3 reasons to buy the JBL Clip 4 over the JBL Clip 5

When you’re buying a gadget, it’s very easy to spend money on aspects you don’t need. Tech products are filled with features, but whether you end up using all or even most of them depends on you actually knowing what you need. A good gimmick is often how companies differentiate one product from another, but it can get excessive. From testing, I’ve found that you often just need the basics.

The changes made from the JBL Clip 4 to the JBL Clip 5 are a good illustration of how products can collect features over time that they don’t really need. The Clip 5, while great, has plenty of new features to differentiate it from the Clip 4 that have nothing to do with sound, the reason you’re buying a Bluetooth speaker in the first place. If all you need is a Bluetooth connection, waterproofing and dustproofing, and an easy way to mount your speaker just about anywhere, the JBL Clip 4 has everything you need, and there’s a chance you could get it for less than the JBL Clip 5.

1 The JBL Clip 4 covers the hardware basics

Sound and battery are good enough

JBL Clip 4

The JBL Clip 4 technically has a replacement in the JBL Clip 5, but you get everything you need from this older speaker, including a built-in carabiner and great sound.

Reviewing the JBL Clip 4 and the JBL Clip 5 was an exercise in nuance. In many of the ways that matter, the speakers are similar. Their built-in clip means they’re endlessly mountable and the IP67 rating means they can get soaked. The first real difference between the two is sound. But I’m here to say that even if the JBL Clip 4 can’t get as loud and isn’t as detailed as the Clip 5, its 5W output (as opposed to the 7W output on the Clip 5) is more than enough. I didn’t become unsatisfied with how the Clip 4 sounded until I could listen to it side-by-side with the Clip 5, and even then, I don’t think the improvements are big enough that you need them if you’re already skeptical of the Clip 5’s other new features.

The Clip 5 also has a better battery life than the Clip 4, with a possible 15 hours to draw on if you use JBL’s Playtime Boost feature. The problem with relying on Playtime Boost is that it flattens out audio when its enabled, removing any kind of EQ customization or sense of fullness. I’m also fairly certain that the Clip 4’s 10 hours of battery life is enough for most people. From my experience, the Clip 4 has great standby battery life. If you turn it off once you’re done using it, you’ll be able to stretch 10 hours longer than you might initially think. Because the Clip 4 has a USB-C port for charging, it’s also not very hard to recharge it either. It uses the same cable as everything else now. Keeping both audio performance and battery life in mind, the Clip 4’s shortcomings on paper are just not very meaningful in practice.

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No companion apps or hidden settings

What you see is what you get with the JBL Clip 4. The speaker and its physical buttons are all there is. You can use the JBL Clip 5 entirely standalone too, but several of its new features are dependent on access to the JBL Portable companion app. Stereo pairing, where your Clip speakers act as the left or right channel in stereo setup, has to be initiated from the app. Custom EQ adjustments and toggling between EQ presets are also only available in the companion app.

Really, the only thing that isn’t stuck in the app is Auracast because it has a dedicated button on the outside of the Clip 5. I think Auracast is a cool idea, but like stereo pairs, it’s a feature that requires multiple speakers to enjoy, in this case, multiple Auracast-enabled speakers. That’s just not something I think is very common at this point. That’s subject to change, sure, but for the time being, the simple approach of the JBL CLip 4 wins out. All you need is a charged speaker and the Bluetooth settings of whatever device you’re connecting it to. Simple and to the point.

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3 The JBL Clip 4 is more likely to be on sale

Older hardware gets better discounts

Even if the JBL Clip 4 was originally released in 2020 and the JBL Clip 5 in 2024, that age difference works in your favor in this case. JBL currently sells both speakers for $79.99, but if either of them is going to receive a discount in the near future, it’s going to be the older Clip 4.

It might not happen at JBL’s online store first, but the odds are good that at some point Amazon or Best Buy is going to be blowing the JBL Clip 4 out, fire sale-style. If you wait till a sale like that, you can get an already fairly-priced speaker for a steal. When it comes down to it, isn’t price what got you considering cheap Bluetooth speakers in the first place?

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The JBL Clip 4 is the Goldilocks speaker

I wouldn’t have assumed it after enjoying the JBL Clip 5 so much, but you really get everything that you need for a “good Bluetooth speaker experience” from the JBL Clip 4. The speakers share the same important features, and the ones that the Clip 5 has over on the Clip 4 remain nice-to-haves, not necessities.

If you’re honest with yourself, how much do you actually need? Do you need a speaker with multiple ways to pair it with other speakers or a dedicated companion app? Or do you just need one that you can pull out of the box and start using? I think eight times out of 10, the JBL Clip 4 wins. Everything inside me trained to compare spec sheets and features lists feels like I should exclusively recommend the JBL Clip 5, but you might not need everything it offers. If you’re happy with the basics done well and nothing else, consider the JBL Clip 4. Just do yourself a favor and wait for a good sale first.