Short answer: the Bose Soundlink Flex. It ranks #36 of 150 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $79.99; the Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) ranks #51, rated 3.6/5, and costs $194, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Bose Soundlink Flex does well: IP67 rated; rugged enough to survive drops from several feet and floats. The catch: Not stereo.
Why pick the Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II): RTINGS measured a fairly neutral sound with a balanced midrange, so vocals and lead instruments come through clearly, and excellent directivity from the 360° design for an open, even sound around the room. The tradeoff: RTINGS found it lacks low bass, so there’s little deep thump or rumble.
Buy the Bose Soundlink Flex. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Soundlink Flex | Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79.99 | $194.00 |
| Ranked | #36 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #51 of 150 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Bose Connect |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | - |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP55 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 33ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) | - |
| Power Input | USB-C | - |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (589 g) | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | - |
| Dimensions | 7.9” x 3.5” x 2” (201 x 90 x 52 mm) | - |
| Drivers | 1x 60mm full-range driver + 2x passive radiators | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | - |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Bose Soundlink Flex compares with other leading options:
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Earfun Uboom L
- Soundcore Motion 300 vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- Soundcore Motion+ vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- Soundcore Boost “upgraded” 2021 vs Bose Soundlink Flex
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Minirig 4
Prices on this page were last checked September 30, 2026 at 2:57 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Soundlink Flex: $79.99 Amazon eBay
Newer model: the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen, ranked higher, rated 3.8/5.
Pros: IP67 rated; rugged enough to survive drops from several feet and floats. Around 12 hours of battery at moderate volume. Measured bass extension of 56Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sounding with overly boosted bass which drowns out midrange detail
Full Bose Soundlink Flex review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 33ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.9” x 3.5” x 2” (201 x 90 x 52 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 60mm full-range driver + 2x passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Maximum SPL | 96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (589 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Flex More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex Review! vs JBL Flip 6 and JBL Charge 5. Travel heaven?? 🤞 More from alanrossreviews →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Flex
- Alan Ross Reviews: Beats Pill vs Harman Luna vs Bose Flex vs Soundcore Motion Plus
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Xsound Mega vs the world! (JBL Charge 5, Bose Flex, Sony XB33, LG PL7) 👍
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex vs Soundcore Boost vs Bogasing M4 - cheap or Bose?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox Flow has deeper bass than the Bose Flex but………..
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Tribit Stormbox Flow vs Soundcore Motion 300 (LDAC) 😵 Budget Bose Soundlink Flex "Inspired" Speakers More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Oluv Patreon: Soundcore Motion 300 = Bose Soundlink Flex = Earfun UBoom L?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or JBL Flip 6 (eq adjusted) or Denon Envaya - best speaker for travel!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or Beosound A1 (1st gen) - ultimate compact speaker 😇
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or JBL Flip 6 (eq adjusted) or Denon Envaya - best speaker for travel!
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Tribit Stormbox Flow vs Soundcore Motion 300 (LDAC) 😵 Budget Bose Soundlink Flex "Inspired" Speakers
- Patricio Benadon: Bose SoundLink Flex vs. Mini 2 SE. Music audio quality sound test. Listen 4 different genres!
- Patricio Benadon: Bose SoundLink Flex vs. Mini 2 SE. Music audio quality sound test. Listen 4 different genres!
- Danny Pops: BEST Bose Speaker?? Bose Soundlink Flex vs micro, Color II, and revolve + More from DannyPops →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex vs Minirig MK3 and Marshall Emberton - best bluetooth speaker?
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Alan Ross - The Anti Shill!: Small speaker, mighty sound, The Flex gen 2 shatters physics!
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II): $194.00 Amazon eBay
Older model: the Bose Soundlink Revolve (ranked lower, rated 3.5/5).
Pros: RTINGS measured a fairly neutral sound with a balanced midrange, so vocals and lead instruments come through clearly, and excellent directivity from the 360° design for an open, even sound around the room. In a side by side test against the Revolve+ II and B&O Beosound A1 2nd gen, several listeners preferred its clearer, less bass heavy tuning to the Revolve+ II. Up to 13 hours of battery, IP55 dust and water resistance, a built-in microphone for calls and voice assistants, and multi-connect for two devices at once.
Cons: RTINGS found it lacks low bass, so there’s little deep thump or rumble. It doesn’t get loud either: DXOMARK measured only about 73 to 74 dBA at maximum volume, against 85 to 89 dBA for speakers like the Sony SRS-XB43 in the same test, and bass compresses and pumps as you turn it up. There is no EQ in the Bose Connect app, a single unit plays mono, and it still charges over micro USB.
Full Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II) review and specifications →
| App | Bose Connect |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 13 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP55 |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Stereo | No |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs (680 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- RTINGS: Bose SoundLink Revolve II Review More from Rtings.com →
- DXOMARK: Bose SoundLink Revolve II Speaker review
- SoundGuys: Bose SoundLink Revolve II review More from Soundguys →
- techkiste.net: B&O Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) vs Bose Revolve 2 vs Bose Revolve+ 2 sound-comparison
- Danny Pops: BEST Bose Speaker? Bose is getting lazy. More from DannyPops →
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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