The Bose Flex 2 SoundLink is a remarkably small speaker that packs a ton of audible punch while on the go. I’ve bought numerous portable/Bluetooth speakers over the years, and none come close to this latest model from Bose! This speaker's footprint is less than a third of its bigger brother (the Bose SoundLink Max) and carries a minor lower register penalty from its diminutive size. However, the audio wizards at Bose struck the perfect balance between weight, size, and performance in my mind.

I’ve taken this speaker everywhere, testing it in numerous settings before posting this feedback. It joined me on my recent whitetail hunting trip on the eastern plains, saw the top of a 14,000-foot mountain on a backpacking expedition, and has flown coast to coast in my backpack while on business travel. This speaker has been a fantastic travel companion and hasn’t slowed me down one bit. If you are hunting for a focused sound, place the speaker upright towards your seating position. However, if you want a more room-filling experience, laying it down (speakers firing up) gives the best experience for this situation.

Let’s talk about some musical choices used during this evaluation. I gravitate towards Metalcore, Rock, and fairly bass-heavy musical styles. As alluded to earlier, the larger SoundLink Max digs deeper, but the trade-off is a significantly heavier speaker (not to mention a much more significant dent in your wallet). One of the first songs I usually try is Post Malone’s Rockstar to see how low a speaker goes, and for this tiny speaker, it performed remarkably well. I then try Bullet to the Heart - Revanent (played in F key with a significant double bass kick). You can hear each distinct slap of the bass kick pedal, and they do not get muddied at all (unlike one of its competitors, the Beats Pill, which failed to produce the same distinction). I then switched to Written by Wolves - Goddess to hear how it handles Rock meets EDM music — fantastic! For a blend between metal and R&B, Jeris Johnson’s When the Darkness Comes fits the bill, and this was the most surprising experience. The Flex 2 SoundLink sounds fantastic during the lower beat hits post-chorus! Moving to slower music, Jelly Roll - I Am Not Okay tests against his signature growl and voice gravel. What an excellent little speaker!

However, I think my favorite use case is a bit of an oddity — it is FANTASTIC for telepresence meetings (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and Amazon Chime). I tired of my smaller monitor-style speakers on my limited desk space, which admittedly is dominated by my 49” Dell monitor, MacBook Pro, and peripherals. Linking this Flex 2 SoundLink via Bluetooth was a snap, and it fits perfectly below the monitor. I could clearly hear all the meeting participants. Other participants told me that the built-in microphone also made my voice sound warm and inviting on their end of the call.

One small area that I would love to see more improvement is Bose’s newest Speaker Linking feature. It functions perfectly between two identical Flex 2 SoundLink models, but it does not work between dissimilar models within the same SoundLink family (for example, one Flex 2 and one SoundLink Max). I’m sure there is a reason why this doesn’t work, but I would love to have this functionality if possible.

The Bose brand is synonymous with quality. You know when you’re buying a Bose speaker that you’re going to get a well-built product that will sound excellent and perform exactly the way it should for years to come. The 2nd Generation Soundlink Flex Portable speaker is no exception!
Initial setup with my iPhone and the app was seamless and took mere seconds. The speaker feels well-built and solid without having too much weight to it! The speaker comes with a USB charging cable and a small strap on the side of the speaker to support being attached to a backpack or carabiner. The speaker is made of silicone on the outside and is water resistant for up to 30 minutes along with being rust and shock resistant! It’s made to be durable on hikes or camping trips on the go, so you don’t have to worry about dropping it and damaging the speaker!
Initial impressions of the sound quality are exactly what I expect from Bose. The speaker is powerful without being distorted, half the time I don’t even need to move the volume past halfway. Vocals and anything spoken are crisp and clear and the speaker has powerful bass for its size. It’s everything you would want in a portable speaker. There is an equalizer on the Bose app that can dial in the sound that you like! There’s also a directional IQ built into the speaker so it can tell if its vertical or horizontal and direct sound accordingly. Also built into the speaker is a Shortcut button that will allow you to either recall Siri, link another speaker together to create a stereo affect, or restart Spotify! The linking of speakers is a great feature as well as I have a Bose soundbar in my family room and the two can work in conjunction with each other to play music in multiple rooms! With those added features along with the great sound quality and portability this speaker is hard to beat in my opinion.
Overall, the 2nd Generation Soundlink Flex Portable Speaker is the perfect portable speaker for anyone on the go who wants a good sounding speaker that’s water resistant and tough enough to take a few bumps and bruises! If you buy this speaker just know you’re getting a quality product!

