JBL Charge 5 vs Flip 7: Which Is Better? (2026)

Q: Should I buy the JBL Charge 5 or the JBL Flip 7?

Buy the JBL Flip 7. It is rated higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge 5 and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.

Short answer: the JBL Flip 7 is the small, neutral pick; the Charge 5 has the power bank. The Flip 7 is a very neutral speaker that is very small, almost pocket size, though it has a little bit of a bump at 4kHz and is not quite as neutral as the Flip 6. The Charge 5 doubles as a power bank via USB-A, but it is not stereo and sounds warm.

Buy the JBL Flip 7. It is rated higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge 5 and costs less, so it is the default pick unless a specific strength of the other one matters more to you.

Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.

Check JBL Flip 7 price at Amazon ($119.95) →Check JBL Charge 5 price at Amazon ($139.95) →

Specifications Side By Side

	JBL Charge 5	JBL Flip 7
Price	$139.95	$119.95
Ranked	#30 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers	#15 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers
App	Yes	Yes
Bass Extension (-10dB)	53Hz	59Hz
Battery Life	20 hours (Manufacturer specified)	14 hours (Manufacturer specified)
EQ	Yes (3 band)	Yes (7 band)
Bluetooth Latency	125ms	-
Maximum SPL	99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)	100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
Party Mode	Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers)	Yes (Auracast)
Power Bank	Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A)	No
Stereo	No	No
Omnidirectional	No	No
TWS	Yes	No
Weight	2.1 lbs (960 g)	1.2 lbs (560 g)
Aux Input	No	No
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	AAC, SBC	SBC, AAC
Bluetooth Version	5.1	5.4
Dimensions	8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)	7.2” x 2.7” x 2.8” (182.5 x 69.5 x 71.5 mm)
Drivers	53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter	45x80mm racetrack driver + 16mm tweeter
Frequency Response	60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)	-
IP Rating	IP67	IP68
Power Input	USB-C	USB-C (5V 7.5W-15W)
Amplifier Power	40W	35W total (25W main + 10W tweeter)
Built-in Microphone	Yes (dual microphones)	No
Digital Aux Input	No	Yes (USB-C)
Strap	No	Yes (detachable PushLock accessory)

Check JBL Flip 7 price at Amazon ($119.95) →Check JBL Charge 5 price at Amazon ($139.95) →

More top alternatives to JBL Flip 7:

Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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The Two Speakers In Full

JBL Charge 5: $139.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay

Newer model: the JBL Charge 6, ranked higher, rated 4.2/5.

Pros: Doubles as a power bank (USB-A out) for charging your phone. IP67 rated, survives a 1m dunk for 30 minutes. ~20 hour battery life. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-10dB).

Cons: Not stereo. Warm sound. Shouty upper mids. Boosted bass. Slightly rolled off treble. Overly expensive.

Full JBL Charge 5 review and specifications →

Amplifier Power	40W
App	Yes
Aux Input	No
Bass Extension (-10dB)	53Hz
Battery Life	20 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	AAC, SBC
Bluetooth Latency	125ms
Bluetooth Version	5.1
Built-in Microphone	Yes (dual microphones)
Digital Aux Input	No
Dimensions	8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm)
Drivers	53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter
EQ	Yes (3 band)
Frequency Response	60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
IP Rating	IP67
Maximum SPL	99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
Omnidirectional	No
Party Mode	Yes (PartyBoost up to 100 speakers)
Power Bank	Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A)
Power Input	USB-C
Stereo	No
Strap	No
TWS	Yes
Weight	2.1 lbs (960 g)

Check current price at Amazon ($139.95) →Check current price at B&H Photo Video →Search eBay for JBL Charge 5 →

JBL Flip 7: $119.95 Amazon eBay

Older models: the JBL Flip 6 (ranked higher, rated 4.2/5), the JBL Flip 5 (ranked lower, rated 3.3/5) and the JBL Flip 4 (ranked lower, rated 3.3/5).

Pros: A very neutral speaker, very small, almost pocket size. Just slightly more treble than the Flip 6 which was already a great speaker. Slightly deeper bass than the Flip 6. IP68 protection, a 7-band app EQ, Auracast and a USB-C digital audio input. Measured bass extension of 59Hz (-10dB).

Cons: A little bit of a bump at 4kHz, not quite as neutral as the Flip 6. On balance it is the slightly worse of the two.

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Full JBL Flip 7 review and specifications →

Amplifier Power	35W total (25W main + 10W tweeter)
App	Yes
Aux Input	No
Bass Extension (-10dB)	59Hz
Battery Life	14 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth	Yes
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC, AAC
Bluetooth Version	5.4
Built-in Microphone	No
Digital Aux Input	Yes (USB-C)
Dimensions	7.2” x 2.7” x 2.8” (182.5 x 69.5 x 71.5 mm)
Drivers	45x80mm racetrack driver + 16mm tweeter
EQ	Yes (7 band)
IP Rating	IP68
Maximum SPL	100dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews)
Omnidirectional	No
Party Mode	Yes (Auracast)
Power Bank	No
Power Input	USB-C (5V 7.5W-15W)
Stereo	No
Strap	Yes (detachable PushLock accessory)
TWS	No
Weight	1.2 lbs (560 g)

Check current price at Amazon ($119.95) →Search eBay for JBL Flip 7 →

Top PickJBL Flip 7Amazon • $119.95

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Specifications Side By Side

Related Speaker Comparisons

The Two Speakers In Full

JBL Charge 5: $139.95 Amazon B&H Photo Video eBay

JBL Flip 7: $119.95 Amazon eBay