If you're looking for a speaker to use at your next party, it's important to choose one that can get loud enough to fill large, crowded spaces. Speakers designed for parties are often large and heavy, which helps them reproduce deeper, thumpier bass than smaller speakers. They sometimes have RGB lighting and inputs for connecting external microphones and instruments. If you want the best Bluetooth speaker for outdoor parties, battery power is a must, so you're not limited to where you can place it. A speaker that's rated for water resistance is also ideal, so you won't have to worry about splashes or light rain.
We've tested over 200 speakers, and below are our recommendations for the best speakers for parties. See also our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers for bass, the best outdoor speakers, and the best karaoke speakers.
All of our recommendations start with the products we've tested. And, they're backed by in-house experts who ensure unbiased, objective data to help you choose the right speaker.
Want to see how we've tested more than 200 speakers? Our How We Test Speakers article walks you through the entire process: from selecting and purchasing products to testing, reviewing, and publishing our results.
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Best Speaker For Parties
The best speaker for parties we've tested is the Marshall Bromley 450. This large speaker offers the perfect marriage of a balanced sound with plenty of bass, a very high top volume, and amazing directivity, so everyone experiences similar sound quality regardless of where you're positioned around the speaker. On top of that, you get a sturdy, outdoor-ready build quality, as well as 18 hours of battery life in case your backyard party ends up going all night.
The default frequency response is quite flat across the entire frequency range, making it a great choice for genres like pop and rock, but you can always crank up the bass via the onboard EQ controls to bring out the bass in EDM and trap tracks. As with most party speakers, it's on the heavier side, though there's a rubber handle on the side to help carry it. Still, it lacks some of the bells and whistles you get with party speakers like the JBL PartyBox 520, such as built-in RGB lighting, a graphic EQ, and karaoke mic inputs. The JBL has a more bass-heavy default sound, though, and it lacks the Marshall's amazing directivity and long battery life. So the Marshall is still a better choice if you want peak party performance.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Speaker For Parties
If you want something easier to move that's also a bit lighter on the wallet, consider the JBL PartyBox Stage 320. It doesn't have the Marshall Bromley 450's balanced sound and consistent audio delivery across different listening angles, but crucially, it has wheels for easy transport. Unless you're throwing a massive rager, this speaker delivers enough volume and bass to keep your guests grooving into the wee hours. And like most JBL speakers, you also get a companion app that offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you customize the sound. Like the larger JBL PartyBox 520, its front-facing design means the sound is a bit muffled if you're off to the side of it.
The Stage 320 has many of the same party-friendly features common to the PartyBox line, including customizable RGB lighting and inputs for microphones and instruments for your next karaoke event. Additionally, the battery lasts over 23 hours, beating out our top pick. That makes it a better choice for long events where access to an outlet may be limited. However, it's not quite as well-built or sturdy as the Marshall Bromley, and its front-facing design means that those positioned to the side or behind the speaker will experience quite muffled audio.
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Best Mid-Range Speaker For Parties
If you're looking for something even more reasonably priced, check out the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2. This smaller, lighter party speaker has a built-in carrying handle, making it easier to bring around than the JBL PartyBox Stage 320. It also comes with JBL's standard suite of party-friendly features, including a mic or guitar input, customizable RGB lighting, and a companion app with a graphic EQ and presets.
Like its predecessor, the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential, the Essential 2 delivers a default sound that's similarly balanced to that of the JBL PartyBox Stage 320, with slightly less bass-range emphasis. That said, it lacks the Marshall's ability to sound consistent from different listening angles, and it doesn't get as loud as the more expensive picks above. Its battery lasts almost 13 hours with the lights off, though, which is enough for a long day outside. If battery life is your priority, consider the LG xboom Stage 301. It lasts almost two hours longer and compresses less at max volume, though it doesn't get as loud or produce as much low-bass as the JBL.
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Best Budget Bluetooth Speaker For Parties
The Klipsch GIG XXL is one of the best speakers you can pick up on a budget if you're looking to party. This powerful speaker offers solid performance for the price, and it comes with many of the same cool party features as the more premium options on the list. Even though it costs under $100, it can still put out more than 100 dB, so it has plenty of volume for casual parties and events. Its sound is slightly warm, though it can't reproduce the same amount of low-bass as our more expensive picks. You also get a few useful extras at this price, including a wired handheld microphone, a bit of echo control, and intuitive onboard controls for playback and inputs.
That said, there are some trade-offs compared to the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2. The battery lasts just shy of six hours, so you may need to plug it in before the night is over, and there's no app for EQ adjustments or other extra tools. Still, you can pair two identical speakers for less than $200, which is a big plus if you need more volume on a shoestring budget. If longer battery life matters more than loudness, consider the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom instead. It's smaller, more portable, and lasts 22 hours, but it isn't as loud and only supports Bluetooth connectivity.
