The Bose SoundLink Plus is a portable Bluetooth speaker that fits between the smaller SoundLink Flex and the larger SoundLink Max in Bose’s current lineup. The Plus weighs 3.3 pounds with a built-in nylon carrying loop on the side, runs for up to 20 hours per charge, and carries an IP67 rating that makes it dustproof, waterproof, and able to float if dropped in a pool. A 2.5-inch woofer paired with four passive radiators handles bass, while a 0.78-inch tweeter handles high frequencies.
A portable speaker that’s truly lightweight and comfortable to tote around
Bose sound tuning is the reason most people pay extra for a SoundLink over a cheaper Bluetooth speaker. The Plus uses a 2.5-inch mid/bass woofer paired with four passive radiators (two on each side of the speaker), allowing the small enclosure to produce bass that punches above its size class. A 0.78-inch tweeter handles the highs, and aptX Adaptive delivers higher-resolution audio from your phone than the standard SBC codec used by most basic Bluetooth speakers.
The IP67 rating protects against dust, water immersion up to 1 meter for 30 minutes, and occasional drops. The Plus also floats, so dropping it into a pool or off a dock doesn’t sink the speaker. A nylon carrying loop on the side gives you a quick grab point for moving the speaker between rooms, hanging it from a backpack strap, or clipping it to a railing. The colored silicone exterior comes in Black, Blue Dusk, or Citrus Yellow.
At typical listening levels, the SoundLink Plus runs about 20 hours per charge. That’s enough for a full weekend at a campsite, a long pool day, or a few backyard parties without needing to plug in. A USB-C charging port also lets you use the SoundLink Plus as a backup power bank for your phone in a pinch, which is useful when you’re not near an outlet at the beach.
Bose SimpleSync lets you pair the SoundLink Plus with another Bose Bluetooth speaker for Party Mode or Stereo Mode. Stereo Mode requires a second SoundLink Plus and splits the audio into separate left and right channels. Party Mode plays the same audio on multiple speakers in different rooms. Plus, multipoint Bluetooth lets you pair the SoundLink Plus to two devices at once, so you and a partner can switch between your playlists without re-pairing the speaker.
The SoundLink Plus is the middle option in Bose’s portable speaker line, fitting between the Flex and the Max. The Plus drops from $269 to $179 in this deal. For a Bose speaker with the IP67 rating, the 20-hour battery, and Bose’s typical sound tuning, the discount opens the door to one of the better portable Bluetooth speakers in the under-$200 range.