Low-cost reliable
Great sound
The UE Wonderboom is UE's most compact Bluetooth speaker. There are tons of fun colors to choose from, it's very affordable at $60, offers great sound for the price, and it even floats!
Pros
- UE is a trusted brand in Bluetooth speakers
- Great value at $60
- 10-hour battery life
- 100-foot Bluetooth range
- Fun color options
Cons
- Bass is lacking
- Buttons are a little hard to push
Bose has nearly perfected Bluetooth audio, and the SoundLink Micro carries on the brand's tradition of premium-quality audio. If you're looking for warm bass in a small package, look no further.
Pros
- Excellent bass for its size
- One of the most trusted brands in speakers
- Can connect to two devices simultaneously
- Full control with Bose Connect app
Cons
- 6-hour battery life
- 30-foot Bluetooth range
The UE Wonderboom is UE's smallest portable Bluetooth speaker and is for anyone who's looking for something affordable, good-sounding, and a speaker to match every style.
The Bose SoundLink Micro is Bose's smallest portable speaker, and it boasts excellent sound for its size. It's for anyone with discerning audio tastes who still wants something portable and water-resistant.
The breakdown
For all intents and purposes, the UE Wonderboom and Bose SoundLink Micro are very similar. They're both water-resistant to allow for submersion in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes, and they're both ruggedly made to withstand any travel, outdoor activity, or party.
Where they truly differ is in sound quality, price, and battery life. The Bose SoundLink Micro has a warmer, deeper bass and is altogether a little better balanced. It's also, on average, $30 more than the UE Wonderboom, but it's 6-hour battery life is just over half that of the Wonderboom.
| UE Wonderboom | Bose SoundLink Micro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $60 - $70 | $100 |
| Battery life | 10 hours | 6 hours |
| Size | 4" x 3.6" | 3.9" x 3.9" |
| Weight | 14 ounces | 10 ounces |
| Bluetooth range | 100 feet | 30 feet |
| Charge type | Micro-USB | Micro-USB |
For most people, the UE Wonderboom is the better option. While it may not boast the excellent sound quality of the Bose SoundLink Micro, it still holds its own just fine. If the SoundLink Micro is a 10 in sound quality, the Wonderboom is a 7 for the discerning and a solid 8 for everyone else.
Though the SoundLink Micro has impeccable bass for its size and full control through the Bose Connect app, its short, 30-foot Bluetooth range and 6-hour battery life are weak for the price. There are also only three fairly basic colors to choose from, while there are tons of color options for the Wonderboom.
If you want to play all day, even pair up two speakers, and want to be able to control your music from further away, then the UE Wonderboom is the one to go with. At $60 to start, it's an excellent value.
360-degree sound
The UE Wonderboom is affordable, offers great sound, and lasts all day long.
The UE Wonderboom is by no means a slouch in audio quality, and offers great features for its price, like the ability to pair two for even bigger sound, as well as it's huge Bluetooth range. If you're looking for an everywhere, all the time speaker, this is it.
Unparalleled bass
For audiophiles who still want something portable and water-resistant.
If you're a stickler for audio quality, don't mind paying a little extra from great sound, and can live with a relatively short battery life and Bluetooth range, then the Bose SoundLink Micro is the way to go. It's sound more than makes up for any of its shortcomings.
Mick Symons
Mick is the Duty Editor for Mobile Nations and fancies himself a musician and comedian. Keep dreaming, Mick.