TL;DR
- Bose has released the SoundLink Flex, the latest addition to its portable line of speakers.
- The Flex floats and has an IP67 rating, making it a solid adventure speaker.
- The SoundLink Flex is available now and retails for $149.
Household audio brand Bose released a new portable speaker, the SoundLink Flex. This compact Bluetooth speaker features a soft-touch rubberized exterior with an IP67 dust- and water-resistant build. Bose ensures that the Flex is meant to go anywhere you go. The company even includes a tear-resistant loop, so you can hang it from a bag or carabiner.
Bose claims that it used the biggest driver the SoundLink Flex could fit, which should deliver powerful bass while retaining clear sound. It uses dual-passive radiators, something we’ve seen from the JBL Flip series, to amplify the vibrations. Bose knows that this speaker will find itself in all sorts of positions, and uses Bose PositionIQ to ensure optimal audio performance. This works whether the Bose SoundLink Flex is upright, hanging from your bag, or resting on your nightstand.
Like the Bose SoundLink Micro, this speaker uses outdated Bluetooth 4.2 firmware and has a standard nine-meter range. To make up for this, it includes premium software features like seamless device switching and support from the Bose Connect app. You can pair a second Flex speaker for stereo playback, or enable Party Mode to increase the loudness. At home, you have the option to connect the Flex to a Bose soundbar or smart speaker via Bose SimpleSync.
A few onboard buttons line the speaker and let you power it on or off, adjust the volume, initiate Bluetooth pairing, control playback, and access your assistant or make calls with the integrated microphone. It houses a USB-C input and takes four hours to charge. Once fully charged, the SoundLink Flex provides up to 12 hours of constant playtime, though this varies with the volume setting.
The Bose SoundLink Flex is available today and costs $149. It comes in Black, White Smoke, or Blue Stone.
