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 190 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 150 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 JBL PartyBox Stage 320. 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. If you don't have an easily accessible power outlet, this speaker has a swappable battery pack that gives you just over 23-hours of playback based on our tests.
Like many JBL party speakers, this device features additional tools to add excitement to your next celebration. Karaoke lovers can plug a microphone or guitar directly into the speaker to jam out, and the JBL PartyBox app adds 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.
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Best Mid-Range Speaker For Parties
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 Stage 320, and it comes with many of the same fun features and tools to boost the energy at your next big event. Again, you gain access to the JBL PartyBox app, where you'll find customization tools to adjust the colors and patterns of the RGB lights, as well as a graphic EQ and Bass Boost preset to enhance the 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 Stage 320. 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 Stage 320, which may be more cumbersome anyway.
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Best Budget Bluetooth Speaker For Parties
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 Stage 320, which is especially noticeable with bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop. Still, this portable speaker performs well for its price.
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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, the sound quality is impressive, as it boasts a bass-heavy sound that can be accentuated even further via the 'ULT' button. It's well-suited to getting the party started, rendering kicks and basslines with plenty of oomph.
With a max volume of 110 decibels, too, 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 your next karaoke session or a guitar to rock out with your friends, as well as a 10-band graphic EQ and DJ effects. It's not as portable as the JBL PartyBox Stage 320, weighing in at a hefty 28.7kg (63.3 lbs), but it's not a big deal if you plan to stay in the same place.
If you're looking to squeeze out every bit of bass and volume from your speaker, consider the JBL PartyBox 720. While the JBL is more expensive, it supports battery-powered operation while getting as loud as 109 decibels. And you can plug it in for an extra 3-4 decibels of headroom. That said, it's quite pricey, even when compared to the Sony.
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 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 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 rumble in the bass for genres like EDM and hip-hop. Thanks to its graphic EQ, 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 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, even if it can get a little louder than the Ultimate Ears.
Notable Mentions
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Klipsch GIG XXL:
The Klipsch GIG XXL has features similar to the JBL PartyBox Stage 320, with mic and guitar inputs and RGB lights. It doesn't get as loud as the JBL and produces less low-bass, but there's little dynamic range compression at max volume.
See our review -
JBL PartyBox On-The-Go:
The 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 review -
ION Tailgater Tough:
The ION Tailgater Tough is a more portable alternative to the ION Pathfinder 320, with a slightly more balanced default frequency response than our pick. That said, the Pathfinder 320 gets louder than the Tailgater and has a much longer battery life, and its sound doesn't change as much with your listening angle.
See our review -
JBL Boombox 3:
The 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 review
Recent Updates
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.
Nov 24, 2025:
We've replaced the JBL PartyBox 1000 with the Sony ULT TOWER 9AC as our loudest speaker for parties, as the Sony can get a bit louder and is capable of stereo playback. The JBL remains as a comparison, though.
May 20, 2025:
We added the ION Tailgater Tough to our Notable Mentions for anyone looking for a more portable alternative to the ION Pathfinder 320.
Feb 20, 2025:
We'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.
Nov 28, 2024:
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.
All Reviews
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.