JBL Wave100 TWS and JBL Vibe 100TWS Review

This is a design review of the JBL Vibe 100TWS or JBL Wave100 TWS, an entry-level, low-cost earbud with all the essential functions for hands-free calls, music, and voice assistant. It has a battery life of 5 hours and another 15 hours with the charging case.

JBL has a different name for the product in different countries. For example, this is called JBL Vibe 100TWS in the USA, while in Asia, such as India, Malaysia and Singapore, it is called JBL Wave100 TWS.

Pros and Cons

Please note that there will generally be more “disadvantages” or “cons” for mid-to-lower tier items, which gives the buyer a reason to select a higher-end model like the JBL Reflect Flow Pro. However, some buyers only need a simple earbud with all the essential functions without the high cost and additional features.

Highlights of Design Review

Basic Functions

The JBL Wave100 TWS is designed with all the basic call functions and music by using just 4 button commands:

• Single Press: This will either start or pause the music, or if a call comes in, the command will override to answer or hang up the call.
• Long Press (hold): This only works in the call mode, which will mute the microphone. Some may not like the long press if they prefer instant mute in case of urgency. When there is no call, the long press will activate Google Assistant, Siri, or Bixby.
• Double Button Press: This will skip the music to the next track.
• Triple Button Press: This will skill the music to the previous track.

The JBL Wave100 TWS button commands are the same on both sides, so you can wear either earbud while keeping the other inside the casing for charging. The disadvantage is that there is no volume control on the earbud, which we feel should be included as an essential function. 

Simply drop the earbud into the case to power off, or press the earbud buttons for 2 seconds.

Sound and Call Quality

As we are not testing the sound as part of a design review, we believe the sound quality will be at least average if not above average. The bigger 8mm driver than the most 6mm driver, should deliver a stronger bass.

However, the JBL Wave100 TWS earbud does not have any design feature for background noise cancellation or wind noise suppression. We can accept this because it is an entry-level earbud, but not for the lack of a hear-through mode, which we also believe should be included as an essential function.

Needless to say, we are expecting users to complain about the noise. However, it does not affect the primary call function. The earlier generations have been using tonnes of earphones with no noise compensation or cancellation, and business is as usual.

Of course, anyone could always pay more to get a higher-end model with more features, like the JBL Reflect Flow Pro.

Battery Life and Charging

For entry-level earbuds, the JBL Wave100 TWS has a very good 5-hour battery life and a lightweight USB Type-C charging case with another 15 hours. We agree that wireless charging can be omitted at this level. However, they should include faster charging for 1-hour usage.

IP Rating and Weather

The JBL Wave100 TWS has no IP rating, so you should never expose it to water, rain, coffee, or sweat. We do not recommend this earbud if it is used out in the field, even when it is not for sports.

Charging Case

One issue we overlooked in the earlier review was that the charging case design omits the cover or lid. This means the charging case is constantly exposed and open to collect dust on the table. The earbuds might fall off if the charging case is inside the bag.

Review Summary[tie_index]Review Summary[/tie_index]

The JBL Wave100 TWS is a good choice for an affordable wireless earbud with all the basic functions, and buyers need to carefully consider all the tradeoffs before buying.

See JBL Wave100 TWS at JBL.com

Technical Specifications