Short answer: the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE for better sound quality, the JBL Flip Essential 2 for the lower price. The JBL Charge Essential 3 SE ranks #42 of 182 medium speakers, rated 3.7/5, at $199.95. The JBL Flip Essential 2 ranks #80, rated 3.3/5, at $85.90, $114.05 cheaper.
The JBL Charge Essential 3 SE is the better-sounding, longer-running choice. A fully waterproof speaker with plenty of volume and bass, long battery life, a phone charging port, app EQ and Auracast pairing. It is rated for 20 hours of battery against 10 for the JBL Flip Essential 2. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the JBL Flip Essential 2 lacks. It links with other speakers (Auracast), which the JBL Flip Essential 2 cannot. The catch: In side-by-side listening against the JBL Charge 6, its bass is weaker and less stable and distorts on bass-heavy tracks even with the bass turned down in the app, while a narrow boost in the upper mids makes it sound less natural.
The JBL Flip Essential 2 is the lighter option. A compact, affordable waterproof speaker that gets fairly loud for its size and connects to two phones at once. At 1.1 lbs (520 g) it weighs much less than the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE at 2.1 lbs (960 g). The catch: There is no tweeter, and side by side comparisons found it does not sound as good as the JBL Flip 6, with less bass; its bass stops growing above about 70% volume, so turning it up mostly adds loudness, not weight.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the JBL Flip Essential 2 when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Prices on this page were last checked November 14, 2026 at 6:17 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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Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 3 SE | JBL Flip Essential 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.95 | $85.90 |
| Ranked | #42 of 182 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #80 of 182 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
| EQ | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Auracast) | No |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs (960 g) | 1.1 lbs (520 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.1 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | SBC |
| Dimensions | 8.8” x 3.8” x 3.7” (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 6.9” x 2.7” x 2.8” (175 x 68 x 70 mm) |
| Drivers | 52mm x 90mm racetrack woofer, 20mm tweeter, two passive radiators | 1x 44x80mm racetrack fullrange + 2x passive radiators |
| Amplifier Power | 40W total (30W woofer + 10W tweeter) | 20W RMS |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Power Input | USB-C (5V/3A) | USB-C |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | - |
Where the Ratings Come From
- JBL Charge Essential 3 SE: reviews by Mateusz Cholewa.
- JBL Flip Essential 2: reviews by Speaker Fan, Angelicaaudio and AudioTribe.
This comparison is generated from the ratings, specifications and measurements on each product’s own page, and it updates when that data changes. How we rank explains how each rating is decided.
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