# Bose SoundLink Flex (1st Gen)

- Source: https://stierproducts.com/products/bose-soundlink-flex-1st-gen
- Category board: https://stierproducts.com/categories/outdoor-speakers
- Placement: #12 of 13 in Outdoor Speakers, F tier
- Brand: Bose
- LP on this board: 163
- Last researched: 2026-08-19T08:57:57.806Z
- Method: https://stierproducts.com/methodology
- Reuse: Text, rankings, tier assignments, LP values and verdicts are free to quote and reuse with attribution to stierproducts and a link to the source URL (CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence.

## Verdict

Outdated design and weaker sound make it a poor value today.

## For

- Weather-resistant
- Reliable construction
- Decent sound

## Against

- Dated design
- Weaker sound quality
- Lower durability
- Weak bass response
- Limited volume for outdoor settings

## Flagged as one to avoid

This product entered 2 of 3 runs as one buyers cross-shop but should not buy, rather than as a pick. It is published here rather than dropped.

## Evidence

Consolidated from 14 cited sources across 13 outlets

| Outlet | Said by | Stance | Link | Link status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| note（ノート） | YOKO | B | https://note.com/podosan/n/n450100c5e3d6?hl=en | fetched and confirmed |
| Phonearena | phonearena.com | C | https://www.phonearena.com/news/bose-soundlink-flex-2nd-gen-under-100-usd_id181433 | fetched and confirmed |
| Kotaku | Zainab Falak | B | https://kotaku.com/bose-clears-out-soundlink-flex-bluetooth-speaker-2nd-gen-at-its-all-time-low-across-all-limited-edition-colors-2000690277 | fetched and confirmed |
| PCGamesN | Edward Chester | C | https://www.pcgamesn.com/best-bluetooth-speakers | fetched and confirmed |
| Travelandleisure | travelandleisure.com | B | https://www.travelandleisure.com/style/shopping/best-beach-gadgets-and-gear | fetched and confirmed |
| Instagram | - | C | https://www.instagram.com/p/DWBWkOtFs2q/ | fetched and confirmed |
| r/bose | u/Dunnerzzzz555 | B | https://www.reddit.com/r/bose/comments/1pht8e7/soundlink_flex_worth_it/ | fetched and confirmed |
| Smart Home Sounds | Smart Home Sounds | C | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FmrwXG2NAA | fetched and confirmed |
| Alan Ross - The Anti Shill! | Alan Ross - The Anti Shill! | D | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm03lmXqi7E | fetched and confirmed |
| SoundGuys | SoundGuys | C | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVdXUgsQ87g | fetched and confirmed |
| Verified Reviews | Verified Reviews | D | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e547sldTr90 | fetched and confirmed |
| Danny Pops | bombomu2 | C | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muPC2gESoWc#comments | fetched and confirmed |
| SoundGuys | sasasovec2309 | C | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVdXUgsQ87g#comments | fetched and confirmed |
| What Hi-Fi? | whathifi.com | B | https://www.whathifi.com/speakers/wireless-speakers/this-stylish-and-feature-laden-bose-speaker-has-plummeted-in-price | fetched and confirmed |

## Nearest alternatives on this board

| Rank | Product | Tier | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | OSD Audio AP650 | S | https://stierproducts.com/products/osd-audio-ap650 |
| 2 | JBL Boombox 4 | A | https://stierproducts.com/products/jbl-boombox-4-outdoor-speakers |
| 3 | Polk Audio T15 | B | https://stierproducts.com/products/polk-audio-t15 |
| 4 | Sony ULT Tower 10 | B | https://stierproducts.com/products/sony-ult-tower-10 |
| 7 | Sonance 4-Series Outdoor Speaker | C | https://stierproducts.com/products/sonance-4-series-outdoor-speaker |
| 8 | Sonos Era 100 | C | https://stierproducts.com/products/sonos-era-100-outdoor-speakers |
| 9 | Sony ULT Tower 8 | D | https://stierproducts.com/products/sony-ult-tower-8 |
| 10 | JBL Go 5 | D | https://stierproducts.com/products/jbl-go-5-outdoor-speakers |
| 11 | Bose SoundLink Mini | D | https://stierproducts.com/products/bose-soundlink-mini |
| 13 | JBL Flip 6 | F | https://stierproducts.com/products/jbl-flip-6 |

The full board is at https://stierproducts.com/categories/outdoor-speakers.

## What this tier means

- F: Avoid. The evidence points you elsewhere.

## How to read this

- Each category is researched in four independent runs, one per lens (expert consensus, value, reliability, community pulse). Every run ranks a board of candidates that deliberately includes products buyers cross-shop but should avoid. Placements score on a ranked ladder (LP), and tiers are derived from LP, so no tier is ever assigned by hand.
- LP is this product's points on its own category ladder. It is comparable within a category and not across categories.
- Link status reports what our pre-publication link check found when it fetched the cited URL. It says nothing about the quality of the review.
- A citation with no usable link is listed rather than dropped, and is excluded from the counted total above.

## Image

https://stierproducts.com/images/products/bose-soundlink-flex-1st-gen.webp

Product photographs are not covered: they belong to their respective owners and are reproduced to illustrate the product being reviewed. Do not redistribute them under this licence.