The best party speakers are perfect for house parties, garden parties, back-to-school parties, beach parties… you get the idea. Whether you're making new friends at college or reuniting with old ones, party speakers enable you to get that party atmosphere without having to haul around a massive sound system that'll get the cops called on you – though some can go very loud.
The best party speakers we're choosing are basically the biggest and bolder options among the best Bluetooth speakers, designed to deliver punchy, room-filling sound – and many of them can be teamed up with others in stereo pairs or in some cases, as part of a multi-speaker setup. Because many of them are now dust- and waterproof, they're ideal for a beach party and can survive being thrown or accidentally knocked into a swimming pool too – if you need a smaller option that what we've picked here, though, we have a separate guide to the best waterproof speakers.
In this guide we're interested in the party side of things, so if you're looking for something to deliver the most delicate bits of classical music you might find some of these a bit crude. But the speakers here score highly on pure entertainment value, and some of them even include their own lights or dual-device support so your friends can DJ too. No matter what you want to hear, where you want to hear it and which streaming service you want to use, we're certain you'll find the best party speaker for you in this list.
Best party speakers: the list
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A feature-packed party speaker and our top pick for a way to soundtrack your summer, the JBL Xtreme 4 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with an impressive base playtime of 24 hours, which you can extend by a further six thanks to the addition of Playtime Boost. But more importantly, with big sound that's still high quality.
In our review we wrote that the JBL Xtreme 4 "paints a dynamic aural picture" and boasts "well-defined high frequencies, full-bodied mids and a pumping bass." During our testing we found that we got the best from the speaker by tweaking the EQ settings to boost the bass, so it's worth knowing you might not get the top performance straight out of the box, but it was easy using the app. As if all of that wasn't enough, the reason it's our top party speaker pick is that it delivers a great sonic experience even at very loud volumes without any distortion. So crank it right up!
Design-wise, it's not the most stylish device we've tested. It's large, rugged and outdoorsy with an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating that makes it ideal for a trip to the beach and a strap for carrying it there – so even if it's not beautiful, it's practical.
The only downside is it's more expensive than most competitors. But if you're willing to spend a bit more for a speaker that's durable, portable and can pump out the tunes as loud as you want them to go, it's a great idea for summer.
Read our full JBL Xtreme 4 review
If you're looking for a compact party speaker that still delivers powerful tunes – even outdoors – then the Ultimate Ears Everboom is the perfect compromise between size and sound.
What makes the Ultimate Ears Everboom so portable and perfect for outdoor parties is its surprisingly lightweight 960g build. What's more, it comes with a metal carabiner clip – replacing the Epicboom’s flimsy strap – that makes it easy to carry around. It also boasts an IP67 rating, meaning it's a dustproof outdoorsy option that's ready for adventure – and even floats if you drop it in water.
Does the Ultimate Ears Everboom have the best sonic performance? No. But in our review we commented that it's a fantastic all-rounder: "Whether you’re looking to keep guests entertained at a party or kick back to a podcast after a long day, the Ultimate Ears Everboom’s room-filling 360-degree sound has your back." What makes it so great for outdoor use is it gets "monstrously loud" with its max 90dBC volume. It can also keep pumping out the tunes into the night, lasting a whole 20 hours on a single charge.
Another reason we recommend the Ultimate Ears Everboom as a solid outdoor speaker is there's no music over Wi-Fi support, it's all via Bluetooth here. With the Ultimate Ears app you'll get some additional features that are fun. These include an EQ with presets; a PartyUp feature that lets you pair multiple UE speakers to play at the same time; and a new Megaphone feature that lets you talk into your phone’s mic to play a message through your Everboom.
Read our full Ultimate Ears Everboom review
If you're looking for a large, powerful party speaker that's much cheaper than the JBL Xtreme 4, then the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 is a great choice. It delivers impactful and deep bass tones thanks to a BassUp feature, which pushes those driving low tones hard. At times, the speaker does compromise on audio quality. In our review, we commented that mid-range and high frequencies lack crisp definition, especially at louder volumes. But that's to be expected from a speaker at the much more affordable end of the scale.
The Soundcore Boom 2 is a chunky speaker that's on the larger side, but is still lighter and more portable than many of its competitors, making it a great choice for taking to a party, picnic or the beach. The only downside design-wise here is that it's not rated to be dustproof, although it is waterproof and will float too, making it ideal for a pool.
It has a 24-hour battery life, which helps it keep pace with more expensive options, and there's Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and simple button controls here. During testing, we also found the Boom 2 is super-easy to set up and operate. There are several settings onboard to help you customize your experience, like Light Show options, and you can calibrate EQ settings, too, which helps improve the sound.
The Boom is a solid pick if you're not overly concerned about sound performance and simply want a powerful and fun speaker to cut through background noise, while being more portable than several of its rivals. But if you want the best sonic quality and guaranteed protection from the elements, look elsewhere in this guide, just be prepared to pay more.
