JBL Clip 5 Review

The JBL CLIP 5 ushers in upgrades in software and hardware from the previous iteration, though the design is relatively the same. Are these just glamor updates, or are they worth investing in? Let’s find out!

The Rundown

Like the CLIP 4, this version is pill-shaped and crafted from tightly woven synthetic material. It covers almost all of the speaker’s body, and the rest of the exterior is plastic. It feels durable and looks sleek, and a wide variety of colorways are available.

The Bluetooth speaker has an IP67 rating, meaning it can handle immersion, but not forever, so don’t just toss it in the pool for a few hours. Spills, accidents, and dripping liquids will be fine, though. This makes the speaker a solid shout for camping, the beach, and hiking. Rain? No problem. Snow? Keep jamming!

The speaker’s backside has silicone-like feet, which keep the speaker from slipping around and keep the backside off the ground, allowing it to breathe and not sound cagey.

As the name denotes and similar to the previous versions, there’s a clip on the top, which JBL calls a carabiner, that allows you to attach the speaker to things. It’s easy to clip it onto your belt loop, sling, daypack, or travel backpack. Or, when you’re at home and not using it, you can easily hang it by the door so you don’t forget it when walking the dog, hiking, or eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the front porch after work. You do you!

The front face has play, plus, and minus buttons. The play button starts and stops the music, and the plus and minus buttons increase and decrease the volume. On the side of the speaker are power, Bluetooth, and Auracast buttons. The power button turns the speaker on and off, the Bluetooth button helps with pairing, and the Aurocast button is a new feature for Clip 5.

To use Aurocast, you have to download the JBL app. It allows you to pair multiple speakers to the same device and play them around the house, park, or wherever you are. Additionally, you can use two JBL speakers to have stereo sound, which is fun but impractical in most situations. The app also allows you to change the levels or use a battery-saver mode that will give you a few extra hours of use. This will nerf the sound quality, even if it is still quite good when this mode is engaged.

You can’t talk on the phone through the Clip 5 or even use it as a speaker for the audio while on the phone, which feels lacking in 2025.

In testing, the battery lasted the advertised 12 hours at 50% or lower volume. However, while cycling to work in Detroit with the Clip 5 attached to a backpack in the elements at close to full volume, it lasted closer to six or seven hours, depending on how cold it was.

The speaker charges using a USB-C cable, the standard in 2025. There is no auxiliary input, so you can’t use this speaker without Bluetooth.

Packability

The speaker fits into the palm of your hand, though the clip does make it feel more significant than you’d expect. It’s still portable and easily fits into your daypack, travel backpack, and even some slings. Plus, the clip makes it easy to attach it to the outside of your gear, so you don’t have to worry about it fitting inside. If you have a larger tech pouch, it may fit in there.

It’s too large to squeeze into pants pockets, though it may fit in the pockets of your winter coat. In testing, we often attached the clip to our pants belt loop while walking or around the strap on a sling while cycling. The clip adds a lot of space to the speaker’s footprint, but it makes it easier to bring along for the ride, so the design has pros and cons.

Quick Comparison

At the time of writing, the best speaker we can compare the JBL Clip 5 to is the Clip 4, as it’s still widely available.

As of publishing this review, the Clip 4 is $50 compared to the Clip 5 at $60, so you save $10 by going with the older model.

The Clip 5 is similar in size but heavier, 1.52 ounces more than the older iteration. You likely won’t notice the difference since that’s only 1.1792 times heavier. However, that’s not the only difference.

The clip (or carabiner) on the Clip 5 is taller than the old model, making it more versatile to attach to things. If you have a skinny seat post on your bicycle, you may be able to attach the Clip 5; however, you won’t be able to fit the Clip 4. This makes it more usable, which we dig. It adds bulk, but similar to the additional weight, we don’t notice it much.

The newer model’s silicone-like feet are better integrated with the speaker’s weave and feel more durable. Some users have had the feet fall off of the Clip 4, but that doesn’t seem as likely to happen with the new iteration.

The Clip 5’s advertised battery life is two hours longer; however, we’ve gotten similar results at high volumes. The Clip 5 has the edge, but not by much.

The new model’s transducer is larger, it has a higher watt output, and the sound is louder, crisper, and deeper overall. For casual listeners, this won’t be very noticeable. If you are an audiophile, you’ll enjoy the subtle difference in sound quality between the models, and we feel it’s worth the $10 upgrade for that alone.

Though we appreciate the ability to play music from multiple speakers using the JBL app, it doesn’t feel that helpful for a speaker of this size. However, if you already have other JBL speakers with this function and are looking for a micro speaker, spending the extra money to add it to your arsenal may be useful. That way, your guests can be jamming inside, and you’ll be able to hear the music outside on the porch with your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, too.

Overall, we dig the upgrades that the Clip 5 has received. However, the Clip 4 is still a solid option for casual users with good sound quality. If you want something a smidge better with better pairing and versatility, the Clip 5 is a no-brainer!