At a glance
Expert Rating
Benefits
- Excellent sound
- Powerful and balanced sound
- Optional stereo pair (with second speaker)
- Optional “Outdoor” and “Podcast” modes
- IP67 dustproof and waterproof
- Up to 14 hours of battery life
Our verdict
Not much has changed in the Wonderboom 4, but you get great sound and long battery life in a sleek, compact and durable design that’s perfect for parties and picnics, camping in the woods or trips to the beach, as well as indoors, of course.
Best Price Today: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
$85.99
Since the wonderful Wonderboom 2, Ultimate Ears has made minor but not major updates to this Editors’ Choice Bluetooth speaker. From Wonderboom 2 to Wonderboom 3, the changes were minimal (increased battery life and Bluetooth range), and now the fourth generation gets the slight upgrade we’ve been waiting for.
That makes the Wonderboom 4 a non-essential upgrade, even for owners of the second-generation model, but keeps it at the top of the portable Bluetooth speaker pile.
The compact, waterproof, and durable portable speaker looks and sounds the same, but is improved with a new Podcast mode and the welcome replacement of its fiddly MicroUSB charging port with a newer, easier-to-use USB-C.
Design, construction and colors
The Wonderboom 4 retains its attractive, chunky and colourful design, built with environmentally friendly materials. The centre speaker section is covered with a slightly thick fabric.
It’s small (95.3 x 104 mm) and light (420 g), so you can carry it in a backpack without noticing it, although it’s probably too big to fit in a briefcase or slim laptop bag.
It’s waterproof enough to take in the shower, bath, pool or beach (it even floats), with an IP67 dust and water resistance rating that promises safety submerged in water up to 1m deep for 30 minutes.
According to the manufacturer, it is drop-proof up to 1.5 m. It should still work after such rough treatment, but we assume it wouldn’t be free of a few scratches after a fall.
At the top there is an elastic loop so you can hang the speaker from anything nearby.
Purchased directly from the Ultimate Ears store, it’s available in Active Black, Cobalt Blue, Hyper Pink, and Joyous Bright (a light gray with yellow accents). Depending on the country you’re shopping in, Amazon adds additional color options, such as Spruce Green, Digital Lavender, and a less cheerful gray.
Controls are few and simple. The most obvious are the giant Plus and Minus volume buttons on the front. On top are buttons for Bluetooth, power, and Play/Pause and Skip/Rewind songs. Pairing with your phone or other Bluetooth device is easy.
You need to turn the speaker over to find the bottom button that toggles between Outdoor Boost and Podcast Mode, or back to Standard mode. You can also quickly check the speaker’s battery level using the volume buttons.
Its environmental friendliness is due to its minimum of 31% post-consumer recycled plastic and its sustainable fabric packaging made from 100% recycled polyester. The packaging is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified.
Sound quality and features
Ultimate Ears managed to achieve a natural sound quality with the second generation Wonderboom 2 and kept the same elements on the next version. As far as we can tell, it hasn’t changed the sound of this speaker at all, which is fine with us.
Its two 40 mm active drivers and two 46.1 x 65.2 mm passive radiators provide 360° sound. The maximum volume is 86 dBC in Standard mode and 87 dBC with Outdoor Boost activated. This is enough to fill a medium-sized room, and this extra volume outdoors will be useful in nature, in the park or in your garden. However, you will lose a little bass in Outdoor mode.
The Wonderboom 4 delivers a clear, balanced sound that’s suitable for most genres. There’s enough bass to add depth and warmth without being overpowering, rounded mids and slightly thin highs, but it does enough to get the job done.
Similar speakers tend to lose out on bass, but the Wonderboom 4 retains its bass impressively for such a small device. Perhaps there’s not enough punch for fans of hip-hop or heavy rock, who might prefer the Anker Soundcore Motion 300, which has a BassUp mode.
Outdoor Boost mode reduces bass and increases treble, helping sound travel further in wide outdoor spaces and giving you a welcome second sound option.
The new Podcast EQ mode delivers crisper, clearer vocals, though some users have said it can make an audiobook narrator’s dramatic voice sound rather thin, monotone, and unremarkable.
If you purchase a second Wonderboom (version 3 or 4), you can connect the two to double the volume or create a two-channel stereo pair.
Bluetooth range remains long, up to 40m. There’s no physical wired option to connect, so you’ll need to keep the battery charged to use the Wonderboom 4.
Battery and charging
The Wonderboom 4 can last up to 14 hours on a full charge. Unless you’re a real party animal, that means it should last you until you drop. And it can probably last long enough to keep you going camping for a short while.
Press the Volume Up and Down buttons simultaneously to identify the current battery level.
Thankfully, the Wonderboom 4 now charges via USB-C rather than the pesky MicroUSB. Personally, I’d upgrade from the Wonderboom 3 just to throw another MicroUSB cable in the trash.
Ultimate Ears
Ultimate Ears
Ultimate Ears
Pricing and Availability
The Wonderboom 4 will set you back $99.99/£89.99, which is just under what we consider a budget Bluetooth speaker. There are more affordable models out there, but as always, you get what you pay for.
You can of course pick it up from Amazon and Amazon UK, as well as the usual retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart in the US, or Argos, Currys and John Lewis in the UK.
The Anker Soundcore Motion 300 is $20 cheaper (same price as the Wonderboom 4 in the UK) with a similar sound profile, but lacks the Wonderboom’s rounded charm.
Check out our full ranking of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers we’ve reviewed for more options, including affordable options like the JBL Clip 4 and EarFun Uboom.
Verdict
The Wonderboom 4 is a great, rugged portable Bluetooth speaker with fantastic audio range, long battery life, and simple controls. It’s virtually unchanged from the previous model, but the small changes are welcome.
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