JBL Flip Essential [2023 Review]

JBL produced the Flip Essential lineup for the ones who do not want to pay much money for the fancy extras and just want the “essentials” of the Flip series. In this JBL Flip Essential review, we will look at one of the affordable alternatives to the Flip series from JBL.

The JBL Flip Essential Bluetooth speaker is a booming Bluetooth speaker with a remarkable blend of portability and sound. In terms of Bluetooth speakers, the JBL Flip Essential is a charming and appealing device. You can either place it horizontally, resting on its rubber support, or flip it vertically, bringing the speaker to attention.

If you are interested in this model, keep reading our JBL Flip Essential review for more information below. Let’s explore its features, pros, and cons to find out whether this would be a good buy for you or not.

JBL Flip Essential Review

About: JBL Flip Essential has a robust rubber shell and is designed for use in the outdoors, so you can take it on a trek or to a festival. It is even waterproof, with an IPX7 rating, so you can listen to music by the pool. It has a battery that lasts up to 10 hours. Despite its small size, it has a sufficient bass.

Build Quality

The Flip Essential is based on the design of one of the earlier Flip speakers, the Flip 3, however, certain features have been reduced to make this an affordable model. That is why some buttons are missing on the Flip Essential. In addition to that, the design of Flip Essential does not stand out too much because of the simple gray color.

Flip essential is protected from fall damage by the rubberized corners and rear panel. This makes sure that your speaker would be safe against falls and bangs, and it can last a long time. A wire loop may be attached to your Flip Essential, just like the other Flip models. This allows the users to carry their speaker easily.

The majority of the speaker is covered in a sturdy cloth that will not go bad over time. This just ensures that JBL Flip Essential is a reliable piece of a speaker and will not disappoint you according to this JBL Flip Essential Review.

Size and Weight

JBL Flip Essential measures 2.5 x 2.5 x 6.7 inches and it weighs around 470 grams, making it the perfect speaker to carry around without much trouble. It is also worth noting that Flip Essential comes only in gray color.

How long does the battery last?

The manufacturer’s claim of up to 10 hours was will be only true when listening at 30% of full volume. The speaker had over 6 hours of playback time at a 50-55 percent loudness. The speaker, on the other hand, gets about 3 hours of playing at full power. That means you cannot turn it all the way up and have fun for a continuous 10 hours.

What comes in the box?

Besides the speaker, there is only a micro-USB cable that you can find in the box according to this JBL Flip Essential Review. But do not think that it is because this is a Flip Essential speaker, because that is also how other Flip models arrive.

Other Features

The Flip Essential is inspired by the famous Flip 3 and 4. It comes with two 40mm speakers, which it got from the Flip 4. In addition to these, it has a round form on the sides, as well as Bluetooth connectivity that is a little old if you ask us in this JBL Flip Essential Review.

It features the same IPX7 water resistance and it seems like it got it from the Flip 5. The charging connector still uses the old micro-USB connectivity rather than the USB Type-C found on the Flip 5. What this means is, your Flip Essential will take longer to charge when compared to the superior Flip 5.

If you are planning to use JBL Flip Essential with a device that does not have Bluetooth, you can do it. The AUX input is still present on the Flip Essential in case you wish to use your speaker with a computer or other device.

JBL Flip Essential vs Flip 5

JBL Flip 5 is better than JBL Flip essential for many reasons. First of all, Flip Essential is a simplified version of Flip 5, and it explains much. But the price difference between them does not explain the missing features, and it makes Flip 5 a better deal to get.

JBL Flip 5 has a 15Hz lower low-frequency than the other, 4mm bigger driver unit, 4W more audio output power, and a newer Bluetooth version. Along with these, we can say that Flip 5 lasts longer in terms of battery power, resulting in 2 hours of more battery life. Due to this reason, you will be able to charge your Flip 5 much quicker.

All of these combined, we think in this JBL Flip Essential Review that Flip 5 would be a better choice between these two.

Conclusion: JBL Flip Essential [2023 Review]

The JBL Flip Essential is a good idea coming from JBL. They wanted to preserve the Flip line’s core benefits by removing some features. In that way, they also managed to keep the price in an affordable range.

The price difference between the original Flip 5 and the Flip Essential, however, is too little to make up for the removed features. That is why we think you might still want the extras since the price gap is too little and buying a Flip 5 can be a good investment.

Even more, we think in this JBL Flip Essential review that Flip Essential’s sound quality is not a match for the Flip lineup. We hope you liked our JBL Flip Essential review and it was helpful.