Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) Review: Rich Sound From a Compact Speaker

The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) is an updated version of the company’s highly-rated portable Bluetooth speaker. The revisions are minimal enough that first-gen owners shouldn’t feel the need to upgrade, but the device remains compelling to anyone looking for a new compact sound system.

Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)

8 / 10

Enjoy immersive sound anywhere with the Bose SoundLink Flex. This portable Bluetooth speaker offers rich, clear audio, a rugged, waterproof design, and up to 12 hours of battery life for all-day listening.

Pros Impressive bass for speaker size Solid battery life Rugged with water and dust resistance

Cons No extra features like external device charging Only basic features available in mobile app

$149 at Amazon $150 at Best Buy $149 at Bose

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Price and Availability

The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) speaker is available now and retails for $149. It is available in four colors at launch: Alpine Sage, Black, Blue Dusk, and Sandstone.

The Second Generation Only Has Subtle Changes

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The Bose SoundLink Flex speaker has been around since 2021. Instead of making stark changes to this second-generation model, the company only made subtle tweaks. Why mess with a winning formula? The updates are so minor, in fact, that you probably won’t hear a difference and might not even see a difference.

The most visible design change is the addition of a shortcut button on the top. This button can summon a voice assistant, activate Spotify Tap, or toggle SimpleSync to pair two Flex speakers together for stereo sound. You can choose its functionality and assign the button a task within the Bose app.

Speaking of which, the ability to connect the SoundLink Flex to the Bose app (available for iPhone and Android) is also a new addition. Connecting to the app allows the sound to be tweaked across a three-band equalizer. There’s also a Multipoint connection setting and support for firmware updates. Overall, there’s not too much you can use the app for, but it’s still nice to have the extra settings.

Beyond new colors, the other difference between the first-gen model and this new one is support for AAC and aptX. Snapdragon Sound is available on compatible Android devices.

It’s hard to see any of these additions as a reason to upgrade or even pick the speaker over another choice. Yet, the SoundLink Flex remains one of the most compelling portable Bluetooth speakers on the market because its sound-to-size ratio is remarkable.

The Sound Quality Is Essentially the same

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) is surprisingly boastful for its thin, compact size. It features PositionIQ to make its sound profile work in vertical or horizontal orientations. In a blind test, I had a hard time telling if the speaker was standing up or lying down—it just didn’t matter. That’s good because it means it works well in most environments.

There’s a chance a discerning ear might pick up on audio enhancements thanks to new codec support, but I doubt it. The speaker should sound the same as the previous one. In this case, that’s not a bad thing. The SoundLink Flex (Gen 2) doesn’t have the same resonance, volume, or stereo sound as Bose's bigger SoundLink Max speaker, but it can pack a punch worthy of a double take.

Especially when the speaker was used on a bathroom counter or in the kitchen, the reflective rooms made the relatively small speaker sound much bigger than its frame.

Battery life is rated at 12 hours, which I found fairly accurate. I listened to most songs at around 30 to 50% volume. Pumping tunes at full volume will drain the device faster. It’s possible you’d need to raise the volume near its max when at a backyard pool party, but for any indoor listening, that volume would be much too loud and strained.

The Competition for Bluetooth Speakers

In a vacuum, the SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) is a near-perfect speaker for moving around the house or on the road. However, comparing it with similar choices like the Sonos Roam 2, Beats Pill, Marshall Emberton III, or the Sony Linkbuds Speaker makes the choice a little tougher.

The Sonos Roam is a tad bit more expensive but offers Wi-Fi streaming, so it doesn’t need to be constantly connected to your phone while at home. The Beats Pill is the same price and can connect to a computer via a USB-C cable, be used as that device’s speaker, or charge a phone from the same port.

In my tests, the Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) had the most even, balanced sound. I do miss some of the more advanced features on other speakers, but it at least holds its own against the competition.

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) isn’t much of a departure from the first version, but it’s hard to argue that it’s outdated or that it shouldn’t be one of your considerations for a speaker in this portable category.

The speaker remains terrific. It sounds larger than life and is rugged and durable, with an IP68 rating. If anything, it would have been nice for Bose to add a few additional features, but I didn’t really feel like I was missing too much each time I connected my phone and streamed a thumping playlist. It’s a great Bluetooth speaker if your main objective is quality sound on the go.

Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)

8 / 10

Enjoy immersive sound anywhere with the Bose SoundLink Flex. This portable Bluetooth speaker offers rich, clear audio, a rugged, waterproof design, and up to 12 hours of battery life for all-day listening.

$149 at Amazon $150 at Best Buy $149 at Bose