Bose - SoundLink Flex Portable Bluetooth Speaker with Waterproof/Dustproof Design - Black

Bose recently refreshed its "Revolve" line of Bluetooth speakers but failed to include any meaningful improvements (they still use micro USB and have limited dust and water protection compared to the competition). However, with this new SoundLink Flex, Bose finally has a portable Bluetooth speaker that actually shows some innovation. The SoundLink Flex offers a rugged and portable design with modern features and Bose's signature sound quality. PROS: - Setup is super quick and easy, especially if you already have other Bluetooth-based Bose products. If you've ever paired a set of wireless headphones or Bluetooth to your phone, you won't have any problems. - The SoundLink Flex is extremely durable with a very thick silicone exterior and steel grille. I reluctantly did a "test drop" on my concrete garage floor from about 4 feet, and to my delight, there is not a mark or blemish to be seen anywhere on the speaker and it never missed a beat. - The speaker has a tear-resistant loop on its right side that you can pair with a carabiner to hang from a backpack, hook, or anywhere else. According to Bose, the SoundLink Flex automatically detects its orientation to optimize sound quality (Bose calls this "PositionIQ"). - For me, the coolest part about the SoundLink Flex is that it actually floats. This makes it the perfect speaker to bring to the pool, on a boating trip, etc. - The buttons on the top of the speaker are large and easy to press. There are LED lights next the the Power and Bluetooth buttons to indicate battery level and succesful device pairing. - Bluetooth range is very good. I walked more than 30 feet away from the speaker before it finally lost connection to my phone. - Sound quality is very good for a speaker of this size. The PositionIQ technology is very impressive and the speaker sounds excellent no matter its position. I tested it on my countertop and hanging vertically from my backpack. In both positions, the speaker delivers clear sound with crisp highs & mids and powerful bass. The speaker gets very loud and there is minimal distortion at the highest volumes. Would I use this speaker at a large party? No, probably not. But for personal use or smaller gatherings, it's great. - If you happen to own additional Bose Bluetooth speakers or sound bars, you can pair them together to enable "party mode" or a stereo pair for even richer sound. - Battery life is excellent, rated at 12 hours for the SoundLink Flex. I haven't had a chance to use the speaker non-stop for that long, but battery life has not been an issue at all in the couple of weeks I've used this speaker. - The speaker charges via USB-C. Finally, no need to carry an outdated micro USB cable. - The dust and water protection rating of the SoundLink Flex is IP67, which is in line with other rugged/portable speaker in this category and a marked improvement over Bose's other Bluetooth speakers. CONS: - Most of the speaker's low frequency/bass effects are pushed through an opening on the back of the speaker. If your hand or any other object covers too much of that opening, bass effects will take a noticeable hit. - The speaker has a built-in microphone, but it is mediocre at best. I tried answering one phone call using the microphone and the caller said I sounded "distorted" or "far away." OVERALL: Bose finally has a serious entry in the portable/rugged Bluetooth speaker market. The company has delivered an excellent speaker that will survive almost anything that you throw at it. Sound quality is excellent for such a small, lightweight device, and the durability of the speaker is evident out of the box. Minor shortcomings aside, the SoundLink Flex is an excellent portable Bluetooth speaker.

