Don't buy the Bose SoundLink Home speaker

The Bose SoundLink Home isn’t your typical rugged Bluetooth speaker. It’s designed to sit indoors, with a minimalist build and premium-looking finish that blends neatly into your home’s decor. Bose claims it “brings standout sound from a size that fits in,” but at over $200, it needs to deliver more than just those good looks. Let’s get into this Bose SoundLink Home review to see if it can earn a place on your mantel.

What I like about the Bose SoundLink Home

As intended, the SoundLink Home looks right at home indoors. There are no chunky rubber bumpers, dangling lanyards, or unsightly carrying handles. Instead, a sleek metal casing gives the speaker a subtle, elevated presence. It’s the kind of design that might catch a houseguest’s eye and spark a conversation, and not in a bad way. Who doesn’t love talking about their audio gear?

Up top, again, the SoundLink Home keeps things minimal with a clean set of tactile controls. I much prefer these to the recessed buttons found on other Bose speakers like the SoundLink Flex. They offer a satisfying click that confirms each press. Still, you’ll rely heavily on the multi-function button for most tasks, including play/pause, track skipping, taking phone calls, or using your phone’s voice assistant, thanks to the SoundLink Home’s built-in mic.

When it comes to connection, the SoundLink Home uses Bluetooth 5.3 but supports both the SBC and AAC codecs. You can also listen wired via USB-C, although as a dedicated home speaker, I’m sure many listeners would also prefer a 3.5mm jack.

Overall, when it comes to sound quality, the Bose SoundLink Home handles sophisticated classic rock tracks like Steely Dan’s “Hey, Nineteen” quite well. It offers a full sound with a satisfying low-end kick drum punch and decent treble clarity. I can still hear the stick attack on the drummer’s ride cymbal, not to mention the whisper-like layered backing vocals.

However, switching gears and cuing up some electronic music like Todd Terje’s “Delorean Dynamite” makes that same bass strength a little overwhelming, masking some of the details from the swirling synths accompanying this upbeat track. This is normally where I would dive into the EQ to make some adjustments, but it turns out there aren’t any. So, let’s get into this issue and the rest of SoundLink Home’s shortcomings.

What I don’t like about the Bose SoundLink Home

As sleek as the Bose SoundLink Home looks on a shelf, it lacks the features you’d expect from a speaker that costs over $200. First off, there’s no companion app support, which is a surprising omission from Bose. That means no EQ controls, so what you hear is what you get—there’s no way to fine-tune the sound to your liking without using a third-party app. On top of that, no app means no firmware updates, which could be a problem down the line if any bugs or performance issues crop up.

Then there’s the lack of multi-speaker pairing options. You can only link it with another SoundLink Home for stereo playback, and that’s it. It can’t connect to any of Bose’s other Bluetooth speakers or soundbars for a broader setup. That’s a real letdown, especially considering Bose’s many Bluetooth products in its lineup. I love stereo listening when I can get it, but the ecosystem limitations here feel unnecessary. For the price, this speaker should be more flexible.

And then there’s battery life. A maximum of 9 hours of playback is less than what most speakers of a similar size offer. I would expect to see something a little close to 12. Lastly, the SoundLink Home does not offer an IP rating. Sure, it’s designed to be used around the house, but even a minimal IPX4 rating for protection against water splashes would be nice.

Should you buy the Bose SoundLink Home?

While the Bose SoundLink Home is indeed a good-sounding and good-looking Bluetooth speaker, its limitations, lack of features, and price are hard to ignore, especially if you already own or plan to invest in other Bose speakers down the line. There’s not much value here. You’re essentially paying for the housing. If you’re fine with that, you’ll enjoy the sound.

Otherwise, if you want to stick with Bose, consider the more durable, flexible, and less expensive SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) ($149 at Amazon). It’s IP67-rated, making it outdoor-ready, offers better battery life (up to 12 hours), and can pair with other Bose speakers like the SoundLink Max ($299 at Amazon).

The JBL Charge 6 ($199 at Amazon) and Flip 7 ($149 at Amazon) may also be of interest to you. Otherwise, you can check out our list of the Best Bluetooth speakers under $200 for even more feature-packed alternatives.

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