stereoguide.com
08/08/2022
Summary of the review
T
techgadgetscanada.com
24/08/2022
Summary of the review
L
livingetc.com
28/02/2023
Summary of the review
S
stereoguide.de
05/06/2022
Summary of the review
C
computerbild.de
26/07/2022
Summary of the review
T
techtest.org
11/02/2021
Summary of the review
A
allround-pc.com
28/01/2021
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 4

  • Ultra-portable, lightweight, and compact form factor
  • Sturdy integrated carabiner clip for easy attachment to backpacks and belt loops
  • Excellent IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating, making it completely submersible
  • Surprisingly rich audio clarity and good mid-range/treble performance for its small size
  • Decent battery life of up to 10 hours on a single charge
  • Rugged build quality with durable fabric wrap and protective rubber accents
  • Low-latency Bluetooth 5.1 connection prevents lip-sync issues during video playback

What customers don't like about JBL Clip 4

  • Attenuated, weak low-end bass that struggles with hip-hop or action-heavy audio
  • Audio distortion and aggressive DSP thinning occur when pushed to maximum volume
  • Lacks any built-in microphone or speakerphone functionality
  • No 3.5mm auxiliary audio input for wired connections
  • Missing companion app or onboard equalizer controls to customize the sound
  • Does not support multi-point device pairing or stereo daisy-chaining
  • The rubber protection strips on the back are prone to peeling off over extended use

Verdict

The JBL Clip 4 is an ultra-portable, 5-watt Bluetooth 5.1 speaker measuring 5.3 x 3.4 x 1.8 inches and weighing just 0.53 pounds. Its defining characteristic is a redesigned, highly durable integrated carabiner clip wrapped around a rugged, fabric-covered oval body. Main pros include a robust IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating, convenient USB-C charging, a decent 10-hour battery life (with a 3-hour recharge cycle), and surprisingly rich sound with punchier bass from its 40mm driver compared to its predecessor. On the downside, it lacks low-end sub-bass due to its mini size, omits a 3.5mm AUX input, has no built-in microphone for hands-free calls, cannot be backward-tracked via its onboard buttons, and lacks PartyBoost support for pairing with other JBL speakers.

Compare JBL Clip 4 with other products in the Portable Speakers category

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