UE Wonderboom 2 - Best compact outdoor speaker?

We all love to enjoy our free time with friends and family out in the open.

Music makes this experience even more exciting and memorable.

The brand Ultimate Ears made a serious Bluetooth speaker that is not too expensive and can be an ideal companion for a trip to the beach.

We already reviewed the first generation of the UE Wonderboom, which turned out to be a pretty decent portable speaker.

In this article, we will make a detailed review of the new Wonderboom 2 which we think can satisfy most of your audio needs when you don’t have access to your home sound system.

Bluetooth range

Battery life

Water protection

Pros

Cons

Bottom line

UE

Wonderboom 2

Check Price

Bluetooth range:

100ft

Battery life:

3-13 hours

Water protection:

IPX7 certification
It is completely waterproof, it can be submerged into 1-meter-deep water

Pros:

360 degrees high-quality bassy sound
You can pair 2 speakers easily for stereo listening
Compact and durable design

Cons:

Dated Micro-USB charging socket
No auxiliary input port
No battery status indicator

Bottom line:

If you want a compact sturdy outdoor speaker then the Wonderboom 2 is an excellent choice.

The Box, Accessories

UE Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth speaker comes in 5 color options: blue, grey, black, pink, and red.

This time we reviewed the red version which is a really nice striking color, a great match for this sporty, little outdoor speaker.

Besides the speaker, you can find only a micro-USB charging cable in the Box.

Just as the former model the Wonderboom is portable, and light (104 mm tall, 95.3 mm diameter) – it weighs around 420 grams (14.8 oz).

It makes the speaker a good fit for any outdoor activity.

Click here to check the updated price of the UE Wonderboom 2 or to buy the speaker

The Design

The speaker got a pretty sleek design, wrapped into a nice mesh fabric material with two large volume control buttons on the front.

On top of the Wonderboom, there is a button to power it on/off and to pair it to a device via Bluetooth.

At the center of the speaker, you can find the button for pause, play, and skipping songs forward.

Unfortunately, you can’t jump back to the previous song.

Water Protection

The Wonderboom 2 was built to withstand the elements.

It’s very rugged and durable – dustproof and drop-proof.

It’s drop-tested from 5 ft / 1.5 m.

In addition, it is also waterproof – you won’t have to worry about falling it into the water if you’re on a boat, or on a beach, and also, you won’t have to worry about rain if you’re hiking or camping somewhere in nature.

Another great thing what we like about it that it can float on water, so you can use it in your pool or even while you are in the shower.

Connectivity, Bluetooth range

At the bottom of the speaker, there is a water-resistant flap.

Underneath, you can find the Micro-USB charging port of the speaker.

This can be a con for many people since nowadays the newer USB Type-C charging port is the standard for most devices.

Unfortunately, you cannot connect the speaker via an audio cable since it does not sport an auxiliary input port.

Although, it is not a surprise since this was the case with the first generation of the Wonderboom.

If you have two of these speakers, you can pair them together and use them for real stereo experience (left and right channel), unlike the previous model that would give you two mono speakers.

Bluetooth signal has a decent 100 ft (30 m) range, which works perfectly fine and will play without any problems even through thick concrete walls.

Battery Life

According to the manufacturer, the batteries (when fully charged) can give you up to 13 hours of uninterrupted sound.

For comparison, the official battery life of the former model was 10 hours, so we can see here some improvements.

However, it is worth mentioning that you can reach these official numbers only at low volume levels, in a normal usage you can expect rather around 3-8 hours of playtime.

Outdoor mode

There is an almost hidden, funny tree-shaped button at the bottom of the speaker which is intended to turn on a so-called outdoor mode.

This mode turns the volume up and turns on an equalizer suited for outside listening – making the sound louder and crisper.

We advise you not to use this mode indoors because it will deteriorate the sound quality, however, this mode can come handy when there's a crowd of people around you at the party in your garden.

This is a new feature of the Wonderboom 2, which was not available by the former model.

This clearly shows that Ultimate Ears intended this speaker for outdoor usage.

Sound Test

In terms of sound quality, the Wonderboom 2 is a pretty solid option in the compact speaker category.

Its sound is satisfyingly thick, with good low ends and punchy bass.

It boasts 360 degrees audio thanks to its two drivers and passive radiators firing into different directions.

Also, the highs and mids of the speakers are clear and powerful enough.

The first generation of the Wonderboom had a similar sound characteristic, however, it had one fault that the bass could become uncontrolled and overpowered.

Fortunately, this issue has been solved by the Wonderboom 2 and now it has a much balanced overall sound.