The standard JBL Charge 5 is easily one of our favourite portable products, consistently featuring on our list of the best Bluetooth speakers and earning its place as a modern classic of the genre. We love it and, if you're hunting for a portable pal during October Prime Day, it should definitely be on your radar.
An alternative option, however, should also be considered. The excellent Charge 5 received a rather super spin-off last year in the shape of the Charge 5 Wi-Fi, with the new twist adding a slightly larger woofer than the original and, as the name suggests, the considerable boon of wi-fi connectivity.
Those updates saw JBL charge £230 for the Charge 5 Wi-Fi, around £60 more than the launch price of the standard model. Happily, that figure has plummeted to just £158 at Amazon thanks to a generous 30 per cent discount, the lowest price we've seen thus far.
JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi Bluetooth speaker deal
We didn't think that the JBL Charge 5 could be improved all that much when we tested it a few years back, yet we're just as enamoured with the newer model as we were by the original. The Charge 5 Wi-Fi is an outstanding spin-off of a multi-Award winner, adding wi-fi-boosted features, a cleaner sound and a few aesthetic tweaks to one of our favourite – and one of the most popular – Bluetooth speakers.
The solidity, ruggedness and durability all remain (the Wi-Fi winner is IP67-rated for dust and water resistance), yet the true differences are revealed in the name. This 2023 model adds Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2 and Alexa Multiroom to the party, not to mention the bonus of JBL self-tuning which calibrates and optimises the speaker's sound given its location in a given environment. And yes, it can still charge your phone via the provided USB-A port.
Sonically, the Charge 5 Wi-Fi is just a little more refined than its classic counterpart, and while it isn't night and day, that slightly larger woofer gives a little more forthrightness and spark to proceedings than when played via standard Bluetooth. Hook up to the speaker via wi-fi and you'll receive more clarity and cleanliness from your tunes, as though they've all been polished and buffed for that extra sonic sparkle.
While we await the arrival of a sequel to the 'standard' Charge (the next-gen JBL Charge 6 is surely coming next year), the Wi-Fi update is sure to stand the test of time as a premium variant. Check it out at Amazon if you're keen on a bargain.
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Check out our JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi review
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