JBL Link 20 review

$200 gets you a fantastic speaker that can replace your Google Home, control your other gadgets, and sound great thanks to WiFi streaming instead of lossy Bluetooth, and it regularly goes on sale for a little less than that, making it an even better deal. At this price, though, USB C would’ve been nice, and a carrying case like what JBL puts in the box for their Bluetooth speakers would’ve helped.

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I never thought I'd be saying this, but I think I'd rather have the Link 20 than the One or a HomePod. It's a question of convenience, since sharp sound and automatic room-tuning functions are all well and good, but hardly matter if you can't play what you want when you want. Apple and Sonos' speakers are Wi-Fi-only, and not meant to be portable either, whereas you can listen to the Link at work, by the pool, or in the shower.

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The JBL Link 20 is simply the cheapest, most versatile Bluetooth speaker with Google Assistant built-in. It might not outperform larger rivals for sound quality, but its blend of sound quality, smart assistant convenience and sensible design are hugely appealing all the same.

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The JBL Link series provides some formidable competition for its third-party Alexa-endowed counterparts, and even gives the Google Home series itself a bit of a run for its money.

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JBL delivered really compelling Google Home alternatives with the Link series. The "smart" experience is similar so buyers can either mix and match with their existing Google Home setup or get started with only the Links in their house.

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Arguably the best voice-enabled portable speaker for the money currently. With there being so little competition in this category, that's not saying a lot -- but it's an achievement nonetheless.

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With the Link 10 and 20 JBL leverage their strength in the portable speaker space to deliver a product that sounds great and pushes the smart speaker category forward as a whole - even if it trips up on some of the finer details of that push.

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If you’re in need of a Google Assistant speaker with portability then both the Link 10 and Link 20 are worth looking at. The Link 20 will give you better battery life but the Link 10 is super portable. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of these.

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Those loyal to Alexa should stay with Amazon’s digital assistant, but people just getting into connected devices who are also seeking premium sound can pick up the JBL Link 20 and never look back.

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Battery life is decent and you can turn it as a stationary Google Home 24/7 if you keep it plugged in. Audio quality is on point even thought I could use a bit more bass in some of my tunes.

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