Bose SoundLink Plus Packs a Backyard Crowd Into a Waterproof Brick

Bose SoundLink Plus landed last summer as the middle size in the current portable family, listed at $269 and frequently closer to $199 (now). About 9.1 inches wide, 3.9 inches tall, and 3.4 inches deep, the speaker weighs 3.3 pounds and includes a nylon rope loop for hanging from a chair, bag strap, or hook.

A thick silicone coating wraps around this unit, and on top of that is a powder-coated steel grille that covers the drivers, a nice touch that earns it an IP67 rating, which means it can handle the occasional dust up, a light rain shower, and will still keep truckin’ for 30 minutes submerged in three feet of water, which is pretty handy if you ask me. To top it all off, the thing can float face down, allowing you to remove it out of the water if you still want to listen. Plus, it’s stress and rust resistant, allowing the speaker to withstand some severe handling. Soft silicone is a nice feature (of the speaker), but it does have a drawback: it attracts a lot of lint and pet hair. Not a big deal, though; a quick wipe will take care of it.

Sale

Bose SoundLink Plus Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Wireless Outdoor Speaker, Up to 20 Hours Battery Life…

• ENERGIZING OUTDOOR SPEAKER: Plus up the energy of any group hang thanks to the SoundLink Plus Portable Speaker’s bold, resonant audio and booming…
• DESIGNED FOR PORTABILITY: The SoundLink Plus Bluetooth Speaker keeps bold sound at hand. Its portable size means you can toss it in a backpack or gym…
• DURABLE, DUST AND WATERPROOF: A tough, ready-for-anything exterior means this wireless outdoor speaker can withstand all weather and survive fumbles…

One mid-bass driver, one tweeter, and four passive radiators produce a warm and full sound with clear vocals and more power than you’d think for its size. It can manage backyard events and larger groups rather well. For example, testers discovered that it handled a track like Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” with ease, as the bass retained tone and definition while the finger snaps and synths jumped out clearly.

Bluetooth 5.4 streaming is fairly reliable, with SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive support, as well as multipoint and Google Fast Pair for Android, all of which are useful features. You also have a good working range of roughly 30 feet. The one thing that’s missing is a 3.5 mm jack, however the rear USB-C connector is basically just for charging only, no music streaming that way. Although it does mean you can deliver 15 watts to a phone by connecting it via USB-C, be aware that this will reduce playback duration and require you to let it dry out again before it is ready to use.

The official battery life is 20 hours at moderate level and default settings, but if you crank it up to maximum volume, it will plummet to roughly 4 hours. A full charge from a suitable USB-C charger takes roughly 5 hours, and a 5-minute top-up gives you another 2 and a half hours of play time. The kicker is that if you ever need a new battery, Bose will replace it for you if you send it back.

Two of these units can be paired to provide a richer stereo effect, and there’s also a Party Mode that syncs the same stream to other recent SoundLink models like the Flex or the Max, as well as a programmed shortcut button on top that allows you to initiate that link or access Spotify. There are basic physical controls for power, volume, play/pause, and Bluetooth, but no microphone for speakerphone activity, and it lacks Wi-Fi, AirPlay, and Spotify Connect.