Bose SoundLink Flex ($149)
Bose’s newest portable Bluetooth speaker is a case study in big things delivered in small packages. It’s 7.9 inches long, 3.6 inches tall, and 2.1 inches wide and doesn’t have the kind of flashy aesthetic that makes you instantly curious. But trust us: you should be.
Travel speakers have always been the kind of gear that’s nice to have, but none of the ones we tested ever achieved absolute greatness. It’s just physics: so far, outside of speakers the size of a five or ten pound breadbox, no brand has been able to deliver enough power for you. wrap up completely in the music. The SoundLink Flex achieves this, but weighs only 1.3 pounds and is smaller than a brick.
Bose designed it with powerful speakers that pump out more bass than you think. It also has highs so clear and crisp that you might find yourself looking inside expecting to find tiny violinists producing that precise, rich sound.
Best of all, you can carry it around all day: it lasts up to 12 hours on a charge. Lay it on the picnic table, put it in your gym bag, or hang it on your tent with the webbing loop (provided you’re away from other groups). You can even mount the SoundLink Flex on your boat and if it falls, it will rise to the surface. That’s because it’s both floating and IP67 dust and waterproof, which means it’s submersible up to one meter for 30 minutes. Bose designers also encased the grille in a steel frame, then coated the sides with rubbery silicone, so you can drop it from moderate heights. Use the Bose Connect app’s party mode to sync two Bose Bluetooth speakers and distribute stereo sound. Still, a SoundLink Flex is impressive enough on its own.
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