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The best party speakers are introducing the idea of raving anywhere to a whole new generation who may have missed the classic block-party boom box of the 1980s. These new speakers look like compact PA systems, and often sound just as loud, with bold and brash looks and bass-heavy profiles. They’re honestly a huge amount of fun.
The rising popularity of party speakers coincides with a broader shift toward entertaining at home rather than in bars and nightclubs, particularly among younger consumers. A July 2026 Harris Poll found that 68 percent of US Gen Z adults say going out is just too expensive, while Attest found that 64 percent now drink primarily at home, up from 42 percent a year earlier.
Where people socialize may be changing, but the need for good atmosphere certainly isn’t. Traditional Bluetooth speakers are convenient and sound great, but they struggle to bring the party. Party speakers, with their serious volume, portability, and LED lights, don’t have that problem.
For more audio guidance, check out WIRED's guides to the Best Bluetooth Speakers, Best Turntables, and Best Computer Speakers.
What Is a Party Speaker?
Party speakers are large, high-output Bluetooth speakers designed for social gatherings, sitting somewhere between a conventional wireless speaker and a portable PA. Current battery-powered models range from around 100 to 800 watts of power, with most offering between 12 to 25 hours of battery life, if not more. Expect large drivers, bass-boost modes, LED lighting, handles, wheels, and even replaceable batteries to keep the party going. Microphone and instrument inputs, karaoke controls, and the ability to link multiple speakers are also common, as are partner apps that give you the chance to play DJ, curate the lighting, and alter the sound.
How I Test Party Speakers
I’ve tested party speakers indoors and out, and at background, party, and ear-bleeding volumes. Sound quality is still important, but it’s party time, so bass, vocal clarity, and minimal distortion are key, as is how well the sound can travel (especially outdoors). Karaoke testing was dutifully undertaken by a gaggle of excitable but discerning tweenagers.
As well as playing rave classics at top volume (sorry, neighbors), I’ve analyzed the various EQ and control apps, AI features, digital signal processing (DSP) modes, and the speaker's ability to pair with DJ equipment, separate sources, and musical instruments.
What Should I Look for in a Party Speaker?
Power: Party speakers range from boxes one person can comfortably carry to 60-pound-plus towers on wheels. Power varies, but I’ve tested designs from 100 to 800-plus watts. As a general rule, the more watts it can output, the louder it will be, but clever DSP means brands like JBL and Sony can often make more noise with less watts than you might think.
Battery life: Your needs will again depend on how you party, but between 12 to 25 hours is common. Remember, though, high volume and lighting can cut that number down. Soundboks, for example, quotes 40 hours at mid volume but only six to eight hours at maximum, depending on the speaker.
Connectivity: As well as Bluetooth for wireless convenience, 3.5-mm or other line inputs are useful for DJ controllers, mixers, and sources beyond your phone, while some models add RCA, quarter-inch, or XLR connections. Outdoor users should look for an IP rating. Replaceable batteries, wheels, sturdy handles, and physical controls become considerably more important once a speaker leaves the living room.
Can I Use a Party Speaker With DJ Decks?
Yes, provided it has a suitable wired input. DJ controllers and mixers typically have a line-out option, commonly through RCA, quarter-inch, or XLR connections, although a 3.5-mm aux input can also work with the right cable.
If you are mixing, use a cable where possible, as Bluetooth introduces enough latency between moving a control and hearing the result to make accurate cueing and beat-matching difficult. Some specialist DJ systems like the Aiaiai Unit-4 Wireless+ Studio Monitors use proprietary low-latency wireless connections to get around this, but ordinary Bluetooth isn’t designed for the job.
What About Karaoke?
There’s plenty of crossover between party speakers and karaoke machines, but they’re not always the same thing. Some party speakers include one or two microphone inputs, while better-equipped models add wireless mics, separate vocal volume, echo or reverb, ample controls, and even vocal removal. The $350 Soundcore Rave 3S, for example, includes two wireless microphones and real-time vocal removal.
A dedicated karaoke setup puts singing rather than music playback first, and may offer more extensive microphone controls, song management, and accessories. WIRED’s Best Karaoke Gear guide covers those options in more detail.
