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 since they tend to reproduce deeper and thumpier low-basses than smaller speakers. They also often come with RGB lights and inputs to connect external microphones and instruments. If you want the best Bluetooth speaker for outdoor parties, being battery-powered is a must, so you're not limited in where to place it. A speaker with an IP rating for water resistance is also ideal, so you won't have to worry about splashes or light rain.
We've tested over 160 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.
The best speaker for parties we've tested is the JBL PartyBox 310. This premium speaker is a great choice for your next event thanks to its many party-centric features that amp up the excitement while you rock out to your favorite tunes. Right out of the box, this speaker brings lots of thump and rumble in the low-bass to shake the dance floor as you listen to genres like EDM and hip-hop. Its clear and accurate reproduction of voices and lead instruments makes it suitable for other genres like rock and pop as well. You can even customize its sound performance with the graphic EQ and presets available in the JBL PartyBox app, which is a cool touch.
Like many JBL party speakers, this device has some added tools to bring excitement to your next celebration. Karaoke lovers can plug their microphones and guitars right into the speaker to jam out, and the JBL PartyBox app brings some additional effects to adjust the microphone's performance for the best possible sound. You can also customize the color and pattern of the RGB lights around the speaker in the app to set the mood on the dance floor. It can also get loud, easily filling larger, more open dance floors with sound. Overall, this is a really powerful speaker that's lots of fun.
If you're planning a party on a tighter budget, the JBL PartyBox 110 might be for you. It's a smaller and more affordable cousin to the JBL PartyBox 310, and it comes with many of the same fun features and tools to boost the energy at your next big event. Again, you get access to the JBL PartyBox app, where you'll find customization tools to switch up the colors and patterns for the RGB lights and a graphic EQ and Bass Boost preset to change up its sound. Plus, the DJ and karaoke effects let you make the most of the included microphone and guitar inputs if you want to host a sing-along at your next party.
Given its smaller size, this speaker doesn't get as loud as the PartyBox 310. Its low-frequency extension isn't as impressive, either, so you feel a touch less thump and rumble with bass-centric genres like EDM and hip-hop. That said, it's a small difference overall, and this party speaker still gets loud enough to fill larger and more open spaces with sound. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two devices comes down to their portability—while the 110 is smaller, it doesn't come with wheels or a telescopic handle for transport like the 310. Instead, you have to carry it with your hands. It's not ideal for everyone, but depending on your preferences, you may still find that this speaker is a better value overall.
The ION Pathfinder 320 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. For example, you'll find RGB lights that you can customize in different colors to set the mood at your next event, as well as a graphic EQ and several presets to customize its sound. There's even a Boom preset designed to add more emphasis to the bass range. And since its battery lasts over 117 hours, you can host multiple events without worrying about a recharge.
With a max volume of 96.1 decibels, this speaker gets loud enough to fill the dance floor with tunes, too. Its sound quality is pretty impressive, so it's suitable for a variety of music styles, like EDM, hip-hop, rock, pop, and more. Voices and lead instruments are clearly and accurately reproduced, which is great for more audio-centric partygoers. It doesn't pack as much thump in the low-bass as the JBL PartyBox 110 or the JBL PartyBox 310, which is especially noticeable with bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop. Still, this portable speaker performs well for its price, and if you can't spend much on a speaker, it's worth checking out.
The loudest speaker for parties we've tested is the JBL PartyBox 1000. With a max volume of 109.4 decibels, this powerful speaker packs a punch, making it a great choice for filling larger, more open spaces with your favorite tunes. It has many cool features to make the most of your next event. For example, you can connect an external microphone for your next karaoke session or a guitar to rock out with your friends. It's not as portable as picks like the JBL PartyBox 310, but it's not a big deal if you plan to stay in the same place.
Unlike other picks on this list, this Bluetooth speaker has to be plugged in to work, but that's the price you pay for volume! The sound quality is impressive, too, so it's suitable for listening to many different music genres. It offers a generally well-balanced sound, with a little extra bass and treble to keep your techno tunes sounding exciting. There's no companion app, but if you want a different sound, you can adjust the amount of bass between three levels. If you love to shake the walls with your favorite songs, this loud party speaker is worth a look.
