The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 is the most rugged, take-anywhere speaker under $100, combining an IP67 rating with a floating, drop-proof body and omnidirectional 360-degree sound. It's punchy for its size and now charges over USB-C, which makes it a natural companion for a hike, pool or shower. The downsides are that it's only a small step up from the Wonderboom 3 and still lacks app support, but as a grab-and-go durable speaker it's hard to beat.
Full review
360-degree sound with no wrong side
The Wonderboom 4 keeps two drivers and two passive radiators in an omnidirectional layout, so it throws sound evenly in every direction instead of firing forward. SoundGuys describes that as the defining trait, and it makes placement forgiving: put it in the middle of a group and there is no wrong side to sit on. The trade is that it can feel slightly less direct than a front-firing speaker when you are sitting straight in front of it.
For its size the sound is satisfying rather than accurate. TechRadar praised the punchy bass and gave it 4.5 out of 5, Consumer Reports was cooler at 3.5 and called the overall sound acceptable with obvious shortcomings, and SoundGuys landed at 6.5 out of 10. Outdoor Boost lifts the mids and treble for open spaces where bass simply dissipates.
Fourteen hours, and finally USB-C
Ultimate Ears rates it for up to 14 hours and TechRadar's testing backed that up, which is enough for a day on the trail or a weekend of intermittent use. The generational change that matters most is the move to USB-C, which SoundGuys welcomed as overdue, since the micro-USB port on the older Wonderbooms had become the most dated thing about them.
IP67, and it floats
Durability is the whole pitch. SoundGuys confirmed the IP67 dust and water rating carries over and that the speaker is still drop-proof, and it floats, so dropping it in a pool means fishing it off the surface rather than the bottom. At 424 grams it is light, the body is wrapped in tough fabric over a rubber base, and the buttons on top are big enough to work with wet hands. This is the speaker you do not have to look after.
The UE app still does not support it
The biggest knock is how little changed. SoundGuys put it plainly: the Wonderboom 4 does not offer many upgrades over the 3, and the UE app still does not support it, so there is no EQ, no firmware tuning and no custom controls. What comes out of the box is final. It is Bluetooth-only with no aux input and no speakerphone, and the compact drivers cap how loud and full it gets, so anyone hoping to fill a big backyard is better served elsewhere.
Rugged beats loud against the Flip 6
The natural rival is the JBL Flip 6, same IP67 rating and similar money. The Flip 6 goes louder and has clearer vocals; the Wonderboom 4 counters with omnidirectional output, a floating body and a more pocketable shape. Against the smaller picks here it is tougher and fuller-sounding but bigger and dearer. Bluetooth 5.2 reaches 131 feet, a Podcast mode cleans up spoken word, and two units pair for stereo when one is not enough.
Strengths
- +Genuinely durable: IP67 dust- and waterproof rating plus a drop-proof, floating design
- +Omnidirectional 360-degree sound that stays consistent no matter how it's placed
- +Surprisingly punchy bass and Outdoor Boost mode for open spaces
- +Modern USB-C charging finally replaces the old micro-USB port
- +Compact, light and easy to clip or toss in any bag
Watch-outs
- −Only a modest upgrade over the Wonderboom 3
- −Still not supported by the Ultimate Ears companion app, so no EQ
- −Not powerful enough to fill a large room or big backyard
- −Bluetooth-only with no aux input or speakerphone
How it compares
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is the durability champion of this group, matching the JBL Flip 6's IP67 rating but adding a floating, drop-proof design and omnidirectional 360-degree output the Flip 6's forward-firing drivers don't offer. It's more rugged and more pocketable than the Flip 6 but pushes less volume, and like the Sony SRS-XB100 and Anker Soundcore 2 it's aimed at personal and small-group listening rather than filling a space.
Rating sources
“Its simplicity, portability and durability make it a great choice to travel with, backed up by solid battery life and impressive sound quality. For its size and price, the Wonderboom 4 is one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy.”
“The Wonderboom 4 is still a durable, ultra-portable, and convenient speaker for a solo hike or when it's just you and a few friends.”
“Ultimate Ears's Wonderboom 4 had acceptable overall sound quality - this model reproduces music and dialog reasonably well despite the obvious shortcomings in its sound.”
Our 3.8 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
