TechAudioSpeakersBluetooth SpeakersUltimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review: a top-class rugged compact speakerThe best affordable Bluetooth speaker gets better thanks to USB-CWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictOne of the best portable speakers on the market gets even better thanks to USB-C charging. Its pricing, sound quality and durability make it a stunning bit of hardware. It’s also waterproof, giving it versatility come rain or shine.Reasons to buy+Great sound+Finally charges with USB-C+Superb durability (IP67 rated)Reasons to avoid-Very little change from the Wonderboom 3-Not the biggest sound ever, given its sizeWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechAudioSpeakersBluetooth SpeakersUltimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review: a top-class rugged compact speakerThe best affordable Bluetooth speaker gets better thanks to USB-CWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictOne of the best portable speakers on the market gets even better thanks to USB-C charging. Its pricing, sound quality and durability make it a stunning bit of hardware. It’s also waterproof, giving it versatility come rain or shine.Reasons to buy+Great sound+Finally charges with USB-C+Superb durability (IP67 rated)Reasons to avoid-Very little change from the Wonderboom 3-Not the biggest sound ever, given its sizeWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
The best affordable Bluetooth speaker gets better thanks to USB-C
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)T3 VerdictOne of the best portable speakers on the market gets even better thanks to USB-C charging. Its pricing, sound quality and durability make it a stunning bit of hardware. It’s also waterproof, giving it versatility come rain or shine.Reasons to buy+Great sound+Finally charges with USB-C+Superb durability (IP67 rated)Reasons to avoid-Very little change from the Wonderboom 3-Not the biggest sound ever, given its size
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
T3 VerdictOne of the best portable speakers on the market gets even better thanks to USB-C charging. Its pricing, sound quality and durability make it a stunning bit of hardware. It’s also waterproof, giving it versatility come rain or shine.Reasons to buy+Great sound+Finally charges with USB-C+Superb durability (IP67 rated)Reasons to avoid-Very little change from the Wonderboom 3-Not the biggest sound ever, given its size
T3 VerdictOne of the best portable speakers on the market gets even better thanks to USB-C charging. Its pricing, sound quality and durability make it a stunning bit of hardware. It’s also waterproof, giving it versatility come rain or shine.
T3 Verdict
One of the best portable speakers on the market gets even better thanks to USB-C charging. Its pricing, sound quality and durability make it a stunning bit of hardware. It’s also waterproof, giving it versatility come rain or shine.
Reasons to buy+Great sound+Finally charges with USB-C+Superb durability (IP67 rated)Reasons to avoid-Very little change from the Wonderboom 3-Not the biggest sound ever, given its size
Reasons to buy+Great sound+Finally charges with USB-C+Superb durability (IP67 rated)
Great sound
Finally charges with USB-C
Superb durability (IP67 rated)
Reasons to avoid-Very little change from the Wonderboom 3-Not the biggest sound ever, given its size
Very little change from the Wonderboom 3
Not the biggest sound ever, given its size
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
For years, now, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom in its various generations has been a mainstay on lists of thebest Bluetooth speakersout there, regardless of budget – but particularly if you don’t want to break the bank.
TheWonderboom 3arrived in late 2022 with only one major flaw – it still inexplicably used micro-USB charging, something we almost couldn’t believe even then.
Now, though, the Wonderboom 4 is here to take its place, fixing that blip without any price rise to speak of. We’ve been using it for many weeks for this review to check out how this portable little speaker stacks up.
Wonderboom 4: Price & Availability
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The Wonderboom 4 is widely available now, and has basically taken the place of the Wonderboom 3 on many storefronts. This does mean that you’ll want to be careful to order the 4, not the 3 – in some cases it can be a little hard to tell the difference between listings.
This is made harder because the Wonderboom 4 hasn’t raised the price at all, coming in at £89.99 / $99.99 / AU$149. It might be generous to praise the absence of a price rise, but right now we’ve seen many others fail to clear that bar, so we’ll very much take it.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review: Design & Features
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The image above features the Wonderboom 4 in blue and the Wonderboom 3 in pink – and it’s a perfect illustration of how little things have changed on the design front this time out. But if it ain’t broke, don’t fit it, right?
