– Funky colours like Citrus Yellow

– Pronounced bass

– Water resistant, can float

– Generous battery life

– Pass-through charging

Cons

– Pretty heavy and bulky

– Voice assistant sounds dull

– Isn’t the best value for dollar in the category

– Power supply only included in the U.S. (comes with charging cable only in Canada)

Bose is known for its noise cancelling headphones with its QuietComfort line receiving rave reviews. Alongside a new pair of QuietComfort true wireless earbuds and a mini SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker, Bose has also introduced the Bose SoundLink Plus, a mid-range portable Bluetooth speaker. Available in three colours including the bright Citrus Yellow hue in the model I reviewed, it’s a cool new option for the patio, poolside, and cottage this summer and beyond.

About the Bose SoundLink Plus

The Bose SoundLink Plus portable speaker sits between the SoundLink Flex and the Max in the line. It’s big enough to provide rich bass but also portable enough to take with you, popped into a backpack, duffle bag, or beach tote.

It has one subwoofer, a tweeter, and four passive radiators. It purports to offer “bold, resonant, and booming bass.” There’s a Party Mode option for connecting another compatible speaker and stereo mode if you want to use two as left and right channels. Using Bluetooth 5.4, you can expect a stable connection.

It meets an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance and can even float. It has a shock- and rust-resistant housing, powder-coated steel grille, and soft touch silicone. Get up to 20 hours of battery life per charge; it takes five hours to charge to full. Thanks to pass-through charging, the SoundLink Plus can also charge other devices with its USB-C port. So, you can use the port to recharge your phone while playing tunes, albeit slowly so only in a punch.

Available in Black, Blue Dusk, or the new summer colour Citrus Yellow, the speaker is made of silicone, polycarbonate, steel, and nylon. It’s $349 in Canada.

Bose SoundLink Plus Review

The Citrus Yellow finish option screams summer as soon as you take it out of the box. It’s not an overly bright shade of yellow, more like a light pastel hue. But it’s a nice departure from the usual blacks, greys, and whites. That said, if a bold colour like this one isn’t your cup of tea, the other two finishes are more traditional options.

The speaker has some heft to it: you’d have a tough time carrying it one-handed unless you use the sturdy side strap (it’s more like a rope!) It’s slightly larger than the JBL Charge 6 I reviewed last month, and despite not being much heavier in rated weight, it somehow feels bulkier. This isn’t the speaker I’d put in my carry-on for a trip or even a beach bag. It’s much too big and heavy. But it’s perfect for poolside, at home, at the cottage, while camping, or to take over to a friend’s house for the neighbourhood barbecue.

Set-up is simple using the clearly marked pairing button and downloading the Bose app. The voice assistant in the speaker startled me when I first turned it on after charging. It’s not as welcoming a voice as you might have become accustomed to with other voice activated products. She sounds like a customer service rep at the end of an eight-hour shift dying to get home. That has no bearing on the speaker itself, and you’ll only hear her when she’s advising of the connection status, incoming calls, battery level, and at start-up. But I found it amusing, nonetheless.

The speaker has a relatively clean design with buttons in a recessed section at the top for power, Bluetooth pairing, Party Mode (which I was unable to try since I only had the one review sample), play/pause, and volume up/down. If you’re like me and have long nails, you’ll have to hold your finger flat to be able to depress each button since they’re recessed in.

Alternatively, you can also control the speaker from the Bose app, including volume, Bluetooth source connection, and EQ settings. You can also use the app or your music source app to do things like skip tracs as there’s no button on the unit for this function.

The speaker has a strip of rubber on the bottom for a secure grip on a table, desk, even the ground. The side handle grip is ultra-thick and durable: as mentioned, it’s more like a rigid piece of rope. You don’t have to worry about it fraying or breaking! It’s perfect for hanging from a patio umbrella or off the side of the deck, as well as carrying with your fingers, strong enough to accommodate the weight of the speaker.

Ready to listen, I started with my regular mix of background tunes playing throughout my workday from sources like Apple Music and SiriusXM. Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” sounded fresh and bass-heavy, clear notes reproduced all through as the song accelerates into the well-known, sing-a-long-friendly hook. Flipping to Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” (I was in a throwback kind of mood), the guitar strings sounded crisp, the vocals perfectly balanced. Once again, the bass thumping really stands out.

In the interest in running a full evaluation, I compared playback of the same tunes back and forth with the aforementioned JBL Charge 6. It’s a similarly sized portable Bluetooth speaker that I also happened to recently review, and it costs $100 less. I instantly noticed a difference in the power and balance between the two. Most people, of course, aren’t going to have a second speaker to compare, so you won’t notice if you’re only listening from the Bose SoundLink Plus. But it becomes apparent when comparing the two side-by-side.

This is especially so when playing songs like Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab,” which sounds more enveloping and immersive through the JBL speaker, with bass that truly shakes you to the core. Daniel Bedingfield’s “Gotta Get Thru This” is a song that really puts bass to the test as well, and the JBL Charge 6 had my couch vibrating, a step above for those who really want to feel their music.

Even with Bass Boost activated on the Bose SoundLink Plus, the JBL Charge 6 offers more pronounced, clearer sound. It’s important to note that you aren’t by any means getting bad sound from the Bose SoundLink Plus. But considering the JBL Charge 6 is cheaper, it’s tough to ignore my experiences with both.

Of course, I eventually switched over to my reference track, Radiohead’s “Creep.” The song sounds wonderful through the Bose SoundLink Plus, with no noticeable distortion as I cranked the volume up (you will hear some distortion if you crank it to the max, though). As the guitar strings come in, I got goosebumps. I could definitely enjoy this speaker out by the pool or at a barbecue, even at the side of my desk while I work. Once again, when I switched to the JBL Charge 6, however, the sound was far more electric, every note hit harder, every vocal crisper.

Should You Buy the Bose SoundLink Plus?

Bose has loyal fans, and the company makes some of the best noise cancelling headphones I’ve ever used. The SoundLink Plus is a fine portable Bluetooth speaker and the fun Citrus Yellow colour will delight fans who like something that stands out among the pack.

With that said, you’re paying for the brand recognition, but you aren’t necessarily getting the best value for dollar when you consider alternatives. If you’re looking for a water-resistant outdoor speaker with great battery life, fantastic audio, and the ability to link up with others, I’d recommend the JBL Charge 6 over the Bose SoundLink Plus, which will save you $100 as well. But if you prefer the funky colour, like the design of the Bose SoundLink Plus, and you’ve used Bose speakers in the past and have been happy with them, you’ll love this new model, too. Sound is wonderful, bass pumping, operation simple, and the housing ultra-rugged with a handle that seems like it could withstand a natural disaster.

Is the Bose SoundLink Plus the best mid-range portable Bluetooth speaker you can buy for the money? No. But it’s middle-of-the-pack at least, and for Bose fans, it’s one worth considering. You might, however, want to wait for it to go on sale.

The Bose SoundLink Plus is available for $349.