Short answer: the Charge Essential for the power bank, the Wonderboom 4 for size. The Wonderboom 4 is small, but its bass is not as deep as the top-ranked speakers and is a little thuddy. The Charge Essential doubles as a power bank, though it has less clarity than a Flip 4 with rolled-off highs.
Buy the JBL Charge Essential. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| JBL Charge Essential | Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $73.99 | $78.95 |
| Ranked | #89 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #106 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 14 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| EQ | No | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) | No |
| Power Input | Micro USB | USB-C |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs (770 g) | 0.9 lbs (420 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 | 5.2 |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange | 2x 40mm active drivers + 2x passive radiators (46.1 x 65.2mm) |
| Dimensions | 8.4” x 3.5” x 3.4” (213 x 89 x 87 mm) | 4.1” x 3.8” (104 x 95.3 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Amplifier Power | 20W RMS | - |
| IP Rating | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) | SBC |
| Stereo | No | No |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (built-in loop) |
| Maximum SPL | - | 87dB (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How JBL Charge Essential compares with other leading options:
- JBL Charge Essential vs Earfun Uboom L
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs JBL Charge Essential
- Soundcore Motion+ vs JBL Charge Essential
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs JBL Charge Essential
- JBL Charge Essential vs Minirig 4
Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 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: $73.99 Amazon eBay
Newer model: the JBL Charge Essential 3 SE, ranked higher, rated 3.7/5.
Pros: Doubles as a power bank. IPX7 rated. Supports true wireless stereo pairing with a second Charge Essential.
Cons: Less clarity than the Flip 4, highs rolled off. An overpriced rebranded Charge 3 for people who want stereo sound.
Full JBL Charge Essential review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 20W RMS |
|---|---|
| App | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC (inferred; additional codecs unverified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.4” x 3.5” x 3.4” (213 x 89 x 87 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 65Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2A) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs (770 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- JBL Charge Essential vs JBL Charge 3
- JBL Charge Essential vs JBL Charge 2
- JBL Charge Essential vs JBL Flip Essential
- JBL Charge Essential vs Teufel Rockster Go 2
- JBL Charge Essential vs Sonos Roam 2
- JBL Charge Essential vs Sonos Roam
- JBL Charge Essential vs Tronsmart Mirtune C3 Plus
- JBL Charge Essential vs Klipsch Nashville
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Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4: $78.95 Amazon 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).
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 →
| 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
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- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Soundcore 2
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- Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 vs Tribit Stormbox 2
- See all 138 comparisons