If you’re like me, you listen to music or a podcast while taking a shower. Sure, modern smartphones are IP-rated to handle such conditions, but hearing horror stories about destroyed electronics still makes me want a buffer between my phone and running water.
A waterproof Bluetooth speaker like the UE Wonderboom 4 is exactly the kind of buffer I prefer. For Amazon Prime Day, it’s on sale for $66 (34% off). Only the black and blue versions are 34% off, but you can get the gray or pink ones for $70, or 30% off.
The coolest part about this speaker is that it floats. That means you can take it to the pool, drop it in (accidentally or on purpose) and it’ll float on top of the water. It has an IP67 rating, which means it can handle being submerged in up to three feet of water for 30 minutes. Since it floats, it’ll rarely ever reach those depths. The dust resistance means it’ll handle larger particles like dirt and sand without notable issue. In short, there are few Bluetooth speakers on the market suited for a beach trip like the Wonderboom 4.
UE designs these things with 360-degree sound, so you don’t need to worry about directionality like some other Bluetooth speakers. They’re also small enough to carry in one hand, making them easy to carry along on hikes or camping trips.
The UE Wonderboom is small enough to hold in one hand, making it easy to bring it with you.
Other than that, what you see is what you get. It delivers 10W of power, which is enough for background music while hanging out at the beach or listening to jazz at the pool. You’ll want a larger Bluetooth speaker if you need your tunes to fill large areas. The speaker also comes with a Podcast Mode, which increases bumps up the frequency response where vocals typically are, making voices sound louder and fuller.
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The UE Wonderboom 4 is great for its use case, which is carrying it around and listening to music around water. That said, it’s a pretty small speaker, and small speakers don’t have the biggest output. If you’re in search of something louder with a little more audiophilia baked in, we recommend checking out the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers as tested by CNET.
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Not a bad value for under $100
The Wonderboom 4 is a good value when it goes on sale like this. For under $70, you can get something you can take with you almost anywhere. The fact that it floats means it was tailor-made for watery environments, which is another thing not every Bluetooth speaker boasts. Though it’s not the lowest price we’ve ever seen, who wants to wait for Black Friday, which is four months away? Beach season is right now.