Kick off a summer of songs with the JBL Flip 3 for $49.99
That's a full 50 percent off this top-rated portable speaker, which can repel splashes and play for up to 10 hours. Plus: a seriously excellent freebie for business folks.
I'll always choose a premium brand of speaker when it's priced like a cheap brand of speaker.
It's finally starting to warm up around here, and I couldn't be more eager to start planting stuff in the garden, shooting hoops in the driveway and sitting on the back porch with a mojito in my hand.
For those and other outdoor activities, you can't beat a good portable speaker -- especially when it's 50 percent off.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Verizon has the JBL Flip 3 portable Bluetooth speaker for $49.99 shipped. It lists for $100 and normally sells for around $80. It hasn't been anywhere near this cheap since Black Friday , and even then it was about $5 more.
If Verizon's stock runs out -- always a possibility, based on past experience with carriers selling accessories -- Harman has the refurbished JBL Flip 3 for $49.99 shipped. Harman also has a lot more color options, where Verizon's inventory is currently limited to just two, and the warranty is a full year, same as with a new Flip 3 .
Wherever you decide to buy it, you should find the speaker a pretty sweet outdoor companion. It's water-resistant, with flaps that cover its charging and input ports, so you can take it to the pool, the beach, the park and other splashy and sandy locations.
Of particular interest, you can pair multiple speakers to spread out -- and amplify -- the sound. That's a feature not found in most of the cheaper speakers I share in this space.
I haven't tried this music-tube myself, so I'll turn you over to David Carnoy's JBL Flip 3 review. His verdict: "One of the best mini portable Bluetooth speakers available." And that, of course, was based on the $100 price tag.
He specifically called out the loudness of the sound relative to the compact size of the speaker, the commendable 10-hour battery life and the handy integrated microphone for making and taking calls.
You know me: I tend to prefer inexpensive off-brand speakers. But when I can get a well-known, well-regarded brand for about the same price? I'm in!
Bonus deal: In case you don't also follow me on Business Bargain Hunter, I shared a deal earlier today that's seriously fantastic for the social-media crowd: One free year of video maker Lumen5.
Lumen5 makes it easy to turn new or existing web content into those animated word-narration videos you see all over the place. The service normally runs $49 per month, so getting a year free is kind of nuts. No strings attached, for real.
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