JBL JBLVBUDSBEGAM

Fantastic bass and battery life trapped in a case that wants to lose your earbuds. Buy them for the sound, but keep a Tile tracker handy.

The sound is the star of the show, and it's exactly what you'd expect from JBL. The 8mm drivers deliver a warm, bass-forward profile that makes pop and hip-hop tracks thump in a way most budget earbuds can't match. What surprised us most was the Smart Ambient tech. At this price, transparency modes usually sound like listening through a tin can, but the Vibe Buds let in outside noise naturally enough that you won't need to yank them out for a quick chat. The mic quality for calls, though, is a real letdown. It lands in the 14th percentile of our database, so your voice will sound compressed and distant to whoever's on the other end. Don't buy these for work calls.

The Vibe Buds sit in a weird spot. The Soundcore P31i gives you a more secure fit and a proper closed case for less money, but you'll sacrifice that JBL bass thump. If you can stretch your budget, the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are in a different league for call quality and overall polish, though they cost significantly more. The Sony WF-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra are the noise-canceling kings, but they're overkill if you just want a gym buddy that sounds good. For pure bass enjoyment under $100, the JBLs hold their own.

At $100, the Vibe Buds are a solid deal if your priority is fun sound and battery life. You're getting features like a usable ambient mode and an IP54 rating that usually cost more. Just know that you're trading build quality and call performance for that bass. If you can find them on sale, they're an even easier recommendation.

The JBL Vibe Buds are a classic case of getting the big things right while fumbling the small stuff. For around $100, you get a genuinely fun sound signature with that punchy JBL Deep Bass, surprisingly good ambient awareness features, and battery life that'll easily get you through a work week. But that open-top charging case is a baffling design choice that owners keep complaining about, and it's the one thing you need to know before buying. If you can live with a case that doubles as a pocket lint collector and a potential earbud escape hatch, there's a lot to like here.

If you take a lot of calls or need earbuds that disappear in your ears, these aren't it. The mic quality is bottom-tier and the bulky housing won't fit smaller ears well. Go grab a pair of Soundcore P31i buds instead for a more secure, pocket-friendly design that handles calls better.

The JBL Vibe Buds are a great pick for bass lovers who want long battery life and don't plan on making many calls. The open case is a genuine annoyance that you'll either learn to live with or hate, so check your pocket lint tolerance before buying. If you can accept that one glaring flaw, the sound and features you get for the price are hard to beat.