How Do I Connect Multiple Phones to the Same Bluetooth Speaker?
Bluetooth multipoint lets two phones stay connected simultaneously, although switching between them varies by speaker. For larger groups, Spotify Jam and Apple Music SharePlay let guests choose music from their own phones while one device stays connected to the speaker. YouTube Music also supports collaborative playlists, enabling several people to add songs in advance or during the party.
Best Overall Party Speaker
LG xboom Stage 501 Specs
The Stage 501 turned the open workshop next to my testing studio into something close to a daytime rave (minus the crowd and superstar DJ). Bass was deep and clean, and carried easily across the room. Even when it was so loud I couldn’t hear myself think, there was volume to spare. And best of all, it sounded good, not just loud.
Part of LG’s xboom collaboration with producer, Black Eyed Peas star, and tech obsessive will.i.am, it has twin 5.25-inch woofers and two 2.5-inch full-range drivers. There’s 160 watts available on battery and 220 watts when plugged in. The battery is replaceable and lasts up to 25 hours. At full power, with the light show on, it’s less than that, but still more than enough for me.
There are louder and larger options here, but for me, the Stage 501 strikes the ideal balance between outright party power and decent sound quality. It even manages to impress at normal indoor listening volumes, which is often the downfall of party speakers.
LG has embraced the sillier side of the genre too. The app gives you EQ, AI karaoke, synchronized lighting, and DJ effects that are a bit cringe but hard to ignore. Two built-in phone/tablet stands are genuinely useful for karaoke, and there are twin mic inputs, though microphones are sold separately.
At 25.8 pounds, the cabinet remains manageable enough for me to move around on my own, but it is still a big unit to carry and find space for. If it’s too big, the smaller xboom Stage 301 keeps much of the same styling and app functionality, just in a much smaller package.
My Favorite Party Speaker
JBL PartyBox 130 Specs
At 24.8 pounds, the JBL PartyBox 130 isn’t exactly lightweight, but its modest size hits the sweet spot for me in my city home and garden. It’s solidly built, has impressive power for the size, and can be moved without risking my fragile L5 vertebrae.
Two 5.25-inch woofers and a pair of 1-inch tweeters produce 200 watts of output, with plenty of bass and enough volume to get a decent-sized party moving. JBL’s AI Sound Boost uses DSP (clever digital wizardry) to keep distortion under control as the volume rises, while an automatic EQ adjusts the balance depending on what’s playing. Both work well, although I got better results tweaking the EQ myself in the app, and for my ears, the LG xboom Stage 501 still outperforms this speaker.
The light show on this speaker is one of the best, and the app has a collection of lighting and DJ effects that range from fun to downright silly. Big, easy-to-use physical controls on the top of the speaker also make it easy to use without reaching for my phone.
The 15-hour replaceable battery feels a little short,
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It occurs to me that, as a new(ish) father, and someone who reviews products for a living, I am a nightmare to get gifts for. I’m not alone. Most of my friends have no idea what to get their dad, and end up brainstorming in group chats with anyone they can get their hands on.
Fear not, I’m here to make gifting a little easier this year (or at the very least, contribute to the brainstorm). Below are some of the best WIRED-tested gifts for the dad or father figure in your life, including travel gadgets, dad-approved apparel, and best-in-class earbuds. I’ve personally gifted a few of these to my dad, with great results.
Updated September 2026: I completely overhauled this guide with 27 new picks, including tech accessories, headphones, dad-approved apparel, fitness gear, and more.
For the Travel Dad
For the Music-Loving Dad
If Dad loves to host large get-togethers, parties, or tailgates, this portable party speaker is one of the loudest, most durable I’ve tested. It’s got a clean, understated, loudspeaker-slash-rock-concert look that’s a far cry from the light-show techno vibes of most portable party speakers. It’s very durable, with large silicone balls on each corner for impact protection. Plus, it has a swappable battery. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it outlasts most other speakers in his collection. You can learn more in my full Soundboks Rider review.
