Turn up the volume, turn down the price
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
There are a lot of portable Bluetooth speakers on the market, but you’d be hard-pressed to find many that sound this good, at this size and price. The Wonderboom doesn’t go on sale very often, so when it does, you have to jump on it.
Most of us have at least one, if not several, portable speakers lying around. Maybe you impulse-bought some small and inexpensive models (we all like a good deal) and are ready for an upgrade. That’s fine, because not all Bluetooth speakers are created equally, and the versatile Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is a prime example of that. It has a fun, compact design, impressive sound for its size, and it’s made to go anywhere, from poolside to the mountains. Right now, you can pick one up at a nice $20 discount.
Why you should buy the UE Wonderboom 3
I’ve owned a few Ultimate Ears speakers over the years, and can confirm that they live up to the hype. You can tell just by the sound effects you hear after powering them on, or putting them into pairing mode, that these are not your average, cheap portable speakers. The audio is warm and full, and it sounds like it should be coming from a much larger device.
What makes the Wonderboom 3 particularly special is the just how durable these cute little units are. The speaker’s IP67 rated, meaning not only is it protected against dirt and dust, but it can also survive submerged in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. This means you can take it to the pool (hell, it even floats), on a long hike in the mountains, or attach it to your bag for a round of disc golf.
Other notable features include support for Google Fast Pair, for quick, effortless setup with your Android devices, and up to 14 hours of battery life. We also like the big playback buttons, and the fact that you can wirelessly pair two speakers together for stereo sound. The one downside? Charging is regretfully via micro-USB, which is nearly impossible to defend in 2022.
Nevertheless, we love the Wonderboom 3, and we think you’ll really enjoy it, too. It would even make for a great last-minute Christmas gift, as at the time of publication, it’s still showing as available to arrive by the 24th.
