As temperatures soar, many of us are looking forward to spending time with our friends and family outdoors, perhaps at a barbecue, or by a friend's pool.
And I don't know about you, but anytime I hang out with my friends or my partner's, we love having some jazzy tunes playing in the background. No gathering, during the summer or otherwise, is complete without one of the best Bluetooth speakers.
Don't have one yet? Don't fret, because I've found the finest speaker to soundtrack your summer without breaking the bank: the new JBL Go 5.
The Go 5, in my opinion, is the ultimate summer speaker. It's extremely portable and pocketable so you can take it anywhere, and it gets very loud — perfect for large gatherings. The build quality and design are sublime, and the sound quality is nothing short of outstanding.
I've spent a couple of weeks listening to my favorite tunes on the Go 5, and I'm here to convince you to get one for yourself if you love music.
Take anywhere-able
One of the key reasons why the JBL Go 5 is the perfect summer speaker is its size — the Go 5 measures 3.98 x 3.05 x 1.7 inches and weighs just 8.16 oz.
The Go 5 measures 3.98 x 3.05 x 1.7 inches and weighs just 8.16 oz.
The small size and light weight make it highly portable, so whether you're taking it to a friend's house or to a beach party, you should have no problem carrying it in your backpack or pocket. It's also got a strap for clipping to a carabiner, in case you want to travel with it that way.
Even though it's compact and light, the Go 5 doesn't compromise on build quality. It's well-built, and I didn't notice any hollow-sounding parts when I tapped the speaker with my fingernails.
It looks fantastic too, sporting a minimalist design with two low-key LED lighting strips which light up to correspond with the speaker's color: If you buy the blue model, the lights will be blue, and if you buy the red model, they'll be red, and so on.
Controls on the Go 5 are extremely straightforward too, and you don't need to be tech-savvy to use the speaker — so don't worry about people at your party struggling to figure out how to adjust the volume or swap between Bluetooth sources.
Oh, and did I mention that the Go 5 is IP68-rated, so it can be submerged in 1.5m-deep water for up to 30 minutes, and it's highly dustproof and drop-proof? Yep, it's the ideal speaker for the outdoors.
Surprisingly powerful bass for such a tiny speaker
Size isn't everything, and you shouldn't underestimate just how loud the JBL Go 5 can get. For its size, it can get loud enough to soundtrack a large gathering of people and you can pair multiple Auracast-enabled speakers to it, or grab another Go 5 and pair them together instantly by simply bumping them together. It's that easy.
As for the sound quality, the Go 5 boasts powerful bass response and sub-bass too, something its predecessor, the Go 4, struggled with.
In songs like 'Elma' by Yin Yin and 'Loser' by Tame Impala, I appreciated the clean bass, and the fact that I could hear every string plucked on the bass guitar. The bass had plenty of low-end impact in both tracks, and the kickdrum was clean and warm too.
Of course, I couldn't feel the sub-bass in my chest as the speaker goes down to only 100Hz, it still provided a good backbone to both songs, and ensured that the tracks didn't sound hollow.
Alongside the bass, the treble is crisp and vibrant. 'First Light' by Lana Del Rey and 'Time' by Pink Floyd sounded beautiful through the Go 5.
'First Light' by Lana Del Rey and 'Time' by Pink Floyd sounded beautiful through the Go 5.
The sibilance was clean, and "t" and "s" sounds didn't bleed into one another. Along the same lines, plosives didn't pop too much to detract from Lana's vocals. In my favorite song by Pink Floyd, the hi-hats and cymbal hits didn't sound too shrill and they didn't pierce through the rest of the soundstage.
Unlike the StormBox MIni+, the Go 5 doesn't sound too tinny or distorted when it's being played at high volumes. I say "too tinny" because small speakers are limited by their hardware, and you should expect some level of tinniness at 100% volume.
Having said that, it isn't unpleasant at all. The Go 5 gets a 10/10 from me in the sound department.
So good and cheap that I'm buying two
The JBL Go 5 has quickly become my favorite budget Bluetooth speaker. It earned a 4.5-star rating and the coveted Editor's Choice award from me in my JBL Go 5 review thanks to its stellar sound quality, beautiful design, sturdy and durable build.
And it isn't a hefty investment either. The Go 5 retails for $54 / £39 at Amazon, so even though it's $5 more expensive than its predecessor, it's well-worth the extra spend. For the price, I'd be happily buying two so that I can pair them together and create left and right stereo channels.
Not sure how to take your music with you outside in 2026? The Go 5 is, without a doubt, the perfect speaker to soundtrack your summer.
More from Tom's Guide
- The JBL Go 5 is one of the best budget speakers I’ve tested, and it offers stellar sound for just $54
- The only Bluetooth speaker you need for pool parties costs less than $40 — no, I’m not joking
- I've spent 300 hours testing the best portable Bluetooth speakers — these are the 11 that are worth your money
