Best Portable Speakers · head-to-head
JBL Charge 5 vs Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen)
A sourced, side-by-side spec comparison. Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) is cheaper at $159. Every spec and price links to its source.
Side by side
| JBL Charge 5 | Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $179.95 (US launch MSRP $179.95 (March 2021). Current street price may be lower. EU launch €179.99 per TechRadar NL review.) | $159 (US MSRP $159 confirmed on Bose.com product page (bose.com/en_us/products/speakers/portable_speakers). 2nd Gen model replaced original SoundLink Flex.) |
| Brand | JBL | Bose |
| Released | 2021 | 2024 |
| battery hr | 20 | 12 |
| ip rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| drivers | 1×90mm woofer + 1×20mm tweeter + 2 passive radiators | — |
| bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.3 |
| weight lb | 2.12 | 1.291 |
| stereo pairing | true | true |
| aux in | false | false |
| release | 2021 | 2024 |
Sources — JBL Charge 5: manua.ls (verified 2026-06-15). Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen): bose.com (verified 2026-06-15).