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Best Party Speaker For Bass
The bassiest speaker for parties we've tested is the Sony ULT TOWER 9AC. Unlike other picks on this list, this Bluetooth speaker has to be plugged in to work. Still, its sound quality is impressive, with a bass-heavy sound that you can boost further via the 'ULT' button. It's well-suited to getting the party started, rendering kicks and bass lines with plenty of oomph.
With a max volume of over 110 dB, this powerful speaker packs a punch, making it a great choice for filling larger, more open spaces with your favorite tunes. It has many useful features to make the most of your next event. For example, you can connect an external microphone for karaoke or a guitar to play with your friends, and you also get a 10-band graphic EQ and DJ effects. It's not as portable as the JBL PartyBox Stage 320, weighing in at a hefty 63.3 lbs (28.7 kg), but that matters less if you plan to keep it in one place.
Check out our recommendations for the loudest Bluetooth speakers if you want similar options.
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Best Portable Loud Party Speaker
If you want to take your party on the go, check out the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM. This speaker is more compact than the other options on our list, but it still gets loud enough to bring the energy to your next big event. In fact, its max volume of 100 dB rivals some of the larger picks on our list. Thanks to its built-in carrying strap, it's easy to bring from room to room, and a 23-hour battery life means you can keep the party going all night long.
When it comes to sound, voices and lead instruments are clearly and accurately reproduced right out of the box, and there's a touch of extra warmth across the high-bass and low-mids to keep disco basslines feeling full. Thanks to the graphic EQ in the companion app, you can tune the speaker to your preferences, too. That said, it lacks some of the karaoke features, like guitar or microphone inputs, that you get with the larger JBL PartyBox Stage 320. The Sony ULT FIELD 7 represents a good middle ground between the Ultimate Ears' smaller size and the JBL's karaoke-readiness. It has a bass-heavy sound, with more bass on tap via the 'ULT' button. Still, it compresses much more at max volume and has less than half the battery life, though it can get a little louder than the Ultimate Ears.
Notable Mentions
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ION Tailgater Tough:
The ION Tailgater Tough is a more portable and affordable alternative to the Klipsch GIG XXL. That said, the ION can't get as loud as our pick, and its battery life is a little shorter, too.
See our review -
JBL Boombox 4:
The JBL Boombox 4 is a portable Bluetooth speaker that's better built than the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM. The JBL also has a longer battery life. However, it's quite a bit more expensive than the Ultimate Ears, and it can't reproduce audio as consistently from different angles, so your audio sounds quite muffled if you're behind it.
See our review -
JBL PartyBox 720:
If you're looking to squeeze out every bit of bass and volume from your speaker, consider the JBL PartyBox 720. It supports battery-powered operation while still clearing 110 dB SPL. And you can plug it in for an extra three to four dB of headroom. That said, it's much more expensive than the Sony ULT TOWER 9AC.
See our review -
SOUNDBOKS Mix:
The SOUNDBOKS Mix gets louder than our top pick, the Marshall Bromley 450, and has a similar 18-hour battery life, despite coming in a more compact package. That said, the SOUNDBOKS can't reproduce audio as consistently from different listening angles, and its default sound isn't as balanced.
See our review
Recent Updates
Sep 28, 2026:
This article has been rewritten to establish clearer trade-offs between our different picks. The JBL PartyBox 520 has also been replaced with the Marshall Bromley 450, which offers a more balanced default sound, longer battery life, and better directivity. We've added the SOUNDBOKS Mix as a Notable Mention too, for its high top volume, despite being a relatively compact speaker.
Aug 03, 2026:
The JBL PartyBox 520 is our new top pick because it offers full XLR inputs, unlike the JBL PartyBox Stage 320, which is now our upper mid-range pick. We've removed our lower mid-range pick, so the LG xboom Stage 301 is now an alternative to the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 for buyers who prioritize battery life. We also moved the JBL PartyBox 720 to our Notable Mentions. Finally, we updated the text throughout to align with changes made as part of Speaker Test Bench 1.0.
Jun 01, 2026:
We've double-checked that these are still the best party speakers that we've tested, and ensured the trade-offs between different models are clear.
Apr 23, 2026:
We've rejigged this article slightly to better serve readers shopping at different price points. The JBL PartyBox 110 is now our upper mid-range pick, with the JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2 as our mid-range pick. That makes the LG xboom Stage 301 our lower mid-range pick, with the Klipsch GIG XXL becoming our new budget pick. Finally, in our Notable Mentions, the JBL Boombox 4 replaces the JBL Boombox 3, and we removed the JBL PartyBox On-The-Go.
Mar 24, 2026:
We've updated our top pick to the JBL PartyBox Stage 320 for its longer battery life and merged the 'Loud' and 'Bass' picks, as the Sony ULT TOWER 9AC is great in both categories.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top party speakers for most people to buy, according to their needs. We factor in the price (cheaper speakers win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no speakers that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you'd like to see more products, here's the list of all our speaker reviews filtered by maximum volume. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect speakers. Personal taste and listening habits will matter more in your selection.
