Buzz
Key Advantages of the Bose Soundlink Flex
Beautiful, Stylish Design
Unlike traditional round frames, the Flex opts for a sleeker profile, reminiscent of a flattened pineapple bun. Constructed with a sturdy yet soft plastic, the Flex is versatile in its placement—whether lying flat, standing upright, or suspended, it consistently delivers exceptional sound quality.
On the rear or top panel of the Flex (depending on orientation), you'll find a row of buttons for power, volume, Bluetooth pairing, and multifunction controls (play, pause, skip, answer calls), along with a USB-C input. Meanwhile, the seamless, tightly sealed chassis is a crucial component in achieving the Flex's IP67 dust and water resistance rating.
Compared to the Flip 5, Flex is slightly heavier, but thanks to its sweet bun-like shape, it's easy to grip and carry with one hand. It's highly portable, durable, and feels like it'll last for many years with careful handling.
Well-Balanced Sound, Exquisitely Refined
When it comes to sound quality, the Flex is quite robust. While not as large as the JBL Charge 5, it packs a punch, especially in the bass department. Even at 30% volume, it fills up my large home office with ample sound. At higher volumes, it can easily compete with wind and waves at the beach. It may not be large enough for a lavish party, but in most cases, it's well-equipped.
Of course, the Flex isn't all about noise. I've listened to a variety of music genres through Spotify and found myself impressed by the Flex's bass presence, the clarity of snare hits, and the crisp highs, all balanced across the frequency spectrum—even at very low or high volumes where imbalance or distortion tends to creep in.
In summary, Bose has brought its usual high-quality sound ethos to the Flex, and it has a long way to justify its price point. It may not shine as brightly as the premium Sonos Roam via Wi-Fi, but it matches the sound quality of the Charge 5 despite being half its size.
Impressive Battery Life
When fully charged, Bose claims you'll get up to 12 hours of playback, a figure that's also supported during testing. While you might get 20 hours from the pricier JBL Charge 5, that honkin' speaker is designed to have extra battery life as it doubles as a portable power bank.
Rich Features
Upon starting up the Flex for the first time, you'll be prompted to download the Bose Connect app. While you don't need to download the app on your phone or tablet to start using the Flex, I highly recommend you do.
The app makes it easy to check remaining battery life, manage current Bluetooth connections, and give your device a name. You'll also be able to tweak things like auto-off timers, set party mode (where you can link with other Bose speakers), and control the content being played.
A truly handy feature—a notable absence on the beloved Flip 5—is the speakerphone. This means that if someone calls your phone while it's connected to the Flex, you can take the call, hear it through the speaker, and speak through the device's integrated microphone. I've made a few calls, and the caller came through loud and clear, and I sounded fine.
Limitations of the Soundlink Flex
Although not what we expect from a portable speaker, it's noteworthy that the Flex lacks Wi-Fi functionality you'd get when upgrading to Sonos Roam. This means you won't use features like Spotify Connect or Apple AirPlay for higher-quality streaming over Wi-Fi, besides missing out on added features like integrated smart assistants and multi-room audio with other connected speakers on your home network.
Audio enthusiasts may also want to know there's no way to adjust EQ on the Flex, although not uncommon for portable Bluetooth speakers. If you prioritize Wi-Fi or adjusting speaker sound quality, you'll be better served by Sonos Roam, Wi-Fi compatible and also allows access to Sonos' Trueplay feature to tune the speaker to your space. Note—this feature is currently only available on iOS.
Should You Buy the Bose SoundLink Flex?
If you're ready to invest in a good Bluetooth speaker, then the Bose SoundLink Flex is a decent choice. It sits between low-end and high-end options, perhaps not the absolute best choice but also not one with too many compromises.
The IP67 water and dust resistance feature is fantastic, a full feature set without inflating the price combined with Bose's excellent sound quality. This speaker may not deliver the kind of booming, explosive sound many expect, but it's certainly better than the speaker's size would suggest.
