JLab JBuds Mini Earbuds Review

In the realm of true wireless earbuds, size matters. Well, most of the time. In this case, the JLab JBuds Mini (available at Amazon) emerge as a David amongst Goliaths, wielding a blend of portability and performance that defies their diminutive stature. They don’t offer anything in terms of active noise cancellation, and they deliver average battery life at best. But pop these budget buds in your ears for an hour or two, and the big sound they deliver just might surprise you.

About the JLab JBuds Mini

JLab JBuds Mini specs

• Price: $39.95
• Battery life: Up to 5.5 hours of playtime, up to 20 total hours with charging case
• Drivers: Two 6 mm drivers
• Colors: Black, Sage Gray, Aqua Teal, Pink, Mint Green
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
• Water-resistance: IP55
• Ear tips: Small, medium, large
• Weight: Earbuds, 3.3 grams; case, 18.5 grams

JLab claims the JBuds Mini are the brand’s smallest earbuds ever, and the smallest pair of earbuds from “any major headphone brand.” There’s no doubt that these buds are absolutely tiny and, as a direct result, they’re pretty easy on the ears. Slip them in, and their featherlight build and snug fit make them more comfortable than cheap earbuds have any right to be.

While it's true that the JBuds Mini may not quite reach the audio nirvana achieved by their higher-priced competitors, their performance still manages to impress considering their tiny size and budget-friendly nature. These earbuds punch above their weight class, delivering audio that is reasonably clear, balanced, and surprisingly enjoyable. They were a solid match for the genres I most often land in, with tracks like Zac Brown Band’s “Knee Deep,” or Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend,” proving to be the fun, if also incredibly different melodies that I know them to be.

Sure, if you look a little closer, you'll find flaws—a lack of depth in the bass, and some notable distortion at higher volumes. But for those seeking an ultra wallet-friendly option that won't disappoint in the audio department, the JBuds Mini prove to be a worthy contender.

Every hero has its Achilles' heel, though, and for the JBuds Mini, it's the absence of any semblance of noise cancellation. At this price, I wasn’t expecting active noise cancellation. But without any real passive noise cancellation either, in a world filled with distractions, they leave you to fend off the ambient noise on your own. Whether it was at the gym, out on a walk, or trying to block out the chatter of my office, the JBuds Mini let me hear everything, whether I wanted to or not.

Additionally, the JBuds Mini’s battery life, while adequate for casual use, won't win any endurance races, even if their IP55 weather resistance rating gives them the chops to handle such a feat. At a maximum of five and a half hours on their own, they need a recharge for an all-day listening experience.

In addition, the JBuds Mini’s controls were a little too finicky for my tastes. The JLab app (simple, but effective—no complaints here) allows you to assign different commands for the amount of taps on each bud, and you can navigate an admittedly impressive eight controls at once. In practice, though, the JBuds Mini rotated between being not sensitive enough and a touch too sensitive when I was trying to adjust the volume or change tracks on the go.

Should you buy the JLab JBuds Mini?

Maybe, if you want to maximize on miniature size

The JLab JBuds Mini may not boast all the bells and whistles of their larger counterparts, but what they lack in features, they make up for in charm and reliability. Their compact design, comfortable fit, and respectable sound quality make them worthy contenders in the wireless earbud arena. Just be prepared to face the challenges of their non-existent noise cancellation, average battery life, and slightly obtuse controls.

We’ve tackled lots of budget true wireless earbuds, and frankly, there are lots of earbuds that pack far more useful features for a few bucks more. But if there are smaller, more wallet-friendly earbuds out there than the JLab JBuds Mini that actually still sound good, we have yet to find them.

JLab JBuds Mini

The JLab JBuds Mini are a good, inexpensive option for decent sound in an absolutely tiny package.

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