Short answer: the Bose Soundlink Flex. It ranks #38 of 175 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 3.8/5, at $159. The Tribit Stormbox 2 ranks #105, rated 3.0/5, at $69.99, $89.01 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap.
The Bose Soundlink Flex is the better-sounding option. IP67 rated; rugged enough to survive drops from several feet and floats. It links with other speakers (Bose Party mode), which the Tribit Stormbox 2 cannot. The tradeoff: Warm sounding with overly boosted bass which drowns out midrange detail.
The Tribit Stormbox 2 is the louder, longer-running choice. A little better sounding than the original Tribit Stormbox, less of a rolled off treble. Alan Ross Reviews measured it at 99dB at full volume, against 96dB for the Bose Soundlink Flex. It is rated for 24 hours of battery against 12 for the Bose Soundlink Flex. It supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Bose Soundlink Flex lacks. Watch for: Drivers on the side, so it will have a rolled off treble listening to it face on.
Buy the Bose Soundlink Flex. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $89.01 you would save on the Tribit Stormbox 2 does not close the gap.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Soundlink Flex | Tribit Stormbox 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.00 | $69.99 |
| Ranked | #38 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #105 of 175 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| EQ | No | Yes |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IPX7 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 33ms | 400ms AAC, 400ms SBC |
| Maximum SPL | 96dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Party mode) | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No (front/rear drivers) |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (589 g) | 1.3 lbs (593 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 7.9” x 3.5” x 2” (201 x 90 x 52 mm) | 7.1” x 2.7” x 2.7” (180 x 69 x 69 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 60mm full-range driver + 2x passive radiators | 2x 48mm fullrange |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Strap | Yes (built-in loop) | - |
| Aux Latency | - | 200ms |
| Frequency Response | - | 70Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Amplifier Power | - | 34W RMS |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Bose Soundlink Flex:
- 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 October 12, 2026 at 4:13 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: $159.00 Amazon $159.00 eBay
Newer model: the Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen, ranked higher, rated 3.8/5, released Sep 2024. It adds adjustable EQ, AAC and aptX Adaptive. See every Bose SoundLink Flex, Micro, Max and Plus generation.
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 →
| Released | Oct 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| 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 →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: JBL, Bose, B&O, Sonos, Earfun, SoundCore… which portable speaker sounds best?
- Oluv Patreon: Bose Soundlink Plus & Flex compared
- Oluv Patreon: Soundcore Motion 300 = Bose Soundlink Flex = Earfun UBoom L?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or Beosound A1 (1st gen) - ultimate compact speaker 😇 More from alanrossreviews →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex vs Minirig MK3 and Marshall Emberton - best bluetooth speaker?
- Alan Ross - The Anti Shill!: Small speaker, mighty sound, The Flex gen 2 shatters physics!
- Alan Ross Reviews: Travel Speakers! Soundcore Motion 300 or Bose Flex or Tribit Stormbow Flow
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex Review! vs JBL Flip 6 and JBL Charge 5. Travel heaven?? 🤞
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex vs Soundcore Boost vs Bogasing M4 - cheap or Bose?
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Soundlink Flex or JBL Flip 6 (eq adjusted) or Denon Envaya - best speaker for travel!
- Alan Ross Reviews: 1 million views! Best Budget Tws? Tozo Pa1 Review and sound test
- 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: 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 →
- Danny Pops: BEST Bose Speaker?? Bose Soundlink Flex vs micro, Color II, and revolve + More from DannyPops →
- Danny Pops: BEST Bose Speaker? Bose is getting lazy.
- Patricio Benadon: Bose SoundLink Flex vs. Mini 2 SE. Music audio quality sound test. Listen 4 different genres!
- 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 Huawei Sound Joy
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Teufel Rockster XS
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs Cleer Audio Scene
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs JBL Charge Essential 3 SE
- Bose Soundlink Flex vs EarFun Uboom Slim
- See all 142 comparisons
Tribit Stormbox 2: $69.99 Amazon $69.99 eBay
Older model: the Tribit Stormbox (ranked lower, rated 2.8/5). See every Tribit Stormbox and Stormbox 2 generation.
Pros: A little better sounding than the original Tribit Stormbox, less of a rolled off treble. Keep Xbass on for best frequency response.
Cons: Drivers on the side, so it will have a rolled off treble listening to it face on.
Full Tribit Stormbox 2 review and specifications →
| Released | May 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 34W RMS |
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 200ms |
| Battery Life | 24 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 400ms AAC, 400ms SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.1” x 2.7” x 2.7” (180 x 69 x 69 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 48mm fullrange |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 70Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX7 |
| Maximum SPL | 99dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No (front/rear drivers) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs (593 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Oluv Patreon: Tribit Stormbox 2 - sound test More from Oluv’Sone →
- Alan Ross Reviews: Tribit Stormbox 2 - wow is this deliberate? 🤔 More from alanrossreviews →
- Storytripper HD: Tribit Micro 2 vs Tribit STormBox 2 vs Tribit StormBox Mini More from storytripperhd →
- Sole X Hunter: Zealot S51 Pro 40W vs Tribit StormBox 2 34W - Maximum OverDrive!
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Tribit Stormbox 2 vs Soundcore 2
- Tribit Stormbox 2 vs Tribit Xsound Surf
- Tribit Stormbox 2 vs LG Xboom Grab
- Tribit Stormbox 2 vs Tronsmart Mirtune C3
- Tribit Stormbox 2 vs Tribit Xsound Go
- Tribit Stormbox 2 vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Tribit Stormbox 2 vs Treblab HD77
- Tribit Stormbox 2 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
- See all 109 comparisons