Buy the Soundcore Boom 2.

It is louder, lasts longer, floats in the pool, and costs less than the Bose.

What was compared

1. Runs twice as long between charges
The Boom 2's battery goes 24 hours to the Flex's 12, meaning it survives an entire weekend camping trip without hunting for an outlet the Bose demands halfway through the day.
2. Fills a yard the Bose can't touch
80W total output against the Flex's roughly 20W means the Boom 2 actually fills a backyard, beach or campsite with sound, while the Bose starts thinning out the moment you push it past living room volume.
3. Drops in the pool and floats back
The Boom 2 is IPX7 rated and built to float, so dunking it in a pool or lake is a feature, not a risk. The Flex is only waterproof and dustproof rated, fine for splashes but not designed to survive a swim.
4. Costs less and still does more
At $129.99 against the Flex's $159, the Boom 2 undercuts Bose while adding a subwoofer for real bass and a power bank mode to top up your phone, extras the Flex simply doesn't offer.
5. Yes, Bose sounds smoother. Doesn't matter here.
Bose's cleaner midrange is real, and the Boom 2 can turn muddy at top volume. But outdoors, fighting wind and open space, raw power and bass beat a subtler tone every time. Want quiet indoor listening, get the Flex, that is a small slice of buyers.