Best Party Speakers of 2026, Tested: JBL, Soundcore, Marshall

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Summer is in full swing, and, frankly, it’s hot as hell. One way to beat the heat is at the beach, the pool, or with an outdoor hang at night. Music is a key part of that, and party speakers are the best way to bring big sound to every function.

Party speakers are a loosely defined category — there are no set size threshold or required features. But, simply put, the best way to think of party speakers is as big-ass Bluetooth speakers. Sometimes they have microphone inputs to convert into mobile karaoke setups, and many party speakers also have built-in lights that sync with the music and set the mood. 

To find the best party speakers, we put several to the test. Some of these I blasted at actual parties, and others I simply listened to at home. In addition to sound quality, I evaluated factors like portability, design, and features. 

Best Party Speakers

These are some of our picks for the best party speakers of 2026 for summer and beyond. 

JBL is synonymous with party speakers, and the brand’s latest PartyBox is one of the best options I tested. It has tons of lighting modes to suit a variety of genres, and the color options are widely customizable in JBL’s app (there’s even a campfire lighting mode). 

Part of its appeal — and one of its drawbacks — is its size. It’s easy to maneuver on wheels, thanks to the telescoping handle. But the lack of handles on the side and its nearly 40-pound weight make it difficult to maneuver unless you’re on even terrain. That means it may not be the best option for the beach, but it’s well suited for backyard parties and other outdoor events.

That big size means it gets plenty loud, so it’s well suited for large parties, and the bass has sufficient rumble for dance music or hip-hop. There’s also a customizable EQ if you want to tweak the sound. Like other party speakers, the battery is removable, so you can easily recharge it without lugging it near an outlet.

There’s a reason JBL is practically synonymous with party speakers, and the PartyBox 330 lives up to the hype. 

If you’re more concerned with the music than a light show, Soundboks’ Mix speaker is one of the best options you can buy. You don’t get connections for a karaoke mic, for example, and there are no built-in lights. Accessories like a charger and shoulder strap are sold separately.

But SoundBoks didn’t skimp on sound quality — to my ears, this was one of the best-sounding party speakers I tested, and it’s capable of getting disturbingly loud (the volume knob goes up to 11, in fact). The bass is impressively deep with plenty of rumble, but it doesn’t come at the expense of the highs and mids.

Design-wise, it’s pretty bare bones and looks more like a PA system than a party speaker. I’m partial to the understated look, and there are other design aspects I appreciate here. The handle is easy to grab, and each corner has a rubber bumper to easily set it down without damaging anything. 

If you care about sound and aren’t interested in the bells and whistles that often come with party speakers, Soundboks’ Mix is the speaker to buy. 

If the bright RGB lights of most party speakers aren’t your style, Marshall’s Bromley 450 is a great alternative. It brings Marshall’s retro amp-inspired design found on its Bluetooth speakers to a larger form factor. The speaker swaps bright RGB lights for more tasteful white lights, inspired by stage lighting, which can also be synced with the music. 

The speakers feature great sound quality and 360-degree sound with drivers on the front and back. That means you’ll want to place it centrally, rather than against a wall. It also has XLR inputs for hooking up microphones and even instruments. Beyond Bluetooth, you can also play music using USB-C or AUX, making it easier to swap to different devices. The battery boasts up to 40 hours of battery life, and you can remove it to charge it using a USB-C cable. 

The form factor is well suited to a range of settings. It’s big enough for indoor or outdoor parties, but it was compact enough for me to carry up a flight of stairs using the strap on the side. The front panel knobs also make it easy to tweak the EQ, change the volume, or adjust the lighting modes, and they have a fun tactile feeling. 

If you’re looking for a party speaker that would look good in a living room or backyard, Marshall’s Bromley 450 is a worthwhile buy. 

If you’re looking for a speaker you could easily carry from the car to the beach or campsite, Soundcore’s Boom 2 Plus is a great option. It’s smaller than the other picks on this list, sitting somewhere between a Bluetooth speaker and a boombox. But it still packs a punch, and the passive bass radiators on the sides add more thump than you’d normally get out of a speaker of this size. 

The speaker has an oversized, contoured grab handle, and there are slots for attaching a shoulder strap for hands-free carrying (the shoulder strap is included). The speaker recharges using USB-C, and there’s also a 3.5mm slot for plugging in a wired device. The Boom 2 Plus also has Auracast, meaning you can wirelessly connect it to another speaker. 

Like some of our other picks, it has built-in lights, which are customizable through the Soundcore app. You can also toggle through the modes with the button on the speaker. The speaker is also waterproof and floats, with an IPX7 rating (that means it’s not rated for dust, but it can be submerged in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes). 

Overall, if you’re looking for a solid speaker for a small to mid-sized gathering, or you want something to take on the go, this is a great pick.

If you’re looking for a speaker with plenty of features, Klipsch’s Miami is a great option. It’s suited for parties, and it even comes with a microphone for turning it into a portable karaoke machine. Like JBL’s 330, it has a telescoping handle and two wheels for rolling it. Unlike the JBL, there’s a second, larger handle for toting it up the stairs or lifting it into a car. 

Klipsch clearly looked to put the party in the party speaker; the top panel features a knob for adjusting the built-in lights, as well as buttons for sound effects like an airhorn and record-scratch. These features are also accessible in the Klipsch app. There are also inputs for hooking up the microphone or even an instrument. 

Unlike JBL’s speaker, the battery is not removable, and the battery life is up to 10 hours with the lights on or 18 with the lights off. It’s not terrible, but it’s a far cry from the 40 hours advertised by Marshall and SoundBoks. 

The sound profile is tilted toward the mids, somewhat at the expense of the bass. Despite the dual 5.25″ woofers, you don’t get the amount of room-shaking rumble you’d expect from a speaker of this size. While I’m not the kind of person who wants the bass to rattle my teeth out of my skull, a low-end heavy speaker is typically what you expect with a party speaker. 

How We Picked the Best Party Speakers

Each option on this list was tested in settings ranging from solo listening sessions to actual parties. In testing them, I also evaluated the build quality and portability, lugging them around my apartment or up the stairs. Beyond sound, I considered factors like design and aesthetics. I also evaluated user-friendliness, considering factors like the on-board controls and the companion apps.