With summer fast approaching, JBL recently updated several of its portable Bluetooth speakers, but the one that really caught our eye was the rugged and backpack-friendly design of the new Flip 7. Priced at just $149.95/£129.99, and available in a variety of colours, the Flip 7 is clearly a direct competitor for the recently released Beats Pill, but it manages to outdo its Beats rival in a number of ways.

For starters, the updated Flip 7 now boasts a seriously rugged IP68 rating for resistance to water and dust – compared to IP67 for the Beats Pill – which allows it to survive complete immersion in 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes. JBL says that it’s ‘drop-proof’ too, thanks to a shock-resistant rubber trim that can survive a drop of 1m right onto a concrete floor. But while it’s built like a tank, the Flip 7 is still very light and portable. It stands 182mm high, 69.5mm wide and 71.5mm deep – although you can also turn it onto its side it you prefer – and weighs just 0.56kg, so it’s easy to slip it into a backpack or bag and carry it around when you’re travelling. JBL also includes a wrist-strap and carabiner clip, which you can remove and swap around as required, to help keep it safe.

The Flip 7 supports the latest Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless audio, and the USB-C port on the back of the speaker can also be used to provide a wired audio connection, as well as charging the internal battery. There’s no USB-C cable included though, as JBL is trying to cut down on its use of plastics, so you’ll need to provide the cable yourself.

It doesn’t support Wi-Fi or AirPlay for Apple devices – as Sonos’ equally portable Roam speaker does – but that’s a lot to ask from such an affordable speaker. And, of course, Wi-Fi support wouldn’t be much use for a speaker that is clearly intended to live outdoors most of the time. Some people may be disappointed that the Flip 7 doesn’t support the aptX codec for Bluetooth audio, but it does support Apple’s AAC codec for use with Macs, iPhones and iPads.

Sound quality

Sound quality is impressive for such a compact speaker, thanks to an 80mm woofer and 16mm tweeter that combine to provide a healthy 35W output. If you want to chill out on a lazy summer afternoon then the Flip shows a delicate touch on the piano-and-violin duet on Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel Im Spiegel, allowing the wistful melodies of the two instruments to gracefully weave through the air. But crank up the volume at party-time and the Flip 7 can blast out the arm-waving Planetary Go! by My Chemical Romance with real gusto. It’s a busy track, with headbanging guitars colliding with EDM keyboards, but the Flip 7 keeps all the instruments clear and distinct while the firm thud of the drums holds the sonic chaos together. It’s pretty powerful too, and just 50% volume is loud enough to have me worried about annoying the neighbours, so it’ll be great for getting things going when you’re outdoors with your friends.

Inevitably, the main weakness with a speaker of this size is the bass output, and the bouncing electronic bass on Bad Guy by Billie Eilish doesn’t quite have the firm kick that a larger speaker could provide. Even so, the bass is still pretty respectable for such a compact speaker, and the sound quality of the Flip 7 is more than a match for rivals such as the Sonos Roam or Beats Pill. The JBL Portable app also includes an equalizer that lets you fine-tune the sound to suit your taste, as well as an option for linking it with a second Flip to provide two-channel stereo audio.

The one area where the Beats speaker has an edge is with its 24-hour battery life. The Flip 7’s 14-hour battery is certainly enough to last all day long, and the JBL app provides an option called ‘playtime boost’ that adjusts the sound output to squeeze an extra two hours out of the battery (although this does require the app to de-activate your EQ settings). The Pill might be the better option if you’re planning on raving for an entire weekend at a music festival, but the lighter and more compact Flip has an edge on sheer portability.

Should I buy the JBL Flip 7?

Portable speakers always have to find the right balance between size, sound quality and battery life, and a larger speaker such as the Beats Pill can certainly provide longer battery life. However, the Flip 7 strikes a good all-round balance, providing excellent sound quality, good battery life, and a sturdy, lightweight design at a very competitive price.

See how the JBL Flip 7 compares to other iPhone speakers we have tested: Best AirPlay speakers for iPhones and Apple Music.