Bose SoundLink Flex review

I’m a bit of a music nerd. I take audio quality quite seriously, so I want to know I’m using the best bluetooth speakers. I was recently blown away by the JBL Xtreme 4, so when the Bose SoundLink Flex ($149) arrived on my desk, I was beyond excited to see if it would be one of the best cheap bluetooth speakers. While the SoundLink flex isn’t a budget speaker at all, it is a great deal cheaper than some alternatives.  

The Bose SoundLink Flex is a smaller (and far, far cheaper) version of the SoundLink Max ($399). It shares the same utilitarian vibe of the SoundLink Max and has the same IP67 rating as its big brother — but, with a lighter price tag comes lighter specs, and Bose has dropped a few for this. 

The downsides here are that there’s no customizable EQ in the app, the connection range is okay enough (in testing it lasted about 160 feet, but was unstable), and the Bluetooth version is outdated (it’s a 4.2, released in 2014, whereas most things are 2020's 5.2 now). Many of these issues aren't outright deal-breakers, but they do make the SoundLink Flex a tough sell in an ever-crowded sea of affordable portable speakers.

Should you still buy one for your next outdoor adventure? Let's talk all about it in this comprehensive Bose SoundLink Flex review.

Bose SoundLink Flex review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? It’s a small, lightweight, portable speaker with so-so audio quality from a big-name brand. 
• What does it cost? It’s pretty pricey for not having a customizable EQ — £149 / $149 but Bose will “Match any lower price” if you contact them through their website. You can get highly discounted refurbished models on Bose’s official website.
• Who is it for? Someone looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker they can throw in a backpack, but doesn't necessarily need top-end audio quality. 
• What should you use it for? This is a highly portable speaker for low-key events, listening around the house, and casual outdoor activities. 
• What are its weaknesses? It's missing a customizable EQ, the latest version of Bluetooth and doesn't sound as robust as some competitors.

Bose SoundLink Flex review: Specs

Bose SoundLink Flex review: Price & availability

The Bose SoundLink Flex is available on Amazon and on the Bose official website. On Amazon and Bose, it’s priced at $149 / £149. If you peruse Bose’s website, it claims Bose will match any “cheaper price” found on Amazon ($119 at time of writing), so definitely shop around. 

Bose SoundLink Flex review: Design

Whereas the SoundLink Max only comes in black and blue, if you get a SoundLink Flex, you’ll be able to choose from lilac (which would have been my choice), green (the specimen I reviewed for this article), blue, black, and white. I appreciate the range of colors, but it would be cool to have even more options, because I think this speaker is aimed at a younger — less audiophile, more audio-fun — crowd as other Bose products, it would be nice to see some patterns and graphic designs. 

That being said, I’m not enamored with how the SoundLink Flex looks overall. While I do appreciate a utilitarian, gorpcore aesthetic, there’s something missing from this speaker. Is it the beveled edges? The cheap-looking grainy plastic? The almost trypophobic (fear of holes) look of the top cover? 

Compared side-by-side, I much prefer the all-out indestructible-looking vibe of the SoundLink Max, or the pocket-friendly outdoor-core JBL Go 4, which comes in seven colors. Bose could improve on the design by perhaps picking a different plastic finish, or maybe some patterned styles, but the Flex focuses more on function than it does on form. Speaking of functionality, you can buy carry straps on the Bose website, if you want something other than the small strap the speaker comes with. 

In terms of accessories, the SoundLink Flex doesn’t come with a wall plug — only a USB-C charger. You’ll have to supply the wall plug yourself, which I really dislike, although that's not uncommon with Bluetooth speakers (and tech in general) these days.

Bose SoundLink Flex review: Connectivity

The connection process was perfectly simple: I downloaded the Bose Connect app for iOS and Android, which prompts you to name your speaker. As I was feeling a bit creatively stumped, I elected for one of Bose's premade names (‘Pope of Mope’). While I don’t particularly understand the name, I do like it a lot, and running through the amusing premade options put a huge grin on my face.

After initial connection, all you have to do is tap ‘Bose SoundLink Flex’ in your phone settings and it connects immediately. 

Bizarrely, the SoundLink Flex uses Bluetooth 4.2, which was released a whopping ten years ago. When cheaper speakers like the Tribit StormBox Flow ($79) have the newly-released Bluetooth 5.3, this is a really odd choice for Bose to make. Bluetooth 4.2 means the SoundLink Flex lacks strong range and fast connectivity. Bluetooth 5 has a range four times larger than Bluetooth 4.2 and can run twice as fast. 

