With portable Bluetooth speakers flooding the market these days, it can be difficult to figure out which one is worth your hard-earned money.
In this article, we’ll delve into all the features speakers offer these days, and what we love about the UE Wonderboom. As you read, think about what is most important for you in this new purchase. Do you need it to be durable and waterproof or have stellar sound? Do you need it to be portable and packable or have more features? Does brand name and warranty mean a lot to you? Last but not least, how much are you willing to spend on your Bluetooth speaker? So, think about these things, and without further ado, let’s dive into our UE Wonderboom Review.
Features & Benefits
All Around Sound
You’re obviously looking into a portable speaker to experience music more often. Ultimate Ears, or UE for short, understands that. They created the UE Wonderboom to be a 360* speaker, projecting music to every corner of the room. So, your party can be had all through the house because of the larger listening range. This has also given the speaker a unique, round, almost can-like shape. This design both provides great sound, and also a cute design to compliment your room or campsite.
Waterproof
Adventures are simply better with good music to accompany them. But, adventure often means water. So, the UE Wonderboom can be submerged under water at one meter for up to thirty minutes and still work flawlessly. Not many speakers on the market these days can claim that. You should feel totally comfortable bringing this on your next rafting trip or even using it as a toy in your kids' bath. The solid bass might add a fun element to the water too, don't you think? It also will float, so you don’t have to worry about dropping it to the bottom of the pool or river. Another joy of the waterproofing is that if it gets dirty, you can just rinse it off. So, don’t ever short yourself a trek into the wilderness simply because you’d have to leave your music behind.
Battery Life
Hassle free listening is essential when it comes to portable speakers these days. But, with smaller devices, you run the risk of small battery life. The UE Wonderboom boasts a ten-hour battery life to keep you going. This is about average for speakers these days, but impressive for the small size and weight of it. But, the USB charger included in the case allows easy charging at home, work, or in the car. Another feature of this is that if you hold down both volume buttons, it will play a tone letting you know how much battery life is left. While some find this a cute, fun feature, there are others that with it would give a percentage or a light signal when it got low. Regardless, the battery life is simply another reason how the UE Wonderboom keeps you grooving.
Linking & Syncing
We all have those times when we just need more. Throwing a get together and need music in more than one place? You can link two of the UE Wonderbooms and sync them. This will provide perfectly harmonious music throughout your house. This could also be used to jam together driving down the highway, as long as you’re within one hundred feet of each other! The one downside to this feature is that the UE Wonderboom only syncs with other UE Wonderbooms. Other Ultimate Ears products don’t sync up with it.
Durable & Portable
The UE Wonderboom understands that it will be used rock climbing, camping, traveling, and so many places they haven’t been yet. So, Ultimate Ears made an incredibly durable product. It is solid and considered drop proof at five feet. They’ve also engineered a hanging loop on top of this portable Bluetooth speaker. So, you can easily clip it to your backpack, harness, or belt to never lose track of your music. These are unique features to the UE Wonderboom that you will have trouble duplicating in any other speaker these days.
Bluetooth Capabilities
We are long past the days of needing to plug our auxiliary cord into the speaker in order to play our music seamlessly. The UE Wonderboom is Bluetooth enabled up to one hundred feet. So, you can waltz around your house, campsite, or pool while still having an uninterrupted sound experience. That being said, there is no auxiliary port if you were hoping to use this device with non-Bluetooth enabled devices. So, a few of us will find that as a downside to the UE Wonderboom.
Warranty
It takes time and research to find companies that still stand behind their product. If a company can’t back up their product with a warranty, do you really trust they make a solid product? This is why UE backs their UE Wonderboom with a two-year hardware warranty. So, if you're having issues with nuts and bolt, the speaker sound, or charging, they will repair it or send you a new one. UE wants you to love their speaker, and they're willing to back their product. These are both things I personally appreciate about Ultimate Ears.
Compact Body, Big Sound
The UE Wonderboom feels solid for its size. Weighing in just under a pound, it packs a surprising amount of punch. The volume can get louder than most other speakers this size, allowing for a little more fun and freedom. Audiophiles know that the UE Wonderboom isn’t made for them, though. The speaker can lose clarity in the highs and lows, as well as have some muddled bass at times. But, for your background music on adventures, the UE Wonderboom is a perfect little speaker for that.
What travelers are saying about the UE Wonderboom
With solid reviews from top sites, the adventurers love the UE Wonderboom well. CNET gave it 4/5 stars, and 8.3 out of 10 overall. Soundguys rated a little lower overall at 7.1 out of 10. It ranked lowest in the sound quality, bass, and design departments. Reviewers recommend this for a solid shower or pool speaker. People vary on if they like the sound quality, but if you aren’t too particular about your music, it will impress you without a hassle. Everyone who has purchased the UE Wonderboom also appreciates the price point. With so many speakers just starting at $100, often getting into the multiple hundred dollars range, the UE Wonderboom sits happily around the $60 dollar mark.
Travelers are hoping that the UE Wonderboom will last among their many adventures. But, if you know you tend to be extra hard on your gadgets, settling for a speaker at a lower price point may be a better option. That way it will be more easily replaceable if you think you would drop it from high places. So, let’s look a few other speakers.
Alternative Bluetooth Speakers
JBL Clip 2
The JBL Clip 2 is simply another company’s similar portable, waterproof, budget speaker. Complete with a carabineer attachment as well, it will provide decent sound wherever you go. Many people appreciate that the JBL Clip 2 does have an auxiliary port, so you can plug your phone or computer in if you can’t use Bluetooth.
Oontz Angle 3
The Oontz Angle 3 speaker will keep your money in your wallet to use on your adventures, rather than accessories. Cutting out many features, this speaker still keeps the essentials for a small adventure speaker. It is waterproof, and incredibly lightweight, coming in at nine ounces. It can connect both through Bluetooth or an auxiliary cable. For a speaker that is only $24.99, this speaker is unbeatable for the bargain.
Bose Soundlink Resolve
Bose is well known for providing exceptional sound with sleek, modern speakers. The Bose Soundlink Revolve is perfectly in line with that mission. It has 360* sound to provide you with stellar sound in all the corners of your house. In addition, it also has the handy carrying handle. There are also more fun features in this speaker, such as connecting it with Google to ask it questions, like Siri. The speaker is well made with an aluminum body and waterproof exterior. This will give you peace of mind on your travels. The battery life also comes in impressively at twelve hours when played at max volume. For all these nicer features, it will come at a higher price. But, many people find it is worth it.
There are an overwhelming amount of options for portable, durable, and waterproof speakers these days, but the UE Wonderboom doesn’t disappoint.
If you’ve been searching for a decent quality speaker that doesn’t break the bank, the UE Wonderboom will be a great choice. While it is missing a few features, like an auxiliary cord input, it makes up for it in durability and waterproofing. It is well loved for its consistency and linking ability. So, go ahead and grab one so your next adventure can have a soundtrack.
Related Article: 10 Best Bluetooth Speakers Money Can Buy | Review – trekbible