This is a competitively priced, high quality speaker in a crowded market. This speaker is durable, and way louder than it should be for its size (without sacrificing clarity). Bose could have rested on its laurels and slapped a Bose label to any speaker and turn a profit, but it’s clear that’s not the case. IN THE BOX The box in some respects seems smaller than the speaker. Other than the speaker you get a USB-C cable for charging (thank you Bose for moving to USB-C). SETUP I typically charge my new products straight out of the box, but this speaker had about 30% battery life out of the box. Either way, setup is as simple as connecting any Bluetooth device to your phone. You simply hold the power button for a moment, then push the Bluetooth button to go into pairing mode. Then follow your phone’s steps and you’re connected. Now you could stop there, or you can go the extra mile and download the Bose Connect app. I didn’t, because I like to limit unnecessary apps on my phone. I’ve used Bose Connect app before for my QC35 headphones (which is how you update the firmware). It gives you a little extra functionality which I’ll discuss in a moment. DESIGN I’m actually mixed on the design. I have the black model and it looks pretty darn basic. But some people might find that appealing (simplicity). And I was also a little torn on the “rubber” coating. It actually feels good to hold, but it just captures weird smudges on it (as you can see in my pictures). This probably will be of little consequence to most people and shouldn’t really affect your decision to buy it. But then, when I learned a little bit more about the coating, I came to appreciate the design, not for the looks but for protecting the speaker itself. This is labeled a durable speaker mind you. The back is a silicon, while the grille is metal and powder coated. Then you realize it’s dirt, water and dust resistant. So yes, you can use it on the beach or at the pool. Heck, it even floats (so they say, I’m reluctant to test that on purpose other than my bathtub which I haven’t done). So, when taking into account the design, there’s more to the Flex than looks. It’s meant to be taken on adventures. I also need to mention that it’s light, around 1 pound. SOUND PERFORMANCE I’m no audiophile, but I can certainly tell the difference between “puny” or “tiny” sounding speakers, and the “clarity” “range” and “bass” in others. This Bose speaker is remarkable for how loud it gets based on its size. It’s truly deceiving. And the bass, man it packs a wallop. All while producing crisp highs and midtones. From listening to podcasts, to rap music to country, I thought it all sounded wonderful. It won’t drown out a large room of people, but if you are outside or in a room with a few people hanging out and listening to music it will do the trick. One of the cooler features is that Bose has some technology in that adapts the sound depending on its orientation. What do I mean? Well, the speaker can be placed on its back (speaker grille pointing up), on its bottom (like a traditional speaker, pointing the grille in a certain direction) or you can hang it by the utility hook and it will be vertical. So the speaker adapts depending on its orientation to deliver the best sound depending on its position. This sound “optimization” if you will seems to work great because you don’t notice it. Meaning, depending on the orientation you get the same sound performance. MISCELLANEOUS The one area where this speaker falls a little short in my opinion, is battery life. It’s rated at 12 hours for medium volume. This I’m sure is plenty for one time use. But I often use my speaker here and there and don’t always charge it in between. I have a Sony Bluetooth speaker that delivers 24 hours of battery life. But that speaker is larger and much heavier, so the trade off is well worth it. Bottomline is that battery life shouldn’t be an issue for most, but some speakers deliver longer battery life. It has some other features, like connecting to other Bose Flex speakers to mirror the sound, or create a stereo (L and R speaker) effect. I haven’t tried this out because I only have one Flex, and I don’t see the point in buying two just to do that. But I guess if one of your friends has one, it could be useful. I don’t want to say that’s a gimmick, but it’s not a big selling point for me. This is meant to be a speaker you throw in your bag to go on a camping trip (or something along those lines). It can also connect to Bose soundbars, but I’m not quite sure why you’d want to. Satellite speakers I guess? Last, you can control your phone’s audio assistant and take phone calls. I don’t generally take any calls over Bluetooth speakers (preferring headphones for that) but I’m certain some people will like that feature. I haven’t tried it out to determine the quality of calls, but I’d imagine it’s solid. CONCLUSION For all the features or things this little speaker can do, it’s just icing on the cake. You don’t need them to justify the purchase. At $149, this is (not cheap by any means) reasonably priced speaker that delivers amazing sound quality, especially given its size. Its durability and IPX ratings means that it should handle the daily throws, drops, bumps that are a part of everyday life and keep on chugging.

Bose is well known to produce high quality audio products and this bluetooth speaker does not disappoint. The huge sound fills a room with little effort and it is incredible to think that the sound is coming from such a small/medium sized portable speaker. Set up was easy. A quick start guide is provided and installation of the Bose Connect app is required. I'm not a fan of installing apps just to connect a bluetooth device to your phone or other device. But this Bose app does offer some impressive features including the ability to find lost devices like ear buds. This speaker seems well built and very durable. It comes with a fabric hoop on one end that you can use to hook to a belt loop or backpack if you are taking it on the go. It is water and dust resistant, which are nice features for outdoor use. Battery life during my testing was excellent. I love how Bose audio products always give you an audible battery life announcement as you turn them on. Lastly, I can't say enough about the audio quality. This speaker gets LOUD, and does not distort the quality of that audio even when cranking it up. I listened to music and podcasts and both came through loud and clear with incredible clarity. This speaker has a really good price point. I highly recommend it for use in home or on the go. It's a terrific option for nearly any audio needs.

