JBL’s cheapest Bluetooth speaker just dropped to silly money – so I’m buying three for Black Friday

The big day we call Black Friday isn’t technically here yet (although it’s coming up fast, friends) but if you sit around and wait ’til the big day itself you might miss out on some of the best deals. So that’s why I’m here.

I’ve just spotted 25% off one of the best budget portable speakers I’ve ever heard, made by JBL, and Amazon confirms it’s “selling fast” – which it would do, because right now it’s just $29.95 (was ~~$39.95~~) at the huge online retailer.

• Shop Amazon’s full Black Friday sale

You might have noticed that it’s not the newest Go on the block – the JBL Go 4 superseded it in May 2024. But look, it’s a tiny Bluetooth speaker – you simply want it to play tunes from a nearby device. And even though the the JBL Go 3 was released in October 2020, it’s still a great little player and it’s the cheapest thing in the current lineup.

It is so small that you can easily hook it to your bag or even a key ring and for me, there’s not one single thing wrong with the sound quality for this money. OK, newer products (like the JBL Clip 5, say) have a longer battery life and more power but they’ll cost almost double the price of the Go 3 even on sale – although I’ll link to the best alternative deals where you are (just scroll down a little further in this piece).

There are myriad Black Friday deals live now (our Black Friday Bluetooth speakers roundup has plenty more where this JBL came from – although the product you’re reading about here is my top choice), but I’ve also got a roundup of Sennheiser headphones and earbuds deals, my collection of the best Bose Black Friday headphones deals, my more general Black Friday headphones and earbuds deals recommendations or our dedicated Black Friday headphones deals live blog, if that’s what you’re after.

Not looking for headphones, Bluetooth speakers or earbuds and wondering how you got here? That’s OK. TechRadar’s more general Black Friday deals roundup will help – and it’s still curated by actual humans

The JBL Go 3 is so compact (even cute, if you prefer the term), durable and rugged. It is ideal for taking with you on camping trips or away days. I also love the IP67 rating, because it certifies that the JBL Go 3 is waterproof and dust-proof enough to endure outdoor hazards like rain, mud or a trip to the beach or pool.

The one fly in the ointment is that it can only last up to five hours on a single charge, but for this money I can overlook the slightly sub-par battery life because this thing is rock-solid, chic and provides much better audio than you’d think from looking at it.

Simply pair it to your smartphone, tablet, laptop or other Bluetooth device and you’re good to go. And the deal is also good for multiple colors including black, blue, gray, and red.

Still not sure it’s for you? I’ll link to a few alternative top deals right now – all TechRadar tested and approved. Happy shopping, music lover!