In testing, I managed to reach a range of 160 feet before the speaker cut out — which is fairly good — but it's nothing compared to the Tribit XSound Plus 2 ($69), which reached 450 feet and comes in at around half the SoundLink Flex’s price.

As with most of the best Bluetooth speakers, the Bose SoundLink Flex has a ‘Party Mode’, meaning you can link up multiple speakers for a deeper surround-sound experience. But, you can only sync up the SoundLink Flex, SoundLink Micro, SoundLink Color II, SoundLink Revolve+, and the SoundLink Revolve. So if you wanted to link it up to the SoundLink Max, you’re out of luck.

Bose SoundLink Flex review: Features

One of the best things the Flex has going for it is a feature called PositionIQ that helps it change its sound depending on its orientation. So if it’s standing upright, it will optimize its output to best suit that position. 

In testing, I placed the Flex upright, on its back, and I hung it from its strap (as directed on the Bose website). It sounded the same from all angles, which can only mean that the PositionIQ technology works.

That said, it's not exactly brimming with features compared to the competition. For example, the Ultimate Ears Everboom has a megaphone feature, where you can speak into your phone and it’ll broadcast through the speaker. While gimmicky, I can’t lie, I’m extremely intrigued by this feature, and disappointed that the SoundLink Flex doesn’t have anything like this. 

Bose SoundLink Flex review: Sound quality

The SoundLink Flex's sound quality is a bit polarizing. Because there's no way to change it via an EQ, the sound is relatively flat. It’s missing the epic peaks and lows that I've come to love on other Bluetooth speakers — and that's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. If I’m spending $100+ on a speaker, I expect to be able to do change the EQ without downloading a third-party app.

That's not to say the SoundLink Flex sounds awful — its out-of-the-box neutral-sounding timbre is fine — but I feel competitors like the JBL Flip 6 offer superior sound quality... but that could be because the Flip 6 has customizable EQ. If the SoundLink Flex had custom EQ, I would put my faith in its ability to sound just as good, if not better, than the competition. 

When put to the test, results were mixed. Older songs like ‘Golden Brown’ by the Stranglers sounded better, perhaps because of the track’s age and the forgiving nature of retro recording techniques, but when the song changed to Queens of the Stone Age’s ‘I Sat By The Ocean’, I was once again left longing for some epic, ground-shaking bass. ‘flight fm’, my usual bass-testing track by Joy Orbison, pounded through the SoundLink Flex’s speakers well enough, but was missing both detail and forcefulness in the low-end. 

Some bass-heavy beats were able to break this trend, however. In Charli XCX’s  ‘Von Dutch’, one of the bassiest songs on my current rotation, the ravey chorus sounded good through the SoundLink Flex, and the bass in ‘Lunch’ by Billie Eilish was clear and deep. But these two tracks were the outliers in my testing. 

The good news it that, during outdoor testing, the SoundLink Flex played really clearly. Even when an airplane flew overhead, I could still hear the notes of ‘Apple’ by Charli XCX well. So, if you’re in need of something that sounds decent outside, this could be a good purchase.

Bose SoundLink Flex review: Battery life

Bose claims that SoundLink Flex’s battery life is only 12 hours, which lags behind the far cheaper Anker Soundcore 3 ($55) at 24 hours. However, I listened to this speaker for for five days straight. A couple of hours on Wednesday, three hours on Thursday, from 9 am to 5 pm on Friday, at least five hours on both Saturday and Sunday. Unless my math is utterly skewed here, that’s approximately 21 hours on one charge. Bose may have been a little ungenerous with their battery life claims, as I was delightfully impressed by the SoundLink Flex’s long playback. 

Bose SoundLink Flex review: Verdict

There's an audience out there for the Bose SoundLink Flex, but it's not going to be universally acclaimed like its larger cousin, the Bose SoundLink Max. Which is so frustrating, because with one little change — custom EQ — this  portable speaker could have been great. 

Again, the SoundLink Flex doesn’t sound terrible — it’s far superior to the Tribit StormBox 2 I was testing at the same time (I visibly winced when I switched mid-song to the StormBox), but it left me wanting more. 

If you want something light and portable, and you’re willing to sacrifice bass, then the Flex is as good, perhaps even better than the Beats Pill ($149). But if you want something with soul-crushing bass and dance-party-inspiring beats, you’ll need to pick something with a customizable EQ like the JBL Flip 6, or spend a lot more for the utterly whomping SoundLink Max. 

If you’re an audiophile, or if you’re looking for your main household speaker, consider something like the Sonos Era 300 — but don't expect to find it anywhere around this sticker price.