The JBL Charge collection is probably one of the best and most popular Bluetooth portable speakers available on the market. From the very first Charge, to the Charge 3, the company has constantly strived to improve and develop the speaker to make it the best portable speaker out there.

Coming to stores this fall, JBL's $150 Charge 4 Bluetooth speaker features improved sound, better battery life (20 hours) and some other small upgrades.

Due out this fall, the fully waterproof JBL Charge 4 offers improved sound, battery life and USB-C connectivity.

Once in a while MajorHiFi gets its figurative paws on a fine Bluetooth speaker. The new Charge 4 from JBL is one such beast – offering 20 hours of battery life, waterproof design, and a bumping sound. And all for a tasty $149. But is there any reason not to snatch one up MajorHiFi investigates.

The biggest difference is only useful to 0.1% of people.

Good build; Gets loud; Long battery life; Can charge your portable devices; USB-C charging; Plenty of color options

Basically the same sound as the Charge 3; Slightly bigger and heavier than previous model; The buttons that aren't lit up are hard to see in the dark; Vocals in the mids can get masked by bass; No microphone for phone calls

The Charge 4 sounds excellent for a mono speaker at this price. Its solid build is waterproof and, for all of its output, not terribly big. There are other solid options in this price range-the EcoXGear EcoSlate , the Bose SoundLink Color II , and the Sony SRS-XB3 are all winners, and if you want to...

Powerful audio performance with rich bass and crisp, clear highs; Gets quite loud for its size; Waterproof

No speakerphone function; Mono audio output

JBL knows how to deliver the goods when it comes to portable Bluetooth speakers. The previous iteration of the Charge was a hit, and the JBL Charge 4 ($179.95) is not dropping the baton. With a waterproof design, the speaker outputs huge sound for its size, and it's small enough to be thrown in a tote. The bass depth here is also impressive, thanks mostly to dual passive radiators that add richness and thump. The only two bummers are the lack of a speakerphone function and that the speaker is mono (this is forgivable, though, since the size would prevent true stereo separation anyway). The JBL Charge 4, like its predecessor, wins our Editors' Choice award. Design The cylindrical 3.7-by-8.6-by-3.7-inch (HWD), 2.1-pound Charge 4 is available in a multitude of colors—10 in all, including mustard yellow and teal, as well as more standard black or red models. The speaker has an IPX7 rating, meaning it has an unspecified level of dust-ingress protection and is fully waterproof. In fact...

The JBL Charge 4 is an excellent option for those who want a waterproof, powerful-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker in a moderately sized frame.

Powerful audio performance with rich bass and crisp, clear highs; Gets quite loud for its size; Waterproof

No speakerphone function; Mono audio output

I bought this for teaching music classes abd it really packs a punch. Plenty loud enough, not tinny at all, good bottom end. Easy to use too.

Great speaker. super power for such a small speaker. you'd never imagine how well the sound fills up a room. Great value! If you love base, this speaker is a must have. Only dislike was how long it to recharge, seemed to take several hours... but that may have been the quality of my charging cable.

When it comes to portable speakers , there are highly portable speakers like the JBL Clip 3 , and ones like these as well – Charge 4. JBL's Charge lineup is the one that has a built-in power-bank inside it. And that does come in handy sometimes. But what else does this speaker pack besides that

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," goes the old adage and that's exactly the philosophy JBL took when updating its already-excellent Charge 3 speaker. The design is basically identical, as are its specs, but the improvements are subtle and not noticeable until you begin listening to the speaker and...

Balanced; powerful sound; Can charge your phone; Long battery life

Some distortion at high volumes; No 360-degree sound; Long charge time