Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

Improved audio ; Extended battery life ; Resilient build quality ; More sustainable design ; Same price as before

Lack of USB-C charging ; No stereo pairing with older models

A few tweaks rather than massive changes would appear to make the Wonderboom 3 a safe update, but the audio is the best it’s been, enough to cement its position as one of the smarter budget portable speaker buys.

Cohesive, enjoyable presentation ; More dynamic, detailed sound ; Excellent portable, waterproof design ; Easy to use

Still uses outdated micro USB ; Newer rivals have more nuanced, engaging sound

Wonderboom 3 remains a crowd-pleasing, wallet-friendly portable Bluetooth speaker, but its performance is overshadowed by stronger rivals

Impressive sound ; Outdoor mode ; 14 hours of battery

Lacks more advanced features ; Uses Micro-USB for charging, not USB-C

If you want a portable speaker with big sound but you don’t want to spend loads of money then the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is probably your best bet. It comes in a few cool colours, it’s fully waterproof and you can pair it with others to create even...

Sound is superb ; Stereo pairing is great ; Even better battery life ; So durable

Still uses Micro USB ; No major upgrades compared to last model

The Wonderboom 3 is, like the two speakers before it, a great compact option that does brilliantly in the elements. For the first time, its use of Micro USB is genuinely off-putting but, apart from that, it's a shoo-in as one of the very best portable...

Excellent durability Light and portable Balanced, 360-degree sound Affordable price point

Somewhat lacking in bass Not as slim as other competitors Some minor connectivity issues

“The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 makes only marginal improvements over its predecessor, but still retains all the things we love.”

Balanced audio at moderate volumes ; Outdoor audio mode enhances higher frequencies ; Fully waterproof and dustproof design

Distorts on deep bass at high volumes ; No speakerphone ; Limited onboard controls ; Lacks a companion app

The outdoor-friendly Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 speaker has a cool design and produces stereo sound, but you don't get many extra features and its drivers sometimes struggle to handle deep bass.

Compact and portable ; Quite a big sound for the size ; All controls are located on the unit ; Can be paired to another unit ; Rated IP67

microUSB ; Not much of an upgrade from the previous generation

A good, portable speaker for all kinds of occasions when portability and durability are important