JBL Boombox 3 Speaker Now Back at Black Friday Price in Amazon's Final Push
This article features deals sourced directly by Gizmodo and produced independently of the editorial team. We may earn a commission when you buy through links on the site.
There’s no shortage of portable Bluetooth speakers that you can clip onto a backpack with a carabiner or even literally slip into your pocket. We’re fans of the good ones, but even then, there’s a time and a place for a portable speaker that brings so much sheer power and quality audio that it makes the extra size more than worth it. That’s the JBL Boombox 3 in spades, and that’s why this Amazon 30%-off sale is a big deal.
At nearly 15 pounds and 19 inches across, the Boombox 3 is built to be carried to a destination and then dominate it. The 3-way speaker system — a dedicated subwoofer, two midrange drivers, and two tweeters — pushes 180 watts in AC mode and 136 watts on battery, which is enough output to fill a backyard, cut through beach wind, and keep a crowd of people covered without distortion at high volume. This is where the Boombox 3 separates from smaller speakers that sound good up close but fall apart at distance or at the top of the volume range.
IP67 dust and waterproofing means the Boombox 3 handles pools, rain, sand, and the kind of treatment outdoor speakers inevitably get. Full submersion up to a meter of water for 30 minutes — so a spill off a dock or a wave washing over it at the beach isn’t a death sentence. The metal handle with the orange silicone grip is sturdy enough to carry comfortably despite the weight, and the twin sidecap design protects the drivers during transport.
The JBL Boombox 3’s battery life runs 24 hours on a charge, which covers an entire day-into-night event without a top-up. For longer events, AC power is an option and pushes the wattage higher. JBL’s PartyBoost feature lets you pair two Boombox 3 speakers together for stereo separation or link multiple JBL PartyBoost-compatible speakers across a larger space for synchronized audio coverage.
It’s been over 90 days since the JBL Boombox 3 has dropped so far from its regular price of $500. This Amazon deal brings it down to $350, even less than refurbished Boombox 3s normally sell for. And this deal doesn’t come with refurbished, open-box, or any other modifier of the sort. For anyone planning a summer where the speaker needs to be loud enough for a crowd, tough enough for outdoors, and reliable enough to last all day, the Boombox 3 at 30% off is the clearest value in the full-size portable speaker category right now.