Check out our recommendations for the loudest Bluetooth speakers if you want similar options.
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 98 decibels 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 its 23-hour battery life means you can keep the music pumping 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 rumble in the bass for genres like EDM and hip-hop. Thanks to its graphic EQ, this speaker is also customizable, and some presets are even available in its companion app. That said, it lacks some of the karaoke features, like guitar or microphone inputs, you get with the JBL PartyBox 310. 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. While it can get a little louder than the Ultimate Ears, it compresses much more at max volume and has less than half the battery life.
Listen to lots of bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop? The JBL PartyBox 710 is the best Bluetooth party speaker for bass we've tested. This big and booming speaker offers an impressive low-frequency extension of 26.7Hz, meaning that it can easily reproduce the deep thump and rumble in the bass range of your favorite tracks. Crank it up to feel the floor shake with bass-heavy tunes. If you want even more oomph, you can set its Bass Boost feature to Deep or Punchy, depending on your mood. This speaker is a larger cousin to the JBL PartyBox 310, and it boasts many of the same features to hype up the crowd at your next event. Use its microphone and guitar inputs to host a sing-along, or customize its RGB lights to set the mood on the dance floor. The graphic EQ lets you customize its sound to your liking, too.
However, this speaker's big and hefty design isn't ideal for everyone. It's not battery-powered like the 310, so you must keep it plugged into an outlet while using it. Still, it's a great choice overall. If you're looking for a smaller, battery-powered speaker that can still bring the bass, it's worth looking at the Brane X instead. This lunchbox-sized speaker can produce a surprising amount of bass from its small frame, and it even comes with smart features, like voice assistant integration and Wi-Fi. That said, although it's loud for its size, it still won't be able to soundtrack larger events the way the PartyBox 710 can.
The Sony SRS-XP700 is a large party speaker with customizable RGB lights. It's compatible with the Sony Music Center and the Fiestable apps, allowing you access to extra party features and effects. That said, it doesn't produce as extended a low-bass as the JBL PartyBox 310 and doesn't get quite as loud.
See our reviewThe Klipsch GIG XXL has features similar to the JBL PartyBox 310, with mic and guitar inputs and RGB lights. Unfortunately, it doesn't get as loud as the JBL and produces less low-bass, but there are very few compression artifacts at max volume. It still gets plenty loud for indoor gatherings, making it a great, affordable choice for your next event.
See our reviewThe JBL PartyBox On-The-Go is a portable party speaker from JBL's PartyBox lineup. It's much smaller and more portable than the other speakers in the lineup, like the JBL PartyBox 110. It can get loud and is rated IPX4 for water resistance. However, it lacks some low-bass, and there isn't a graphic EQ or presets you can use to tweak its sound like you can with the PartyBox 110.
See our reviewThe JBL Boombox 3 is a portable Bluetooth speaker that's a good alternative to the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM if you want a better-built speaker that produces a touch more low-bass. It doesn't get as loud as the Ultimate Ears, though, and there's more compression when you push it to max volume.
See our reviewWe've removed the JBL PartyBox 1000 from the Notable Mentions, as it's now featured in the main article. Otherwise, we've checked our picks to ensure they remain up-to-date and in stock.
The SOUNDBOKS (Gen. 3) is out of stock, so the JBL PartyBox 1000 replaces it as our 'Best Loud Speaker' as it's the next loudest available speaker we've tested. Similarly, the ION Pathfinder 280 is out of stock, so it's replaced by the ION Pathfinder 320, which can't get quite as loud as the 280, but reproduces more bass.
Aug 30, 2024: We've checked this article to ensure all our picks are still relevant and up-to-date. Due to its bass-heavy and loud sound, we added the Sony ULT FIELD 7 as an alternative to the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM.
Jun 04, 2024: We've added the Brane X as an alternative to the JBL PartyBox 710 for those who want a bass-heavy sound in a small package. Otherwise, we've checked our picks and made only minor changes to the text.
Apr 05, 2024: We've checked this article to ensure it's still accurate and our picks remain relevant, but we've made no changes.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best portable 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 would 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, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.
What do you think of our picks? Let us know below.
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