The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) Portable Bluetooth (5.3) Speaker packs so much quality sound into a small package - I would say it is incredible, but it is BOSE after all. Since the day I got this, I have been absolutely loving it! The speaker is charged via a USB-C cord, which is included, but I have those all over - for my phone, etc. so I simply plugged it into one to charge while I downloaded the Bose app. The Bose app has a handy little equalizer you can set, but really other than that I don't see where I will have much use for it. The speaker came almost fully charged, so it didn't take much time to be ready to go. Intuitively, I pressed the bluetooth logo on the speaker and searched for the speaker name on my phone's bluetooth list. It connected immediately and, though Bluetooth speakers generally have approximately 30' connection range, I was able to walk all over my house carrying the speaker and even outside into the yard without any connection issues at all.

How is the sound? MAGNIFICENT! Connecting to Spotify or my phone's playlist, I get that amazing Bose bass that fills my soul with incredible sound that I can feel. The treble is awesome as well, and can standout more for you if you do an adjustment in the equalizer. I prefer a little more bass over treble with less mids. The sound is clear and amazing at any level and this thing can blast the sound! If you're having a party, this is all you will need for your playlist. With its shortcut button capability, you can pair it with another SoundLink speaker for even bigger sound. You can even use that button to create a shortcut - I chose to use it for Spotify and when I press that shortcut button, the speaker connects to the Spotify app on my phone. Bose claims a 12 hour battery life, which is long enough for a day in my life, though they do state that at maximum volume the battery will last approximately 3 hours.

The Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd gen) is light to carry at just 1.66 pounds and has a nice feel with it's soft-touch, silicone-wrapped finish and it is dust proof and waterproof (rated IP67). This is truly portable because Bose built it to withstand, as they say: "drops, crushing, shocks, and rust", and it has a small hoop to hook it onto your gear. As I was writing this review, my phone rang and I was able to answer it via this speaker! There is a built in microphone so the caller was able to hear me, but said I was fading in and out, though I was sitting in one spot. I was able to hear them clearly. The other problem was that I didn't know how to hang up via the speaker - I had to have them hang up (of course I could have used my phone).

This Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) Portable Bluetooth Speaker puts out absolutely incredible sound in a small speaker (H 2.06 inches, W 8.661 inches, D 3.78 inches). This is quality that I appreciate and that I know will last for a good long time. It is everything I want in a portable speaker and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone in the market for an excellent quality small Bluetooth speaker.

From the moment I powered on the Bose SoundLink Flex II, I was immediately impressed with its sleek design and build quality. This compact, portable speaker doesn’t just look good; it feels sturdy and I see no issues using it at home or on the go. The audio quality is good. For a speaker of its size, it delivers a surprising sound experience. The bass is deep and punchy without being overwhelming, and the mids and highs come through with clarity. I tested it with various genres, from classical to hip-hop, and it handled everything with ease. This speaker is especially good when you crank up the volume. The PositionIQ technology optimizes the audio base on what position it is in. It’s lightweight and compact enough to fit into a backpack or tote, or hang off either via the built in strap. The stated battery life is 12 hours, and I actually exceeded that during my initial "let's see how long this lasts" period and the speaker recharges quickly. The speaker has an IP67 rating, meaning it’s dustproof and can withstand being submerged in water. It also floats, but it's not designed to be used in the water but can withstand a drop in a pool or rains storem. The Bluetooth connectivity is straightforward and reliable. Pairing it with my devices was a breeze, and I appreciated the strong, stable connection that didn’t drop even when I moved around the room. It also supports voice assistants, which adds a layer of convenience for hands-free control and has various setting available in the Bose app including custom sound setting. The Bose SoundLink Flex II is a top-tier portable speaker, that also has the ability to utilize a "party mode" where it will share a connection with other Bose speakers. Whether you are an audiophile or someone who wants a reliable speaker for outdoor adventures, this little powerhouse won’t disappoint.