I own a lot of JBL & Sony speakers and i will say… the Bose is SUPERIOR. This little speaker sounds so much bigger than it is. It’s truly impressive and worth EVERY penny. This has now become my favorite speaker and i plan to use it everywhere. If you are in between a JBL/SONY or anything else for this price point, do yourself a favor and get the BOSE! I pronise you wont regret it.

There is not much else I will say about this BOSE Bluetooth speaker other than it is simply amazing. I do have a few different brands of speakers, which are all good, but this Bose takes the cake and lives up to its namesake. PROS - Comes with an easy USBC port and charger - The bass is EXCEPTIONAL. It's amazing that so much bass and depth of sound comes from this small handheld speaker. - Connectivity was/is quick and easy; takes no time at all - It announces how much battery power is left when turned on - Battery life is decent, not charging too often - It's so portable and compact, it fits right into my pocketbook CONS - Zero. This is my favorite Bluetooth speaker. An obvious step above its competitors. I'm not one to write one sided reviews with no cons unless it's a rare hit out of the park. This one is just that.

Bose’s latest entry to the Bluetooth speaker market is a great step for people who value sound quality but are on the go as well. So far the Soundlink Flex does not miss a beat! PROS: - The Speaker itself is minimalist but really nice looking! Its sleek and smooth but you can tell there is a ruggedness to it as well. Just the overall build of this speaker feels very high end. - On that note, I really like the size of this speaker. Its big enough to produce great sound but small enough to easily hold in your hand and bring with you. - Setup for the speaker is minimal! Just download the Bose App (although not completely necessary), turn on your speaker, and hook it up via Bluetooth to your phone/tablet/computer whatever! - Right out of the box, the sound quality is really fantastic! The vocals are crisp and clear with deep lows from its dedicated subwoofer on the speaker. I was surprised that it could produce as much sound as it does given its size but it sounds terrific! - The durability is another huge pro for me! This speaker is waterproof and dust proof, meaning it can go a little over 3 feet deep in water for up to 30 minutes with no side affects. I think for a speaker like this, you want the peace of mind that it can be at the lake with you, or by the pool, or just generally outdoors with you and not worry about the speaker getting damaged. Seriously great work on the durability! - The utility loop on it is another great plus because you can hang it from whatever you need it to if you have a carabiner or something. - The buttons on it are also very simple and helpful. You can easily connect to different devices, check the power level, or change the song to forward or backwards! - The speaker also charges via USB-C and that’s great as more and more devices shift to USB-C! - Lastly, the SoundLink Flex doubles as a speaker phone since it has a microphone on it. I used it on a few calls and it sounded great and the mic worked great as well! Just nice additional functionality to have. CONS: - The buttons on it could be a little more firm so that you have a better idea on if you are clicking them right or not. - Although the utility hook is nice, I wish Bose included a carabiner to use for it. Seems like an easy thing they could have included. BOTTOM LINE: - There is a lot to love with the Bose SoundLink Flex! It is waterproof and durable, packs a lot of high quality sound, and is super portable for any adventure. Bose once again has done a great job checking all the boxes for a great Bluetooth speaker!

I would recommend the Bose Bluetooth speaker to anyone. It easily connect with my phone and the sound on it is phenomenal! Great things DO come is small packages.

I was so excited when I heard this speaker was coming out and the fact you could stereo pair with a second device for seamless left and right separation. However, after buying a second device for this purpose, it is anything but seamless. Whether you use the Bose Connect app to pair them or do it manually, it will take several attempts before it actually works (speakers will disconnect from each other at random) and sadly, audio cuts out between both which is very noticeable and happens frequently. I decided to look at RTINGS.com’s speaker review for this and saw that regardless if you have an iOS or Android, the out-dated Bluetooth version that it uses (4.2) has high latency for both which is very disappointing. I took both of them back and bought my first JBL speaker (Xtreme 2) and it’s phenomenal. What I find interesting is although it’s the same Bluetooth version (4.2), it works incredibly well. That said, the Xtreme 2 was released in 2018 and the Soundlink Flex was just two months ago.. Bose if you’re listening… you’re slacking. It’s almost 2022 and you’re using Bluetooth software from 2014 in not one, but in ALL of your products. A brand with it’s strong reputation and high price tag should offer a much better user experience for their customers.