Short answer: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker if sound quality matters most, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 if price matters most. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #79 of 175 medium speakers, rated 3.4/5, at $297.77. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 ranks #109, rated 2.9/5, at $73.49, $224.28 cheaper.
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is the better-sounding option. Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 lacks. It links with other speakers (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2), which the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 cannot. It has an adjustable EQ, which the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 lacks. The tradeoff: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is the lighter, tougher option. At 0.9 lbs (420 g) it weighs much less than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg). It is rated IP67 against IPX4 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. The catch: Bass isn’t as deep as the top-ranked speakers and is a little thuddy.
Buy the Bose Portable Smart Speaker if sound quality is the priority over the price, or the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 if the price is the priority over sound quality.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Portable Smart Speaker | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $297.77 | $73.49 |
| Ranked | #79 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #109 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | Yes |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) | 0.9 lbs (420 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) | 4.1” x 3.8” (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| App | Yes (Bose Music) | No |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) | No |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | - |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) | No |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (built-in loop) |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn | - |
| Maximum SPL | - | 87dB (Manufacturer specified) |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Bose Portable Smart Speaker:
- EarFun Uboom L vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Minirig 4 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Minirig 3 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
- Minirig 2 vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker
Prices on this page were last checked October 14, 2026 at 2:38 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $297.77 Amazon $297.77 Lowest Bose $399.00 eBay
Pros: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| Released | Sep 2019 (7 years ago) |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| TWS | No |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Beats Pill 2024
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs JBL Flip 5
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs JBL Flip Essential 2
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Sony ULT Field 3
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Bose Soundlink Mini
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Klipsch Nashville
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs Bose Soundlink Mini 2
- Bose Portable Smart Speaker vs JBL Flip Essential
- See all 70 comparisons
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4: $73.49 Amazon $73.49 eBay
Older models: the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 (ranked lower, rated 2.9/5), the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 (ranked lower, rated 2.9/5) and the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom (ranked lower, rated 2.9/5). See every Ultimate Ears Wonderboom, Boom and Megaboom generation.
Same family: the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 (larger model, ranked lower, rated 2.9/5) and the Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 (larger model, ranked lower, rated 2.1/5).
Pros: Small size.
Cons: Bass isn’t as deep as the top-ranked speakers and is a little thuddy. Not much improvement over the previous Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 besides the USB-C charging port.
Full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 review and specifications →
| Released | Jun 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4.1” x 3.8” (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 87dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs (420 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs LG Xboom Grab
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Soundcore 2
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Tribit Stormbox 2
- See all 138 comparisons