Verdict
A simple , well - sounding Bluetooth portable speaker . Few techy extras , but the core design makes it useful in a bunch of situations in which other speakers may fight
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The JBL Clip 4 Eco is a quirky and versatileportable speaker . It ’s piddle resistant , and has a giant carabiner style clip to let it abstract into all sort of thing .
levelheaded quality is great too . JBL has install itself as a master ofBluetooth speakers , even ace you might recollect too small to give medicine any encroachment .
The JBL Clip 4 Eco employ a passive radiator to return a good bass thumping , while refined tuning stops it from clouding the sound . As in most JBL loudspeaker system , I do n’t cerebrate the JBL Clip 4 Eco is quite as silklike or cute a design as you might see from wicked rival Ultimate Ears . Like I said , it ’s way-out . However , it ’s the sort of style you grow to appreaciate more as the hebdomad flap by .
However , for the best deal make trusted to check off out the prices of the original JBL Clip 4 too . At the clip of followup they be significantly less than the JBL Clip 4 Eco ’s £ 59.99 recommended Leontyne Price , making them a better steal .
Design
The JBL Clip 4 Eco is one of JBL ’s diminished verbaliser , one stair above the JBL Go 3 . That model is a genuine pouch rocket . This one wo n’t agree in pouch , but its whole peck is hanging on things .
Its top part is a carabiner - style clip that can hook onto threshold handles , rucksacks — use your imagination .
This is a big part of the JBL Clip 4 Eco ’s quirky style , though , and you may arrest the speaker by its clip , turning it into a teeny - petite handbag of sorts . There ’s also a series of cartilaginous feet on its bottom , to make it seem just at home when sit in your bedchamber playing strain .
The flesh style is similar to that of a fate of JBL ’s other Bluetooth verbalizer , remindful of the Ultimate Ears models but with a slimly less tasteful , or at least less minimum , intention . Despite being a big fan of some of JBL ’s speakers in sound quality terms , I ’ve never love its style that much , which often conduct to giant JBL logo and brash external passive radiators .
The JBL Clip 4 Eco is a little unlike , though . At this scale the JBL style seems more oddball than brash — not a bad affair .
Its outer is a fabric mesh and the speaker is piddle resistant to an impressiveIP67 standard . This think of it can be fully deluge in water without issue to a depth of at least 1 m.
The Clip 4 series has been around since 2020 , and this newfangled Eco model apply 100 % recycled material for the speaker grille , up to 90 % reuse plastics elsewhere , and there ’s no clear via media to the destination .
A bunch of strong-arm controls sit on its eubstance . They permit you play / pause , alter volume and accede pairing mode .
Features
The whole point of this loudspeaker is it ’s wide-eyed . Unlike JBL ’s higher - end Bluetooth speakers like theCharge 5 , there ’s no fellow app to worry about . You ’re not going to connect two of these up as a stereo twain , or use a bunch in a wireless daisy chain . But would you want to ?
The JBL Clip 4 Eco is entail to be well , simple and not too expensive . And that ’s it . There ’s no aux comment , though , which may put some off .
Battery life is order at 10 hours , which is possible if you use moderate volumes . It uses aUSB - Cto charge , but the charging speed is moderately irksome . It takes around three hours to charge the Eco 4 , which seems an long time in a world of super - fast charging phones . You also ca n’t apply the USB to plug the speaker into a laptop — I tried with both Windows laptop computer and a MacBook .
This verbalizer only back up the SBC Bluetooth codec but , again , with such compromised drivers any money spent on license higher - spec code would likely be well spent elsewhere .
Sound Quality
The JBL Clip 4 Eco has a unmarried 40 mm combat-ready driver , which sits under the top grille . And a peaceful radiator on the other side of the inclosure .
These radiator are essential for generating bass in a little enclosure like this . The JBL Clip 4 Eco supervise to kick out a much good lower - frequency punch than the JBL Go speakers , because they use a bigger , in force radiator .
I find out the JBL Clip 4 Eco punchy enough to make music phone lock and reasonably full . And the rest of the frequency reach is handled as well as I ’ve come to anticipate from JBL ’s speakers .
You get a nicely balanced pure tone . No obvious unnatural skews , no super - rough treble or moss-grown , plodding downhearted - ending . I discover speakers that try too hard to put out a lot of sea bass can make spoken - work content like podcasts and audiobooks sound too blue or muggy , but that does not affect the JBL Clip 4 Eco .
However , I would still recommend upgrading to something like the JBL Flip 6 if you need a verbaliser to use preponderantly at home , to listen to music . The Clip 4 Eco , no surprisal here , ca n’t properly hand over low bass . This mean that while kick drums do n’t vocalize like someone rap a piece of composition board , they are n’t full - blooded either .
JBL tells you as much . In its spec inclination JBL say the bass floor of the Clip 4 Eco is 100Hz , compared to a much lower 63Hz in the JBL Flip 6 . It ’s one of those rarified occasion a frequency reach in reality enjoin you something useful . Even pass away by JBL ’s own figures , the Clip only function the upper half of the bass voice cash register .
I think the JBL Clip 4 Eco works brilliantly as a secondary verbalizer . It ’s great for picnics or use while cookery , or bath clock time listening , and I find its less bassy tone ward off the boomy reverberation that often happens in tile rooms .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
An strange but practical design and good strait tuning means you ca n’t go too far awry with a JBL Clip 4 Eco as long as you enroll with the proper expectations .
While the Clip 4 Eco has comely bass for a speaker of its size , you should n’t grease one’s palms this one if you are operate to miss the low - frequency bass offered in JBL ’s larger speakers .
Final Thoughts
The JBL Clip 4 Eco is a slight pinch on an existing JBL Clip 4 conception , one that uses a expectant amount of recycled textile to lower the environmental impingement of its industry .
You ca n’t narrate from the looking at of the speaker , though , which is as quirky and cute as ever . This is a various and fairly portable design you could filch onto a rucksack , or any number of other things .
Sound quality is safe too . Tuning is prissy and clean , but the speaker predictably just lacks the profoundly - reach bass you ’ll hear in some of JBL ’s large verbaliser .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every wireless verbaliser we critique soundly over an lengthy full stop of fourth dimension . We apply industry standard tests to liken feature article decently . We ’ll always secernate you what we determine . We never , ever , live with money to review a product .
Find out more about how we test in ourethics insurance policy .
FAQs
It has IP67 water opposition , a very high level for a utterer of this style .
There ’s no aux input here for authoritative wire sourced .
This speaker uses the basic SBC Bluetooth codec , not more modern single .
Full Specs
Sustainability
intrust Reviews ’ harbour the fact that globose warming is not a myth as a core value and will continuously endeavour to help protect our planet from harm in its business enterprise practices .
As part of this mission , whenever we retrospect a product we send the company a serial publication of question to help us guess and make diaphanous the impact the gimmick has on the environment .
We currently have n’t received answers to the motion on this product , but will update this page the minute we do . you may see a detailed breakdown of the questions we ask and why in oursustainability information Thomas Nelson Page .
