Why the Bose SoundLink Flex is our must-have travel companion

When it comes to outdoor and rugged speakers the term audio quality isn’t the most synonymous term you would hear out there. The most important part of these portable speakers would be their toughness to survive the outdoors. But what if we told you that there was one out there that can also bring great quality sound as well as ruggedness? There comes the Bose SoundLink Flex.

The Bose SoundLink Flex is the company’s answer to the portable bluetooth speaker game. For lack of a better term, it definitely is a ‘flex’ by the company. It has a very robust exterior that can survive a multitude of weather conditions plus the signature sound Bose is known for.

Design

The SoundLink Flex definitely looks like a Bose product, nothing wild and outdoors-y looking here, just pure class that won’t look out of place in an office either. It has a big steel grille that covers the entire front panel of the device. Around the device is a very sturdy material that will definitely survive a lot of drops (albeit with some scratches of course). The shape is perfect for bringing the device for travel, the pill shape of the SoundLink Flex can easily slip into any travel bag or luggage while you can also attach it to a carabiner and it won’t get in the way while hiking.

The speaker can also survive drops in the water. I wouldn’t recommend submerging it completely though, just an accidental drop here and there and the SoundLink Flex should be fine. This is very useful for surviving rains here in the country especially when hiking or at the beach. The beautiful beige color of our unit here doesn’t pick up a lot of smudges easily (I reckon the black one does though) and it doesn’t pick up a lot of fingerprints either. Sand or dust can get in the grille of the device though so make sure you don’t completely drop it on sand because removing them would be difficult.

The controls of the device are on top of the speaker with your basic buttons of volume up, down, bluetooth, and power. The USB Type-C charging port is on the side of the device and it is important to note that the SoundLink Flex doesn’t feature an AUX input.

Sound

The Bose SoundLink Flex sounds very good for an outdoor speaker. It has a solid bass driver inside of the device that reproduces the lows very well. It has that signature Bose sound that delivers all frequencies well. What does that mean? Instruments sound clear and crisp while not drowning out the vocals. Bringing outdoors like the beach highlights just how great it sounds. Even in an area where there is a lot of noise, the SoundLink Flex will standout.

I’m not saying that this will replace a dedicated pair of high-end cans but given that these are outdoor speakers, it sounds better than the competition. All ranges are represented well, the mids are clear, while the highs are never too shrill. I talked about the bass earlier and that is a standout with this device. A device this small shouldn’t have a bass driver this good! And if you’re wondering how loud it goes, it fills a big room pretty easily, I rarely needed to go full volume to play my music.

Features

A signature feature of the Bose SoundLink Flex is PositionIQ which shifts the sound depending on how the SoundLink flex is positioned. This means if you’re walking around with the device, the SoundLink Flex knows where to shift the sound and throw it there accordingly.

You can connect to the speaker and access more options via the Bose Connect App. You can use this to switch between different devices over Bluetooth multipoint. The devices though only uses Bluetooth 4.2 and has a maximum range of 9 meters. It only supports the standard SBC codec, no AAC or AptX here.

The Bose SoundLink Flex lasts up to 12 hours depending on how loud you listen to your music. The device has a Party Mode which allows you to connect two compatible speakers to play the same content for a fuller sound.

Conclusion

The Bose SoundLink Flex does a lot right for an outdoor bluetooth speaker. As a consumer, there’s not a lot you would still look for. It is built well, it looks good, and most importantly it sounds great. As a travel speaker, it really is amazing to use. You can attach it to a carabiner on your backpack so you can just walk around with the device when you go outdoors and with the different features like PositionIQ, you’re never too far from your music. The design doesn’t look obnoxious and will fit well with any kind of aesthetic you are looking for.

The Bose SoundLink Flex is so easy to use and sounds so much better than the competition that it should be on everyone’s list when buying a portable bluetooth speaker especially one for your next outdoor trip.