The UE Megaboom 3 has what you want in a portable Bluetooth speaker: good sound quality, long battery life, ruggedness and more.

Big bass and full vocals; Good battery life; Waterproof; Can pair with older Megaboom and Boom models for stereo sound

Big and heavy for a portable; No speakerphone

The Logitech-owned Ultimate Ears (UE) Boom speaker line has steadily increased in quality and notoriety since the release of the first UE Boom five years ago.

Fantastic battery life; Clear and loud sound quality; Good design and tough materials

Lack of digital assistant integration; No quick charging feature; Not as many colour choices as previous models

Really good, but not great.

IP67 certification and floats; Portable bottle-shaped design; Connect to 150 other UE speakers via app; Wireless charging available with purchase of dock; Loud

Sound quality isn't great for the price; Wireless charging dock is separate; Even though the app is useful; it's still an app that you need to download

If you're willing to pay more money more power, the larger JBL Boombox is bigger and louder, but over twice the price. If you want to save some money but still want a rugged speaker, the small Anker Soundcore Flare provides solid audio and a colorful light show for just $70.

Powerful sound with good clarity in the high-mids; Rugged build; Long battery life

Can falter with intense deep bass; No wired connection

Logitech has shipped us two new Bluetooth speakers from its Ultimate Ears brand. They're up for any adventure, but are the Megaboom 3 and Boom 3 really worth the steep price Let's find out in our full review!

Good sound quality; Long battery life; Resistant to falls; Water and dust resistant; Optional charging base; Party mode / multi-room audio

No digital assistant; High price

The previous generation UE Boom 2 was one of our favorite waterproof speakers of all-time and for good reason – it had a rugged design that could take a beating, got incredibly loud, and sounded great for the money.

Class-leading battery life; Gets incredibly loud; Punchy sound

Recessed mids; Bass sounds loose at high volume; Charging dock not included

I've got some experience of various bluetooth speakers, I looked at reviews and went to my John Lewis store to test some. For all round performance across the music spectrum the Megaboom 3 was the best. I'm really pleased with it. It's great at background music and epic at pumping out party vibes.

• Buy Megaboom 3 exclusively at John Lewis (until October) The Megaboom 3 improves on the winning formula of its waterproof, cylindrical predecessor, and is an excellent speaker. It's actually only the second Megaboom, but as Ultimate Ears is also putting out a new Boom (a smaller sibling to this)...

Waterproof; dustproof (IP67 rated) and also floats; Improved controls and charging port; Excellent value for money; Loud; clear; bassy audio performance

If we're nitpicking; the sound is still good rather than great

The Ultimate Ears UE Megaboom is finally getting a refresh, and it's skipping a number in the process. The new model is called the Megaboom 3, keeping pace with the Boom 3 launched alongside it (the original Megaboom speaker was a contemporary of the Boom 2). It features a few new tricks, like a programmable button for accessing playlists, but otherwise it's simply a sleeker, more rugged version of its predecessor. That's compelling enough on its own, but with a $199.99 price tag, it's more affordable than the original Megaboom to boot. Big, Sturdy Can The Megaboom 3 looks like a slightly sleeker version of the Megablast and the original Megaboom. It uses the same large, cylindrical design (8.7 inches tall and 3.4 inches around, and weighing two pounds) as the rest of the line, with a colorful wraparound fabric cover (available in blue, gray, purple, or red) and rubber end caps. This time, the signature plus and minus volume buttons are placed in the middle of the fabric itself ra...

The wireless Ultimate Ears UE Megaboom 3 speaker improves upon its predecessor with a sleeker, more rugged design and a lower price tag.

Powerful sound with good clarity in the high-mids; Rugged build; Long battery life

Can falter with intense deep bass; No wired connection

The UE Boom 3 is a fantastic waterproof portable speaker, but Ultimate Ears hasn’t improved the audio quality despite the increased price.

IP67 waterproof/dust-proof; Powerful sound; Rugged design; Light and portable; ;

Audio lacks sharpness; Relatively expensive; Battery life isn’t improved