Read our full Anker Soundcore Boom 2 review
If you don't want a speaker for just one specific purpose but know you'll be taking it to parties both big and small, and potentially both indoors and outdoors, then the Bose Soundlink Max is a go-anywhere wireless speaker that's versatile, robust and delivers on big, punchy sound.
Bose makes a bunch of Soundlink speakers, but the Max is the biggest. We still definitely class it as a portable speaker but at 120 x 265 x 105mm (HxWxD) and 2.13kg it's at the largest end of the spectrum. Luckily, it's got a rugged design with a lot of silicone, so it can happily withstand knocks and bumps, and a handle to help you carry it easily – and for an extra cost you can switch this to a shoulder strap, too. It's also IP67 rated, which means it'll withstand moisture and dust, making it a good companion for outdoor gatherings.
In our Bose Soundlink Max review, we commented that this speaker feels like it was designed with outdoor parties in mind – but it's not a blunt instrument. We commented: "The Bose hits good and hard, without question, but it controls the low end well, attacking with straight-edged positivity and ensuring bass sounds stay strictly in their lane rather than bleeding all over the midrange." The only downside of the sound presentation here is data retrieval. You're unlikely to notice this unless you're really paying attention, but we said in our review that if you're very familiar with a track you'll find the finer detail is lacking.
The Bose Soundlink Max has Bluetooth 5.3 onboard and supports SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive codecs. There are some nice additional features here, too, like a USB-C for charging your phone on-the-go as well as Bose’s ‘SimpleSync’ technology, which lets you sync up other Bose speakers to create a multi-room system. Stamina-wise, there's a 20 hour long battery here, meaning it'll keep the tunes playing all day and all night.
Read our full Bose Soundlink Max review
The Sonos Five is one of the biggest wireless home speakers in Sonos' range, and it sounds every inch as detailed and musically pleasing as we've come to expect from Sonos. It's a truly classy party speaker – but do note, it doesn't include Bluetooth streaming, so nobody at the do will be able to hijack your playlists in the 'traditional' way.
The Sonos Era 300 is now out and does interesting stuff with spatial audio, but for just providing big power for a party in your home, we're still taken with the oomph of the Sonos Five.
Ultimately, the Five's powerful and regimented bass clout, undeniably classy audio performance and the Sonos multi-room platform will be all the reason many people need to click 'buy' – and we certainly won't be stopping you. It does need to be plugged in, so it isn't a great candidate for outdoor parties despite its 'humidity resistant' rating, but if you're staying in and dancing, it'll do you proud.
Read our full Sonos Five review
Arrived at the party with a playlist ready to go, but now realize you're down to 3% and need to charge your phone pronto while it's blasting music? Look no further than the JBL Charge 5.
In terms of features the JBL Charge 5 is otherwise relatively basic – you don't get the JBL Pulse 4's customizable lightshow – but for this fifth generation JBL has incrementally improved sound quality and volume while still offering all-day battery life.
While the sound is well balanced, we found distortion starts kicking in above 60% volume, resulting in harsh-sounding highs and bass stops getting louder beyond this point, leading to a bright tonal balance. For the best sound quality, we recommend keeping the speaker around 50-60% volume based on our experience – when you have to push beyond this volume, there’s likely so much ambient noise that sound quality isn’t the first priority.
To atone for this, PartyBoost is here, so if you or your friends have other PartyBoost-enabled JBL speakers you can daisy-chain the sound for even beefier multi-room audio.
Around the back, the JBL Charge 5 has a waterproof USB-C charging port as well as a flap hiding the USB-A port that can be used to charge up your smartphone. The Charge 5 drops support for the 3.5mm aux jack from the JBL Charge 4, which is a bummer for some who have legacy devices they want to hook up.
Ultimately, the JBL Charge 5 is a great shout for a party because it sounds like a much bigger portable speaker than it is. It dishes out an impressive amount of bass for its size without sacrificing on the mids or highs.
Read our full JBL Charge 5 review
OK this is Sonos, so don't expect the most affordable pick on the market, but the Sonos Roam 2 delivers clear, confident, diligent that celebrates every element of a track, and it's now even more intuitive to use the speaker over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi – yes, huge USP there.
Folks already in a Sonos ecosystem will appreciate just how seamlessly it works with what you already have, and those outside it will likely consider getting into Sonos in a bigger way (while also enjoying this speaker's Bluetooth-only chops).
And while the battery life, at 10 hours, can certainly be bettered by other options in this list, those after a minimalist, great-sounding portable speaker really must (must!) consider the Roam 2.
