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🔊 Punchy, loud sound quality
💦 Waterproof design thanks to IP67
🔋 12 hours of battery life
🎒 Detachable strap for easy portability
✌️ Multi-device connectivity
🎙️ No microphones
🎚️ Very limited EQ options
💰 Pricier than other compact speakers
There are lots of different miniature Bluetooth speakers out there, and one of the best we’ve tested recently is the refreshed Bose SoundLink Micro. Now in its second generation, the speaker is more portable thanks to a detachable strap for hanging on the side of your bag, it sounds better with improved room-filling audio, battery life has increased to 12 hours, and it’s fully waterproof so you can take it anywhere you want.
It’s an overall solid little speaker, albeit with some downsides. There are no microphones on this guy, which means you can’t take phone calls or trigger Siri or Gemini. EQ settings are scarce, and content like podcasts sounds very tinny at higher volumes. It’s also $129, which is more expensive than the previous SoundLink Micro and pricier than most competitors, such as the $79.95 JBL Clip 5.
Still, the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) is a great speaker that you’ll enjoy taking around with you wherever you go. From the durable design to the solid sound quality, Bose has a winner here, assuming you’re willing to pay a bit more.
Amazon: Bose SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen)
🤏 Tiny and mighty. The SoundLink Micro fits its name thanks to its very compact design. The size makes it easy to throw in your bag on your way out the door, and the added drop protection helps keep it safe no matter how much it gets tossed around. It also has an IP67 certification, which means it’s waterproof enough to withstand splashes and dunks in a pool. You won’t need to worry about the elements whatsoever when using this speaker.
🎒 Easy to attach. New with the second generation of the SoundLink Micro is a nylon strap on the back. It makes it easy to attach the speaker to your backpack, bicycle, tent, or anywhere else you want it to stay. You can also take the strap completely off if you don’t want to use it.
🎨 Two color choices. Bose ships the speaker in two finishes: Blue Dusk and Black. The company sent the Blue Dusk model for my review, and it’s a nice shade, although I wish the color lineup included more fun finishes like the SoundLink Plus got earlier this year.
🎛️ Simplistic controls. There isn’t much in the way of controlling the SoundLink Micro. All of your controls are right on the front covered in silicone, with play/pause and volume buttons prominently featured. There’s also a convenient Bluetooth button for managing your Bluetooth connection, as well as a (slightly) customizable shortcut key. A USB-C port sits on the bottom along with a power button, and there are feet on the back so you can set it on a table and enjoy its sound quality to the full extent.
🎶 Great sound for music… My favorite way to use the SoundLink Micro? Listening to music, especially hip-hop. The speaker, despite its size, manages to fill a room with loud, punchy audio quality that’s refined and offers good definition in the mids and highs. The extra bass boost makes getting hype to your workout playlist a breeze, and even if you want to play easier songs like 1950s jazz classics, you’ll enjoy balanced audio quality that sounds like it’s from a much larger speaker. I’m more impressed with the sound quality here than with other compact speakers I’ve tried.
🗣️ … but not for podcasts. The one type of content that doesn’t sound too great is a podcast. At lower volumes, people’s voices sound balanced, but crank it up and you’ll get too much pitchiness for it to be enjoyable. I listened to TBPN while I worked on my review, and the co-hosts banter sounded good at medium volume levels, but not at anything higher.
🎚️ Very limited EQ settings. The Bose companion app includes very limited EQ settings for the SoundLink Micro. Beyond some light adjustments to bass and treble, there isn’t much you can do to make the speaker sound the way you want it to.
🧠 A couple of smarts. Beyond the EQ settings, Bose does throw in a couple of nice-to-have features. There’s multi-point connectivity that lets you connect to two devices at once, and a shortcut key that can be used for linking multiple Bose speakers together or discovering new music with Spotify. It’s not much to sink your teeth into, but the extra features are appreciated.
🔋 Strong battery life for the size. I’m impressed with the battery life of the SoundLink Micro. Even after playing loud music for six straight hours, I still had 40% left in the tank. Bose estimates the speaker can last up to 12 hours, which is likely possible if you keep your music lower than I do. For those who like to blast their tunes, expect about 6-8 hours of endurance, which is more than enough to get through a picnic or decorating party at your home this holiday season.
🎙️ No microphones in sight. Bose didn’t include microphones in the SoundLink Micro, which is typical in this speaker category but still a bummer nonetheless. That means you can’t take phone calls or trigger your phone’s voice assistant through the speaker. It isn’t the end of the world, but it would’ve been nice given the higher asking price.
✅ You want good sound quality in a portable design
✅ You want to bring your speaker near the water
✅ You need multi-device connectivity
✅ You want good battery life
❌ You take a lot of phone calls (get the Beats Pill)
❌ You want to save money (get the JBL Clip 5)
❌ You listen to a lot of podcasts (get the UE Wonderboom 4)
Amazon: Bose SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen)
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
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