Bose Soundlink Flex (2nd Gen) review: can the headphones king do portable Bluetooth speakers justice too?

Whether you’re hunting for the best Bluetooth speaker or some of the best noise-cancelling headphones, Bose is a pretty safe bet. I’ve tested out a lot of its audio gear over the years, and so far, I’m yet to be disappointed.

The Bose Soundlink Flex (2nd Gen) is a compact portable speaker that can be used inside and outside the house. It was released in late 2024, three years after the original Soundlink Flex, which was a fantastic piece of kit at the time. I’ve tried both devices – and while there’s not much difference between them, the latest model is undeniably more refined.

Anyone in the market for a high-quality, bag-friendly Bluetooth speaker should consider buying the latest Bose Soundlink Flex. Keep reading to find out why.

Price & What’s New

The latest Bose Soundlink Flex is available to buy now, starting from £149 in the UK, $149 in the US, and AU$199 in Australia. You can buy it from several retailers, including Amazon, or direct from Bose.

Bose hasn’t made many changes to the Soundlink Flex for the second generation; the biggest improvements are the new shortcut button, deeper bass, and updated Bluetooth with more codec support.

You’ll also be able to adjust the sound using a user-controllable equaliser (EQ) in the app. If you’re considering upgrading then I don't think it'll be worthwhile, but if you’re buying for the first time, this will be the better option.

Design & Features

Portable speakers don’t need hundreds of features packed in, as long as they do what they say on the tin. But there are a few extras in the Bose Soundlink Flex that are very worthwhile.

Firstly, the speaker is super durable. It’s wrapped in silicone, making it drop, shock, and rust-resistant. And it’s IP67 water- and dust-resistant, too, so it’ll survive weekend camping trips or beach days, even if it’s particularly dusty or you’re unlucky with the weather. It even floats if you were to drop it in a swimming pool or bath, but it’s not designed to be used in water.

The size of the speaker is a big plus point as well. It weighs only 590g and measures 9 x 20 x 5cm – so won’t take up much space in a backpack, and is even small enough to throw in with your hand luggage on holiday.

You can buy the Bose Soundlink Flex 2 in several colours, including Black, Blue, Sandstone and Sage. I tested out the Sage version, as per the photos in this review, which I think is a stylish and modern colour rather than being too bold or bright.

A small fabric strap is attached to the right-hand side of the speaker, which is useful for carrying the speaker around or hanging it up. And it features PositionIQ technology to automatically detect the orientation of the device and adapt the sound accordingly – so you’ll always get the same audio experience wherever you place it.

There are five buttons across the top of the device – the usual power and Bluetooth buttons sit alongside volume controls and a pause/play button. A tiny light next to the power button lets you know that the speaker is charging or is fully charged, while voice prompts let you know the speaker’s battery level and when it is ready to connect.

New to this generation is a shortcut button that can be assigned in the Bose app. By default, it connects to other compatible Soundlink speakers, but you can change it to access your smartphone’s voice assistant or start playing music from Spotify.

You can connect the speaker to more than one device at once thanks to multipoint, and switch between them simply by pausing the audio on one and playing it on the other. It’s great for tag-teaming DJ duties!

Playing music nonstop, the Bose Soundlink Flex 2 will last around 12 hours before it needs charging. That’ll be enough for a day out, but you will need to charge it more regularly than some other speakers. For instance, the JBL Charge 5 lasts around 20 hours, while the UE Megaboom 3 also lasts around 20 hours.

To help preserve the battery, there’s an auto-off timer that switches the speaker off after 20 minutes of inactivity. If that's not long enough, then you can change it through the app. A full charge will take about 4 hours using the USB-C port, so it's quite slow.

The USB-C port is for charging only, you can’t play music through it, and there’s also no 3.5mm audio port here. The only way to connect to the speaker is through its Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Luckily, I found it to be very stable and reliable during my testing.

Sound Quality

Bose reliably delivers impressive sound quality across its entire range of devices, and the Bose Soundlink Flex 2 is no different. For something so small it manages to produce rich sound that's bold enough to fill a room.

The sound can be dialled up a lot louder than you’d expect from a speaker this size, although it's a little less precise at the highest volumes.

At mid-volume, I could listen to just about anything and have a great experience. Vocals are crisp, the soundstage is wide, with plenty of separation, and the overall performance is very well balanced.

In the Bose app, there’s a three-band EQ to tailor the audio to the music playing, or you can choose between one of four preset sound modes: Bass Boost, Bass Reducer, Treble Boost, and Treble Reducer.

On its default settings, your playlists won't come across quite as punchy as elsewhere, but that’s easily resolved by switching to the Bass Boost mode, perfect for when hosting with bigger groups of people.

If you need more volume, you can pair two Soundlink speakers together in stereo. I tried this with the Bose Soundlink Max and can see how it could come in handy for parties. The only issue with this feature is you can only use it with second-generation devices – it doesn’t work with the first-generation Soundlink Flex.

There's also a microphone built in, allowing you to take calls and speak to your voice assistant, which works well, and when I tested it out the person on the other end could hear me loud and clear.

Bose Soundlink Flex 2 review: Verdict

There’s a lot to like about the Bose Soundlink Flex 2. I’m a big fan of the clean audio delivery, which sounds far bigger than you'd expect from such a small product. Whether you want to listen to a podcast or a pop track, this Bose covers all bases.

The design is a winner too, as it’s small enough to fit into my tote bag when I go to the park, yet sturdy enough to handle an occasional burst of rain. It’s loud enough on its own, but it’s good to know you can pair it with another second-gen Soundlink speaker to boost the volume when needed.

But it’s not completely perfect. The battery life is a long way behind some competitors, as one downside, and if you already own the first generation of this speaker, then there’s no point in upgrading – because the changes are so minimal.

Also consider

A similarly-sized speaker to consider is the Marshall Emberton III – and it’s about the same price too. Its retro styling is really cool, it looks like a miniature Marshall amplifier, and it’s perfectly tuned for lovers of rock music. Like the Bose, it’s sturdy and water-resistant. Its battery life lasts around 32 hours, which is far longer.

If you want something a little more compact, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 is a top choice. At 558g, it’s tiny yet still manages to deliver loud, clear audio quality that even carries well outside. It has a handy strap to hang it up and it’s tough and IP67 dust/water-resistant. The battery lasts around 18 hours, which is significantly more than the Bose.