Short answer: the JBL Charge Essential 2 if sound quality matters most, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 if price matters most. The JBL Charge Essential 2 ranks #35 of 136 medium speakers at $130. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 ranks #85 at $79.99, $50.01 cheaper.
What the JBL Charge Essential 2 offers: Doubles as a power bank. IP67 rated. Close to Charge 5 performance at a lower price. Watch for: Not stereo. Slightly less bass than a Charge 5.
What the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 offers: IP67 rated, floats, and is rated to survive a 5 ft drop onto hard surfaces. 14 hour battery - longer than the Wonderboom 2. Watch for: Not stereo, barely any bass. Boosted 93hz upper bass. Cuts bass heavily at high volume. You can tell from the micro USB that they are just feeding you the same crap hardware over and over, this is inexcusable for a product released in 2022. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential 2 when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential 2 | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $130 | $79.99 |
| Ranked | #35 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #85 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~55Hz | 76Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | No | No |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) | No |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 930 g | 0.9 lbs / 420 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) | 4.1" x 3.8" (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | Micro USB |
| Output Power | 40W | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 166ms |
| Max Volume | - | 87dB |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| Built in Microphone | - | No |
| Aux Input | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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- JBL Flip 7 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge Essential 2
- Soundcore Motion+ vs JBL Charge Essential 2
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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.
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The Two Speakers In Full
JBL Charge Essential 2: $130 eBay
Pros: Doubles as a power bank. IP67 rated. Close to Charge 5 performance at a lower price.
Cons: Not stereo. Slightly less bass than a Charge 5.
Full JBL Charge Essential 2 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~55Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 3.8" x 3.7" (223 x 96.5 x 94 mm) |
| Drivers | 53mm x 93mm woofer, 20mm tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 40W |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 2.1 lbs / 930 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Soundcore Motion 100
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Teufel Rockster XS
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Tribit Stormbox Pro
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs JBL Pulse 5
- See all 74 comparisons
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3: $79.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and is rated to survive a 5 ft drop onto hard surfaces. 14 hour battery - longer than the Wonderboom 2.
Cons: Not stereo, barely any bass. Boosted 93hz upper bass. Cuts bass heavily at high volume. You can tell from the micro USB that they are just feeding you the same crap hardware over and over, this is inexcusable for a product released in 2022. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Full Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 76Hz |
| Battery Life | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Latency | 166ms |
| 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 |
| Max Volume | 87dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs / 420 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross Reviews: The biggest upgrade since time began! 💪 More from alanrossreviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: JBL Flip 6 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 (Indoor Mode)⚔️ Battle of the Handheld Bluetooth Speakers. More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Flow has deeper bass than the Bose Flex but………..
- Danny Pops: Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker? Wonderboom 3 VS Sony XB-13 More from DannyPops →
- Reddit Search for Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- See all 74 comparisons