Key Takeaways

• Ultimate Ears Boom 3 delivers crisp, 360-degree sound with punchy bass for all your outdoor adventures.
• With 15-20 hours of battery life, these rugged speakers are perfect for pool parties or camping trips.
• Durable and water-resistant, the Boom 3 stands the test of time and continues to impress with its performance.

When I'm relaxing inside or sitting around a campfire enjoying the great outdoors, I like to have tunes playing on my favorite portable Bluetooth speaker. If you're in the market for one, here's why I own three of the Ultimate Ears Boom 3.

I wouldn't call myself an expert or an audiophile, but I've owned several of the best speakers from Anker, Braven, JAMBOX, JBL, Sony, and more. After I bought my first Ultimate Ears Megaboom in 2018 and absolutely loved it, I got the smaller but mighty BOOM 3 in 2019, and I still use them both. Eventually, my wife kept borrowing mine, so I bought another, and now we have three.

After over five years of enjoyment, abuse, drops, and water splashes, I'm still using these speakers, which should tell you all you need to know. They're durable and still pumping out room-filling sound. Here are a few other reasons I always recommend the UE Boom 3 or similar.

Sound Quality & Durability

Technically, I own two of the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 and one slightly larger Megaboom 3. I use the smaller model for traveling, light camping, or by the pool when I forget to charge the bigger Megaboom 3. I know I'll get a crisp, punchy, 360-degree sound regardless of which one I'm using.

There are massive volume buttons on the side of the water-resistant mesh, making it easy to crank it to eleven. Then, on top, there is a big pause/play button for music or to answer/end phone calls. The controls are easy, although these older models don't have labels saying which button is the power button and which one to hit for Bluetooth sync.

Better yet, I can use "Party Up" mode inside the UE Boom app to pair two (or even all three) speakers together for stereo sound and place them on each side of the pool or different rooms of the house. Sure, the app is a bit finicky at times, but once it's all setup, you can easily pair two speakers together, remotely turn them on, tweak the equalizer, and more.

Even without the EQ, the Boom 3 already sounds fantastic. It's deceptively loud and clear for its size, has punchy bass that's not overkill, and excellent mids and highs. The bottom line is that these speakers sound great, and I've had several friends buy one after enjoying mine all weekend on a camping trip.

Ultimate Ears says each speaker undergoes 25 different durability tests, including tumbles, thousands of button presses, dips into water, and more. I don't know what the rest of the tests look like. Still, I can confidently say I've dropped mine multiple times, had it wet for hours while clipped to a cooler floating down the river, bouncing around on my ebike (while perfectly placed in the water bottle holder), playing music in the 112-degree Las Vegas heat, or in freezing temperatures while ice fishing in Utah. I do a lot, and my Boom 3 does it all, too.

My only complaints are the outdated micro-USB charging port (USB-C, please!) and the lack of button labels. However, there is an optional wireless charging plate, and once you know which is power and which is Bluetooth, both are non-issues.

Battery Life & Longevity

These speakers are durable, float in the pool, and keep on running, so how's the battery life? Personally, I feel like these last forever. I can blast tunes for hours while working in the garage, then grab it a week or two later for a Saturday by the pool, and it still has enough juice. I rarely think about charging them, but I'm also not worried about a dead battery when I have two more to reach for.

As for the numbers, Ultimate Ears says the smaller Boom 3 gets around 15 hours of playback, and the bigger model is good for 20 hours on a single charge. That's more than enough for me.

After all the wear and tear over the years, bouncing around on hikes, and dealing with the elements, these still sound amazing and work as expected. I'm using a speaker from 2019 because it still sounds great, doesn't look beat up despite all the use, and the battery continues to hold a charge. As a result, I don't need to buy anything else.

So, if you want a rugged yet excellent Bluetooth speaker this summer, I have nothing but good things to say about all three of my Boom 3 speakers. And if you want something even bigger that gets really loud, we reviewed the UE HyperBoom and came away impressed.

Ultimate Ears Boom 3

If you're looking for a speaker to throw the ultimate pool party, the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3 is it. It has a loud, 360-degree sound so everyone can hear the music. Plus, it's IP67 water-resistant and even floats.

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