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Jun 11, 2023

JBL Flip 6 is one of our favorite portable speakers

By Brittany Vincent August 16, 2023 / 2:52 PM / Essentials CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page.

By Brittany Vincent

August 16, 2023 / 2:52 PM / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Summer is drawing to a close, but that doesn't mean the party has to end. If you've been living it up by the pool and soaking up your favorite tunes as much as the sun's rays, you can keep all that up even as the leaves begin to turn. With school heading back in session, now's the perfect time to take a walk or let some steam off with a little dance party while on the go. What's the best way to do that? By picking up a portable speaker, of course.

Amazon has the waterproof and bass-heavy JBL Flip 6 waterproof portable speaker on sale right now for just $90, its lowest price ever. That's $40 off its list price, or a 31% discount. The sale price applies to the black, blue, gray, green, pink, red and teal colors, so you can choose the one that best fits your personality.

The JBL Flip 6 is a great little speaker that booms, no matter whether you're listening at home or on the go. It's the perfect companion for breezing through the last weeks of summer as we welcome the cooler months.

How's the audio quality, though? It sounds great. It's loud, crystal clear, and projects well, even if you're spending time with a larger crowd. Don't judge a book by its cover and don't judge a speaker by its size, because this thing can bump.

On the waterproof front, since there are still plenty of pool and beach days left in 2023, the Flip 6 is rated IP67. That's enough to withstand being submerged in water. Even if you happen to drop it in the pool, you'll still be covered.

It'll last you all day (and into the night, too) with up to 18 hours of battery life on a single charge. And it's the more the merrier when you get one Flip 6. If you get two speakers, you can even link them together using JBL's PartyBoost feature. This lets you pair two speakers together for stereo sound or multiple speakers for a much louder, rowdier party.

"The Flip 6 really surprised me," says one verified Amazon reviewer. "I seriously did not expect such 'big' sound from such a small, portable speaker. For its size, the bass is pretty amazing."

Why we like the JBL Flip 6 waterproof portable speaker:

Need a great speaker with excellent sound quality to take everywhere you go, but want to consider more options besides the JBL Flip 6? Take a look at some of these reliable picks we've hand-selected instead.

While the B&O Beosound A1 (2nd generation)'s elegant design makes it seem like it shouldn't go anywhere near water or sand, it proves to be an excellent pool or beach day companion with its IP67 certification.

That means that it has total protection against sand and dust, and can be submerged underwater for 30 minutes, at a depth of up to one meter. It also has a long battery life of up to 18 hours, plus Amazon Alexa built-in and app support so you can personalize its sound profile.

"I've been using Bose products for over a decade and recently I tried a pair of B&O headphones and immediately noticed the difference," says a verified Amazon reviewer. "This is my first B&O Bluetooth speaker and it certainly delivered."

This is a great option if you plan to be in places where you may very well have to deal with the speaker getting underwater completely or dropped into a pool of water.

It's a little more heavy duty than most users would require, but still a fantastic and rugged choice.

The Bose SoundLink Flex boasts that crisp, clear sound that Bose users have come to expect from the brand. Of course, it comes with its own features that sets it apart from other Bose speakers.

Those include its versatile form factor, which allows you to stand it upright, hang it from a backpack and lay it flat. Its sound positioning is just as versatile, thanks to Bose's PositionIQ technology that automatically detects its orientation and adjusts the sound imaging accordingly.

Other great features are its IP67 rating, up to 12 hours of battery life and ability to pair with another Bose Bluetooth speaker.

While you'll be spending more on this speaker than the JBL option on sale, you're paying a lot more for the recognizable name and quality that you can typically count on Bose for.

So if you end up spending a little more cash, know you'll also be getting the Bose legacy in return.

This waterproof speaker is small enough to fit in your palm, so it's not an ideal option to fill an entire pool area with sound. But if you're seeking a versatile, budget-friendly speaker that can fit into any active adventure, consider the JBL Clip 4.

But its biggest selling point is it portability. You can just take it with you wherever you go without batting an eye. It has a built-in clip, so you can attach it to a tree, your pool bag and more. The Clip 4 comes in six hues and offers 10 hours of playtime on a single charge. Now that's pretty impressive for a speaker that comes in such a small package.

"It's not going to rattle any windows, but the bass coming out of this thing is a lot better than I expected," reviewer TheDude says. "I was expecting it to be tinny like most small speakers."

Even if you only need to fill a single room with sound, the Clip is more than up to the task.

Also consider the well-reviewed JBL Clip 3, which is available in an even wider variety of colors, but has only 3.3 watts compared to the JBL Clip 4's 5 watts.

Brittany Vincent has been covering gaming, tech, and all things entertainment for 16 years for a variety of online and print publications. She's been covering the commerce space for nearly a decade. Follow her on Twitter at @MolotovCupcake.

First published on August 16, 2023 / 2:52 PM