Short answer: the Bose Soundlink Flex. It ranks #34 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $84.99; the JBL Charge 2 ranks #69 and costs $149, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Bose Soundlink Flex offers: IP67 rated; rugged enough to survive drops from several feet and floats. Around 12 hours of battery at moderate volume. Watch for: Not stereo. Warm sounding with overly boosted bass which drowns out midrange detail
What the JBL Charge 2 offers: Doubles as a 6000mAh power bank. ~10-12 hour battery life. Social Mode pairs up to 3 phones; works as a speakerphone. Watch for: Bass compression at higher volumes. Warm sound. slightly rolled off treble. Not as loud as other speakers.
Buy the Bose Soundlink Flex. It ranks higher for sound quality than the JBL Charge 2 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Soundlink Flex | JBL Charge 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $84.99 | $149 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #34 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #69 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX5 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 33ms | - |
| Max Volume | 96dB | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Input | USB-C | - |
| Stereo | No | - |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | Yes | - |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 589 g | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 3.0 |
| Dimensions | 7.9" x 3.5" x 2" (201 x 90 x 52 mm) | 8.5" x 3.4" x 3" (216 x 86 x 76 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 60mm full-range driver + 2x passive radiators | 2x 45mm fullrange |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Power Bank | - | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2.1A) |
| Frequency Response | - | 75Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | - | 15W RMS |
| Aux Input | - | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
Related Speaker Comparisons
Other pairings from the same speaker class worth checking:
- JBL Charge Essential vs Marshall Emberton II
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs JBL Charge Essential
- JBL Charge Essential 2 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Sony ULT Field 3
- JBL Charge 2 vs Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Bose Soundlink Flex: $84.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated; rugged enough to survive drops from several feet and floats. Around 12 hours of battery at moderate volume.
Cons: Not stereo. Warm sounding with overly boosted bass which drowns out midrange detail
Full Bose Soundlink Flex review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| 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 |
| Max Volume | 96dB |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| 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!
- Reddit Search for Bose Soundlink Flex Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs JBL Charge Essential 2
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Tribit Xsound Plus 2
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Teufel Rockster XS
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Soundcore Motion 100
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Tribit Stormbox Pro
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Soundcore Boom 3i
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
- See all 77 comparisons
JBL Charge 2: $149 Discontinued eBay
Pros: Doubles as a 6000mAh power bank. ~10-12 hour battery life. Social Mode pairs up to 3 phones; works as a speakerphone.
Cons: Bass compression at higher volumes. Warm sound. slightly rolled off treble. Not as loud as other speakers. Discontinued.
Full JBL Charge 2 review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 3.0 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 8.5" x 3.4" x 3" (216 x 86 x 76 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 45mm fullrange |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 75Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX5 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Output Power | 15W RMS |
| Party Mode | Yes (Connect+ up to 100 speakers) |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-A, 5V/2.1A) |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs / 1.1 kg |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons