Bluetooth Speakers / Bose
Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
The best-balanced small speaker here, and PositionIQ actually works.
Overall score 7.2/10
Pros
- + The best tonal balance of any small speaker here — Bose's core strength
- + PositionIQ genuinely works, retuning whether it is upright, flat or hanging
- + Floats, with a full IP67 rating
- + App EQ finally added this generation
Cons
- − 12 hours is short next to the Marshall's 32 or the Tribit's 24
- − Bose publishes no wattage or driver specification at all
- − No USB charge-out
- − No aux input
- − List price has risen from $149 to $159
Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) review: what the specs say
The best-balanced small speaker here, and PositionIQ actually works. At $159, Bose's 2024 model sits in the middle of the range — the bluetooth Speakers we compare run from $34.99 to $549.95. It scores 7.2/10 overall, calculated from published specifications across 8 categories rather than from a subjective impression.
Its strongest showing is Durability at 9.0/10 — IP rating, drop resistance and whether it floats. The weakest is Battery at 5.5/10, which is the trade-off to weigh before buying: if that is the specification you care about most, one of the alternatives below will serve you better.
Worth knowing before you buy: 12 hours is short next to the Marshall's 32 or the Tribit's 24; and bose publishes no wattage or driver specification at all. Every specification on this page comes from Bose's own documentation or a verified retail listing — where a figure is not published, the table says so rather than estimating it.
Specifications and price last verified . Report an error
Full Specifications
| Battery Life | 12 hrs |
| Water & Dust Rating | IP67 — dust and water |
| Floats | Yes |
| Power Output | Bose does not publish power ratings for any SoundLink speaker W |
| Weight | 585 g |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 |
| Drivers | Single full-range transducer with passive radiators; Bose does not publish driver dimensions |
| Stereo & Multi-Speaker Pairing | Two compatible Bose speakers can run in Stereo Mode or Party Mode; there is no large-scale chaining |
| Speakerphone | Yes |
| App EQ | Yes |
| Charges Your Phone | No |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C |
| Material | Powder-coated steel grille with silicone body |
| Warranty | 12 months |
Compare Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) With
Cheaper Alternative
JBL Flip 7 — $149.95
Premium Alternative
Marshall Emberton III — $179.99