Bluetooth speakers · Ranked #10 of 10 · Best tiny rugged speaker

JBL Go 4

79
Mixed
Average of 4 professional reviews
3 of 4 recommend it · critics split
Where the 4 reviews landedRange 62–95

Exact average 79.2 · all scores printed by the outlets

JBL Go 4Image: JBL

4 professional reviewers tested the JBL Go 4, and 3 recommend it. Most praised: build quality and design. Most common complaint: battery life.

Reviewed by What Hi-Fi?, TechRadar, Tom's Guide and 1 more

The catch: Sound is limited with little bass, and it turns muddled at higher volume.

Early score: only 4 professional reviews so far. Expect it to move as more reviews come in.

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What 4 critics said

Highest score first · all converted to 0–100
  1. 95
    What Hi-Fi?The outlet's top rating, counted as 95 · Hands-on review · 2024

    A brilliant budget buy with cohesive, engaging sound, rugged build and good features for its tiny size.

    Read What Hi-Fi? review
  2. 80
    TechRadarHands-on review · 2024

    A fun, pocketable budget speaker that is perfectly adequate for the price, though sound and bass are not impressive.

    Read TechRadar review
  3. 80
    Tom's GuideHands-on review · 2024

    A very likeable little speaker that is waterproof, well built and adequate in sound, with a useful app and multi-speaker Auracast.

    Read Tom's Guide review
  4. 62
    TechGearLabHands-on review · 2026

    Extremely portable and tough, but the sound is muddled and compressed at higher volume, making it overpriced next to better small speakers.

    Read TechGearLab review

"Est." means the outlet printed no score, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates

What critics praise most

Build quality2 of 4
Design2 of 4

What critics dislike most

Battery life2 of 4

Other Bluetooth speakers critics rate highly

JBL Flip 7Image: JBL
Top pick, narrowlyJBL Flip 712 reviews · broad agreement86
Marshall Kilburn IIIImage: Marshall
Best for battery and big soundMarshall Kilburn III5 reviews · broad agreement86
Bose SoundLink MaxImage: Bose
Best big portable soundBose SoundLink Max8 reviews · critics split86
Bose SoundLink PlusImage: Bose
Best rugged midsize speakerBose SoundLink Plus6 reviews · broad agreement84

Also reviewed, not yet scored

Common questions

Is the JBL Go 4 worth it?

Most critics think so: 3 of 4 recommend it. Sound is limited with little bass, and it turns muddled at higher volume.

Do critics agree about the JBL Go 4?

Critics split: scores range from 62 (TechGearLab) to 95 (What Hi-Fi?), a spread of 33 points across 4 reviews. Reviewers disagree, so read the individual reviews before buying.

What do critics dislike about the JBL Go 4?

Battery life (2 of 4 reviews).

What is the best alternative to the JBL Go 4?

The JBL Flip 7 (critic score 86), top pick, narrowly.