Neither JBL Charge 4 nor UE Boom 2 were recommended by experts this month
On 2 Apr 2024 (17 days ago) we went through 115 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither JBL Charge 4 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 JBL Charge 5 or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, JBL Charge 5 received 6 endorsements this month, from What Hi-Fi (18 Mar 2024), SoundGuys (9 Feb 2024) TechRadar (4 Mar 2024) and 3 others.
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics | TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive | Digital Trends |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $180 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 | - |
12 | 2 | - | 15 |
N/A | N/A | $105 | JBL Charge 4 The JBL Charge 4 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with impressive sound quality, water-resistant design, long battery life, and exceptional Bluetooth connectivity, making it ideal for outdoor activities. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $190 | UE Boom 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Customers like JBL Charge 4 noticeably more
At ReviewFinder we prefer to focus on professional product reviews, because customer reviews can be disproportionately affected by unrelated factors such as delivery, specific seller listing problems, and, of course, fake reviews. With that said, below is the summary of consumer sentiment.
UE Boom 2
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
JBL Charge 4, the cheaper option, tends to get more favorable reviews than UE Boom 2.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling bluetooth speaker receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). Both JBL Charge 4 and UE Boom 2 receive customer reviews that average out above that median threshold.
JBL Charge 4 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
|
UE Boom 2 |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
Median best-selling Bluetooth Speaker |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
JBL Charge 4 is more popular than UE Boom 2
It's fairly safe to say that JBL Charge 4 is a more popular bluetooth speaker than UE Boom 2, based on its 50,000+ reviews. Popularity is determined based on product sales. Note that older and cheaper products tend to sell more.
To consider
Table: Top compared alternatives for JBL Charge 4 and UE Boom 2 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
JBL Flip 6 | $100 |
In comparison:
9.6 Amazing
| 3 expert recommendations | Cheaper | |
Anker Soundcore Motion Boom | $100 |
In comparison:
Anker Soundcore Motion Boom ranks #11 out of 189. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 10.0 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper | |
UE Boom 3 | $97 |
In comparison:
8.9 Great
| 2 expert recommendations | Cheaper | |
JBL Flip 4 | $75 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper More Popular |
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics | TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive | Digital Trends |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $180 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 | - | 12 | 2 | - | 15 |
2 | - | $433 | Sonos Move 2 | - | 2 | - | - | 10 | - |
5 | - | 5 | 4 |
3 | - | $176 |
Sonos Roam The Sonos Roam is a highly versatile and durable portable speaker that delivers excellent sound quality, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, voice assistant integration, and unique features such as Automatic TruePlay and wireless charging. | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 11 | 10 | - | 3 |
4 | - | $60 | Tribit StormBox Micro 2 The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is a durable and waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker with powerful sound, long battery life, and versatile connectivity options. | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 9 | - | 8 |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [22]
- with a score: 9
- without a score: 13
Highest score by What Hi-Fi | 100 |
Average score based on 22 reviews | 94 |
Lowest score by PCMag | 80 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- WIRELESS BLUETOOTH STREAMING: Wirelessly connect up to 2 smartphones or tablets to the speaker and take turns enjoying powerful sound.
- UP TO 20 HOURS OF PLAYTIME: Built-in rechargeable Li-ion 7500mAH battery supports up to 20 hours of playtime and charges your device via USB port
- 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!
JBL Charge 4 is a very popular option in the middle of the bluetooth speakers price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as House of Marley Get Together or Ultimate Ears Blast .
JBL Charge 4 was released in 2018. There are quite a few newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
JBL Charge 4 is $27.04 cheaper than the average bluetooth speaker ($131.99).
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 $66.01 more expensive than an average bluetooth speaker ($131.99).