Neither JBL Charge 3 nor UE Boom 2 were recommended by experts this month
On 2 Apr 2024 (24 days ago) we went through 115 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither JBL Charge 3 nor UE Boom 2 were included in any of those recommendations. Since neither Bluetooth Speaker received a single endorsement, as far as expert recommendations go, it's technically a tie. We do, however, recommend taking a look at Sonos Roam or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, Sonos Roam received 4 endorsements this month, from TechRadar (4 Mar 2024), Tom's Guide (26 Mar 2024) WIRED (18 Feb 2024) and 1 other.
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics | TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive | Digital Trends |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | - | $176 | Sonos Roam A great speaker that can be taken anywhere | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 11 | 10 | - | 3 |
N/A | N/A | Check price | JBL Charge 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $190 | UE Boom 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics |
TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive | Digital Trends |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | - | $176 | Sonos Roam A great speaker that can be taken anywhere | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 11 | 10 | - | 3 |
4 | - | $48 | Tribit StormBox Micro 2 | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 9 | - | 8 |
5 | - | Check price | Jbl Boombox 3 | - | - | 7 | - | - | 1 | 9 | - | - | - |
6 | - | $68 | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 | - | 5 | - | - | - | 4 | 8 | - | - |
6 |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [16]
- with a score: 11
- without a score: 5
Highest score by What Hi-Fi | 100 |
Average score based on 16 reviews | 86 |
Lowest score by The Master Switch | 64 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90-day warranty, and may arrive in a generic box. Only select sellers who maintain a high performance bar may offer Certified Refurbished products on Amazon.com
- Read more
- ULTIMATE SOUND: Super portable wireless Bluetooth speaker with 360° bold, immersive, crystal clear sound and up to 15 hours of battery on a single charge. It brings your music to life wherever you take it.
- Read more
Speakers range from not being able to handle even a drop of water to being able to be fully submerged in water for several minutes. Do you plan to take your speaker outside? To the beach? To the pool? In the shower? Then you definitely need to verify the level of water resistance before purchasing. You can tell the water resistance by the IP rating—the higher the rating, the more resistant the speaker is to the elements. For reference, the first digit refers to dust protection and the second digit refers to water protection. It reads as: IP68. Anything higher than IP66 will be dust- and splash-proof, meaning it can handle some contact with water, but cannot be fully submerged or soaked.
Battery life for Bluetooth speakers is measured in milliampere hours (mAh). Manufacturers will report the battery life of a speaker in the average number of hours it takes to empty from a full charge. Keep in mind this number is based on medium levels of usage. If you play the speaker on full volume, it will drain the battery faster. Some specialty features like using the speaker to charge your phone or casting an LED light show will also drain the battery faster. The manufacturer reported number is just an estimate, and may be slightly different based on your usage.
It’s also important to consider is the type of battery. Rechargeable lithium-ion (LI-ion) batters are ideal, but some speakers only take standard or rechargeable AA/AAA/C/D batteries. You may even find Bluetooth speakers that recharge via solar power—great for outdoor use!
UE Boom 2 is a popular and one of the more expensive options. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Soundcore Rave Party 2 or Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd gen) .
UE Boom 2 was released in 2018. There are a lot of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
UE Boom 2 is $73.01 more expensive than an average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).