Picture of the Faylapa EVA hard case for the JBL Charge 3 Bluetooth speaker. Showing the case open, with the speaker inside.

JBL Charge 3 Battery Life

The battery life on the JBL Charge 3 power bank speaker we will discuss here in terms of either how long the speaker will play after a full charge, before going dead again.  Plus, we will talk about how long the battery will last before the battery needs replacement.

Picture of the original JBL Charge 3 box, side 1.
The original JBL Charge 3 box, side 1.

JBL Charge 3 Battery Life Per Charge

How long should the battery last?  The built in lithium ion battery, with its 22 watt-hour capacity, lasts up to twenty (20) hours per full charge.  Note that this may vary, depending on how loud you play the speaker, and the type of program you’re listening to. At lower volumes, you might get more than twenty hours.  And at full volume, you will no doubt experience less.





JBL Charge 3 Battery Life Before Replacement

How Many Full Charges Should the Battery Take ?

The JBL Charge 3 battery should provide approximately 500 charge-discharge cycles before it loses much ability to hold power.  You can get more if you don’t allow the speaker to get too hot.  So don’t leave it in a hot car or out in the sun. Plus, disconnect the power supply right away once it reaches full charge.

Signs of a Bad Battery

The JBL Charge 3 Takes Too Long to Charge

Using the USB cable that comes with the speaker, or a higher current cord, the battery should fully charge in four and a half hours.  It make take longer if your charger adapter provides less than twelve watts (5 volts at 2.3 amps).  But if your cable and charger are hefty enough, and yet the battery takes longer than five hours to fully charge, it may be going bad.

The JBL Charge 3 Doesn’t Play as Long as Expected

You may also notice that your speaker doesn’t play as long as it did before running down from a full charge to a completely dead state.  This is another sign of a battery that is nearing the end of its useful life.

The Speaker Distorts or Shuts Off by Itself at Higher Volumes

When you raise the volume, particularly on music that has lots of bass, you may hear crackling, squeaking, or other distortion.  Or, the speaker may cut out or power down when a deep bass drum thump occurs in the music.  This could mean that the battery, even when fully charged, can no longer provide enough current for the speaker drivers to play these sounds.  Again, this may indicate a need to replace the battery.

The Battery Gauge on the JBL Charge 3 Gives Wrong Readings

The battery indicator may show that the speaker has full, or nearly full charge, as shown next.  But yet, it goes dead within minutes of reading the indicator.  This is a common symptom when lithium ion battery life is declining.

Picture of the battery status gauge showing eighty percent of full charge.
The battery status gauge showing eighty percent of full charge.

How to Get the Most Battery Life on the JBL Charge 3

Work that battery !  That is, charge it fully, and discharge it fully.  The power management system in this speaker seems robust, and so, well protects the battery from over charging or completely draining, as both of these extremes are very hard on these sorts of batteries.

But we recommend that you do not leave the speaker connected to the charger once the battery gauge shows that it is fully charged.  Also, when the battery does run out of power, do not leave it in this deadened state for very long.  We advise that you recharge your speaker as soon as possible, as these batteries hate being dead.  A dead battery for too long often results in a ruined battery.





JBL Charge 3 Battery Life: Conclusion

Replacing the battery in the JBL Charge 3 usually solves the above listed problems.  But if you do decide to take on changing the battery, then replace with a battery only of similar type — preferably the same make and part number as the original.

Finally, you can often avoid ever having to replace the battery due to shortened battery life, by keeping your Charge 3 JBL portable speaker battery charged, but exercised as well. Don’t let the speaker sit around with a dead battery.  This provides the most deep charge-discharge cycles from it in our experience.

Picture of the JBL Charge 3 plugged in and charging.
The JBL Charge 3 plugged in and charging.

Other Posts About the JBL Charge 3

    1. How to Connect JBL Charge 3 to Alexa
    2. How to Restart JBL Charge 3

Related Posts to JBL Charge 3 Battery Life

    1. Sony SRS XP500 Battery Life Explained
    2. JBL Flip 5 Battery Life, How Long the Battery Should Last

References for JBL Charge 3 Battery Life

    1. Official JBL Charge 3 Product Page at JBL.COM

Revision Diary

    • 2022-12-02: Updated links.
    • 2020-08-10: First published.