Speakers are at the heart of Sonos' oeuvre. It's where the multi-room audio pioneer excels, and the Roam 2 is no different. All of Sonos' sonic, driver-filled boxes seamlessly connect with each other for a great listening experience. The Roam 2 replaces the inaugural Sonos Roam (as you probably guessed), and it launched alongside the Sonos Ace headphones to very little fanfare – and only a handful of changes (mostly under the hood). The main upgrades? A newer Bluetooth version, a dedicated button to make setup using Bluetooth easier, plus a slight redesign in terms of colors – but hey, it was that good to start with. And if it ain't broke…
Read our full Sonos Roam 2 review
The JBL Flip 6 is a prime example of a Bluetooth speaker that sticks to the basics, and gets it right. This rugged portable speaker is super simple to use, will fit in the water-bottle cage on your bike if you're cycling to a party, sounds good and can be paired with up to 100 other JBL speakers at once to create a huge wall of sound.
You won't find extra features such as voice assistants or Wi-Fi connectivity, but the Flip 6 sounds so good that you won't miss them. We found that its warm, well-balanced audio performance is far more powerful than you might expect from a speaker of this size, and while we felt that trebles can sound a little harsh at higher volumes, you're getting plenty of clarity and detail.
A 12-hour battery life and water and dust resistance makes this an ideal speaker to take to the pool or beach, and it's available in an array of eye-catching colors. It's a shame it doesn't have a port to charge your phone, like larger JBL speakers do, but that's not a big deal.
Like the JBL Flip 5 before it, the Flip 6 is an ideal speaker for anyone who wants to simply play their music, crank it up loud, sit back and enjoy – or even dance in the moonlight.
Read our full JBL Flip 6 review
How to choose the best party speaker for you
It's not easy when the market is awash with wireless, cubes, oblongs, teardrops cylinders and cushions all claiming to be the best option to bring the tunes, is it? But that is where we come in. Several of the party speakers in this list also double up as Bluetooth speakers, but not all of them – and we've made this clear, because if casting music from your phone or any other Bluetooth device is important to you, a Wi-Fi only connection (even if it uses Apple AirPlay 2) may not be sufficient.
When it comes to picking a new speaker for your home, room-filling sound is of paramount importance, so look for models that feature 360-degree grilles and disperse audio at all angles; JBL's cylindrical speakers are always a good place to start.
If it's true audio-fidelity you're after, opt for trusted brands such as Ultimate Ears, Sonos and Apple – speakers from these companies are always likely to sound splendid.
If you have an iPhone or an iPad, it might also be worth checking out the best AirPlay speakers, which allow you to stream music, podcasts or audiobooks directly from your devices to your speaker. That means room-filling sound from your phone without the need for a more complex entertainment set-up.
With so many fantastic party speakers on the market right now, we’ve selected and ranked only the best ones to include in this buying guide.
How we test party speakers
We test countless wireless speakers every year at TechRadar, from dinky cheap and cheerful Bluetooth speakers to huge floorstanding towers, which means we know exactly which features and specs to look out for – and we know that the best ones can sound just as good as a traditional stereo speaker system if you treat them right.
It's important for us to compare the performance of these uber-friendly speakers against the specs claimed by their manufacturers too, which is why we take the time to make sure the spec-sheet listings are legit.
Naturally, we make sure to test a speaker against its chief competitors for sound and features, which might include multi-room compatibility and app support, so you can be sure that the product is the best if we say it is. We live with these speakers in our homes to make sure that their performances are consistent, and we don't finalize our testing until we are certain of the sound quality.
On this, we test the audio performance using a range of musical genres and stream from various sources, to ensure that these party-hungry speakers can handle everything from thumping dance tracks to softly-spoken podcasts.
After more years in this game than we'd care to admit, we are truly confident that our star-rated reviews are the best indication of the quality of the party speakers in this list. There are no sales teams involved in our verdicts, which means if we don't like it for sound, design, usability and features, we simply won't recommend it here.
Party speaker FAQs
What's the best party speaker brand?
Sonos speakers are great if you want to bridge the gap between indoors and outdoors, with the ability to form part of a wider multi-room system – and you can be sure that they’ll sound fantastic, too.
JBL is well known for making rugged, outdoor speakers at affordable prices, and it’s line of party speakers even come with built-in light shows.
If waterproofing is a priority (pool or beach party-goers, take note) then look out for models from Ultimate Ears, which combine fun, colorful designs with rugged builds – many of which can withstand a dip in the pool.
Consider high-end audio brands such as Bose and Bang & Olufsen if you want a combination of stylish design and great sound – but be prepared for relatively high prices. If you want to save money, then brands like Anker offer brilliant speakers that won’t break the bank.
Looking for more?
We get it: there are countless speaker styles to choose from – that's why we've put together several guides on the best speakers you can buy in 2024.
Looking for some hi-res audiophile speakers to go with your record player? Check out the best stereo speakers. Bored of your TV's lackluster audio? Try one of our best soundbars or Dolby Atmos speakers on for size.
If you need a speaker you can take everywhere, make sure you look at the best waterproof speakers or if you're looking for multi room audio smarts, read our guide to the best wireless speakers.
For total control of your smart home, invest in one of the best smart speakers, which come with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Siri built-in.
Apple fanatic? Try out the best AirPlay speakers.
