Short answer: the Tribit Stormbox Pro if sound quality matters most, the JBL Charge Essential if price matters most. The Tribit Stormbox Pro ranks #40 of 136 medium speakers at $90. The JBL Charge Essential ranks #68 at $73.99, $16.01 cheaper.
What the Tribit Stormbox Pro offers: 24 hour battery life (60% volume, XBass off); doubles as a power bank. IP67 rated. Multi-point Bluetooth 5.3 pairing. Watch for: Bottom woofer was fixed in a later firmware, upgrade for best sound. Peaky mids, highs rolled off. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
What the JBL Charge Essential offers: Doubles as a power bank. IPX7 rated. Supports true wireless stereo pairing with a second Charge Essential. Watch for: Less clarity than the Flip 4, highs rolled off. An overpriced rebranded Charge 3 for people who want stereo sound.
Buy the Tribit Stormbox Pro if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the JBL Charge Essential if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| Tribit Stormbox Pro | JBL Charge Essential | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $90 | $73.99 |
| Ranked | #40 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #68 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 58Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 99dB | - |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No | - |
| Omnidirectional | Yes | No |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 980 g | 1.7 lbs / 770 g |
| Aux Input | Yes | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 4.1 |
| Dimensions | 3.8" x 3.8" x 7.1" (96 x 96 x 180 mm) | 8.4" x 3.5" x 3.4" (213 x 89 x 87 mm) |
| Drivers | 76mm subwoofer, 2x 40mm full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 40W | 20W RMS |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| App | - | No |
| EQ | - | No |
| Power Bank | - | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- Soundcore Motion 100 vs Tribit Xsound Mega
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs JBL Charge 3
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs Xdobo X8 Max
- JBL Charge Essential vs Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Tribit Stormbox Pro: $90 Amazon eBay
Pros: 24 hour battery life (60% volume, XBass off); doubles as a power bank. IP67 rated. Multi-point Bluetooth 5.3 pairing.
Cons: Bottom woofer was fixed in a later firmware, upgrade for best sound. Peaky mids, highs rolled off. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Full Tribit Stormbox Pro review and specifications →
| Aux Input | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 58Hz |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 3.8" x 3.8" x 7.1" (96 x 96 x 180 mm) |
| Drivers | 76mm subwoofer, 2x 40mm full-range drivers + 2x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Max Volume | 99dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Output Power | 40W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 2.2 lbs / 980 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: Soundcore Glow: best budget 360 degree speaker or get the Bose Revolve+? 1 hour of fun! More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Pro Review - vs Tribit Stormbox - bass monster?? 🤔
- Alan Ross Reviews: The Ultimate 360 Degree Bluetooth Speaker Showdown: Bose Soundlink Revolve Vs Tribit Stormbox Pro
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Pro - two versions compared - was it broken? 🤔
- DIGI-EARS: Xdobo X8 Max vs. JBL Charge 5 vs. Anker Soundcore Motion+ vs. Tribit Stormbox Pro Sound Test Battle
- Reddit Search for Tribit Stormbox Pro Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs Soundcore Motion 100
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs JBL Pulse 5
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs Soundcore Glow
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs W-King D320
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs JBL Charge Essential 2
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs Bose Soundlink Revolve+ II
- Tribit Stormbox Pro vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- See all 73 comparisons
JBL Charge Essential: $73.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Doubles as a power bank. IPX7 rated. Supports true wireless stereo pairing with a second Charge Essential.
Cons: Less clarity than the Flip 4, highs rolled off. An overpriced rebranded Charge 3 for people who want stereo sound.
Full JBL Charge Essential review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.4" x 3.5" x 3.4" (213 x 89 x 87 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 20W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs / 770 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Flossy Carter: JBL Charge 5 vs JBL Charge 4 vs JBL Charge Essential More from FlossyCarter →
- Techder Audios: JBL EXTREME 3 VS JBL CHARGE ESSENTIAL More from techderaudios →
- The Tech Files: JBL CHARGE ESSENTIAL VS CHARGE ESSENTIAL 2 COMPARATIVO AMBIENTE EXTERNO
- Reddit Search for JBL Charge Essential Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge Essential vs JBL Charge 3
- JBL Charge Essential vs JBL Charge 2
- JBL Charge Essential vs JBL Flip Essential
- JBL Charge Essential vs Klipsch Nashville
- JBL Charge Essential vs Sonos Roam 2
- JBL Charge Essential vs Sony XB23
- JBL Charge Essential vs Sonos Roam
- JBL Charge Essential vs JBL Flip 4
- See all 74 comparisons