JLab Pop Party review: What do you really get for $20?

The JLab Pop Party is the most affordable speaker in JLab’s new lineup of portable Bluetooth options, but you wouldn’t guess that just by looking at it. It packs in RGB lighting, customizable sound, and a bunch of features you rarely see at this price. But is it more than just a fun little gadget? Let’s find out in this JLab Pop Party review.

What I like about the JLab Pop Party

Props to JLab for designing a fun, lightweight, affordable speaker that fits in just about anywhere. The palm-sized Pop Party works as a desktop speaker, has a loop attachment you can undo to hang it from a bike handle or backpack strap, and is IPX5 rated, so it can handle light rain and accidental splashes. It’s also magnetic, which is a nice touch. You can slap it on the fridge while making dinner, and the passive radiator faces the surface it’s attached to, which helps a bit with bass response. Oh, and the RGB lights are pretty sick too. Safe to say, JLab nailed the fun party vibes, wherever you find yourself.

Your controls, or should I say control, consist of just a single multifunction button. If you’re someone who loves tactile buttons like I do, you might feel like something’s missing. But with a series of assignable clicks, you can handle playback, power, skip tracks, cycle lighting, and even switch EQ settings. You can assign these controls in the JLab app, which includes a ton of useful features, so it’s worth downloading and installing.

For a $20 Bluetooth speaker, JLab packed a surprising number of features into its companion app. You get three EQ presets, a 10-band customizable EQ, the ability to remap controls, and options to turn off voice prompts and RGB lights to save battery. This is also where you’ll find the LabSync feature to pair it with the rest of the JLab Party speaker lineup. The battery saver is a nice touch, too, especially if you’re like me and always forget to turn your speaker off. It’s essentially an adjustable auto-off timer.

So, how does a $20 speaker sound? As always, you need to have reasonable expectations when it comes to these ultra-portable speakers. They’re built for fun and convenience, not for critical listening. The Pop Party is rocking a 2″ full-range driver, a rear-facing 2″ passive woofer, and offers 5W of output. I find the JLab Signature EQ the best of the presets. Listening to “What You Won’t Do For Love” by Bobby Caldwell, the speaker offers a good amount of mid-range presence and treble clarity to hear the vocals and hi-hats. The bass response is doing its best in that small enclosure, but the kick drum and bass guitar are also present. That said, don’t expect it to blow your mind.

While the Pop Party may not offer the same level of detailed clarity you’ll find with more expensive speakers like the JBL Go 4, it sounds perfectly acceptable for a fun, feature-packed little speaker that you can take with you anywhere. Its size is ideal for personal listening or when it’s just you and a friend or two. I recommend spending some time in the custom EQ to get this speaker sounding its best.

What I don’t like about the JLab Pop Party

Honestly, it’s tough to criticize a speaker like the Pop Party given its price and the idea that everyone should have access to an affordable way to enjoy music out loud. While I don’t think it’s the best sounding ultra-portable speaker out there, especially when compared to the JBL Go 4, it doesn’t quite match that level of clarity. The Go 4 sounds bigger than it looks, while the Pop Party sounds like the small speaker it is.

Along with tempered sound expectations, battery life might be a concern for some. JLab claims up to 8 hours with the RGB lights off and around 5 hours with them on. Of course, battery life always depends on volume levels and how bass-heavy your playlist is. The Pop Party will get you through an afternoon picnic or beach hang, but it’s not built for all-day use.

Should you buy the JLab Pop Party?

While the JLab Pop Party packs in features like a magnetic backing, RGB lights, and a bike-friendly strap, it’s more about fun than flawless sound. But for $20, it’ll get the job done whether you’re truly on a tight budget, maybe you’re buying a speaker for a young kid, or in a pinch on vacation after forgetting to pack one. (Hey, we’ve all been there.)

If you need a fun, ultra-portable speaker on a shoestring budget, the Pop Party is hard to beat.

As for alternatives, if sound quality is your main priority, there is the more premium JBL Go 4 ($49.95 at Amazon). If you want to keep things affordable, the Soundcore Select 4 Go ($34.99 at Amazon) is another option. It offers a higher IP rating and a similarly thorough companion app, but neither of those speakers includes built-in party lights.

JLab Pop Party review: FAQs