You basically won’t find even tiny differences between the two generations, with both still featuring that largely fabric-covered finish in a range of funky colours. The trademark Ultimate Ears giant ‘plus and minus’ buttons are present and correct – and still just as satisfying to use as ever.
Atop the speaker there’s a power button that also initiates pairing, along with an indicator light that will let you know if the battery starts to run low, and when pairing has started or been successful. Underneath it, meanwhile, there’s a button to turn on its outdoor mode for an EQ change to make for clearer audio.
This lack of change means that the Wonderboom 4 is still as impressively portable as ever, sized perfectly for chucking in a backpack, and small enough that you could credibly pack it for a holiday without compromising your baggage space too much at all. It’s no longer the smallest UE speaker, after the launch of the Mini Roll, but it’s still extremely practical.
That practicality extends to its durability, too, which remains class-leading. AnIP67 weatherproofing ratingmeans it’s safe from both water and dust, to the point where it can take a dunking in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes and still survive (in fact, it floats to make this even more unlikely). This is the sort of peace of mind that you want from a portable speaker of this nature.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Another site of no change is the battery life, which remains at 14 hours, enough to ensure that you don’t have to remember to charge it every time you use it. This brings us to the single upgrade that makes the Wonderboom 4 such a winner – USB-C charging. Now that UE has finally added it, you’re one device closer to being able to ditch flimsy micro-USB cables forever (if you even still have any knocking about).
A final returning feature is the ability to pair two Wonderbooms (including cross-generational pairs) to offer stereo sound, which is great if two people happen to have one, or if you want to add a Wonderboom 4 without selling on your Wonderboom 3. The perfect upgrade, really!
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review: Sound & Performance
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
That’s a good thing, to be clear, and it ensures that there are no hoops to jump through to get your music coming out loud and clear. That music will sound really nice, too – we ran the gamut of genres without finding any that showed it up.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Ultimate Paintingsmellow guitars and chilled-out vocals sounded natural at all but the highest of volumes, although the Wonderboom 4 was probably more at home with the likes ofThe Joy Formidable’s crashing riffs and banging drums (we’ve been feeling nostalgic recently).
As mentioned, at higher volumes it can strain slightly in terms of fidelity, with a tiny bit of graininess entering the equation, but we think those are heights that few people will use often, and at normal volumes it’s exemplary. It can also get impressively quiet, which we really value – a great speaker can be used in a range of ways, not just to drown out any other noise.
With that sound being 360-degree, you don’t have to worry about positioning the speaker carefully, and the aforementioned durability makes that even easier. Whether it’s raining or beaming down with sun, the Wonderboom 4 won’t be something you need to think about. And 40 metres of Bluetooth range (provided you don’t stick multiple walls in that range) means that it can also be left at a distance.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review: Verdict
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
For the money you get great sound, some welcome features, and extremely impressive durability to make for a speaker you don’t have to handle with deep care. That addition of that USB-C charging makes it genuinely practical on every level at last, so there’s now no reason to opt for the older version unless you see it steeply discounted.
Also consider
If you like the cut of Ultimate Ears' jib but want an even smaller speaker to stick in a backpack or even pocket, the new Mini Roll might be of interest. It’s noticeably less powerful, but also cheaper and impressively tiny.
Alternatively, if you have a bit more budget and want the best sound you can get at a similar scale, theBang & Olufsen Beosound A1 V2tops our list of the best Bluetooth speakers for a reason. It’s compact but doesn’t compromise on sound, so its music sounds incredibly sweet through B&O’s impressive drivers.
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Today’s best Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4, Ultimate Ears Mini Roll and Bang Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) dealsUltimate Ears Wonderboom 4$99.99ViewSee all pricesBang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen)$179.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4, Ultimate Ears Mini Roll and Bang Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) dealsUltimate Ears Wonderboom 4$99.99ViewSee all pricesBang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen)$179.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4, Ultimate Ears Mini Roll and Bang Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) deals
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4$99.99ViewSee all pricesBang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen)$179.99ViewSee all prices
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4$99.99ViewSee all prices
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4$99.99ViewSee all prices
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
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Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen)$179.99ViewSee all prices
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen)$179.99ViewSee all prices
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen)
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen)
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