Dad-Approved Apparel
For the Outdoor Dad
I can’t think of many dads who don’t love an electric bike. The Letric XP4 750 isn’t just one of WIRED’s top electric bike picks, it’s one of the best-selling electric vehicles in America, ranking third behind the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 in 2024. WIRED reviewer Michael Venutolo-Mantovani says it only took 20 minutes to assemble and lasted well over 50 miles of riding on a single charge. This version has an upgraded 750-watt motor that helps tackle hillier terrain than the original.
For the Car Dad
I didn’t think I needed a tiny portable vacuum (I have a perfectly good cordless vacuum), but I was gifted this tiny Hoto vacuum years ago, and it has been endlessly useful. I use it to clean strollers, keyboards, my desk, you name it. It’s small and portable enough to take anywhere you need a quick clean. I gifted one to my brother-in-law, and he uses it to clean his car constantly—it basically lives in his car’s glove compartment.
For the Foodie Dad
This is the best pizza oven for the dad who doesn’t have space for a full-sized outdoor one. It’s an indoor electric pizza oven that can fit on a countertop, and can heat to up to 850 degrees Fahrenheit. Like all of the brand’s appliances, it’s easy to use, so it's more fun than work to make that fan-favorite pizza just right.
For the Dad Who Is a Kid at Heart
The Lego DeLorean Time Machine from the Back to the Future trilogy is the perfect centerpiece for any movie buff, but Great Scott, it’s $200. A better alternative is the version from Lego’s Speed Champions series. It’s much cheaper and easier to build (pick either the original with lightning hook or the “future” upgrade with Mr. Fusion and hover wheels), but it has the same charm and display quality. It comes with Doc Brown and Marty McFly Minifigures, but sadly, it won’t hit 88 miles per hour.
For the Fitness Dad
These are my favorite open ear headphones for anyone, not just Dad. Because they leave your ears open, you can easily hear the world around you, along with your music. That’s why I love them for outdoor runs and bike rides. This premium model uses a mix of bone conduction (think vibrations) and air conduction (think tiny speakers pointed toward your ears) to deliver sound that’s clearer than most smaller open earbuds. You can learn more in our full Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review.
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The Linux operating system will run on just about any computer. I mean that literally. Remember the Intel Pentium 4 processor? It came out in 2000, and it’s still supported by Debian Linux. That’s probably not a machine you want to work on today, though, so while Linux can run almost anywhere, Linux runs better on some laptops than others.
But once upon a time, getting Linux working meant jumping through all sorts of hoops and dealing with frustrating experiences trying to get everything to work on hardware designed for Windows or macOS. Thankfully, those days are mostly behind us. I’ve installed Linux on every laptop I’ve tested since 2020. Almost all of them worked great, but some were easier to get running than others.
Beyond supporting older hardware, Linux offers other user benefits, like greater control over operating systems that run on the Linux kernel, better security and malware protection, no unwanted software (bloatware), and faster performance. It’s not just for developers; it’s for casual users too.
For most people, a laptop preinstalled with Linux is your best bet. Plenty of hardware makers now ship laptops running Linux right out of the box. This guide recommends the best of these.
If you’re in the market for a laptop, be sure to check out our other buying guides, like the Best Laptops, Best Cheap Laptops, Best MacBooks, and How to Choose the Right Laptop.
Updated September 2026: I’ve revamped this guide to include the new System76 Pangolin Pro, along with updates on the Tuxedo and Framework options.
Best for Most People
System76 recently updated its Lemur Pro with a new chip and a few other tweaks. I’ll be testing it very soon, but I don’t expect to change my recommendation here. The Lemur Pro has long been my favorite Linux laptop, and the latest model will likely continue that. It strikes the best balance between size, weight, power, and price, even with the price hike on the latest model.
At just over 12 inches wide and weighing 2.5 pounds, the 14-inch model is plenty portable. The 16-inch version is 14.1 inches by just under 10 inches. The 14-inch base model gets an Intel Core Ultra 5 325, with the option to upgrade to a Core Ultra X7 358H. The latter chip is the default for the 1-inch model. My one gripe with the new model is that the RAM is fixed at 32 GB. You can still cram up to 8 TB of storage into each of the two SSD slots.
The Lemur Pro offers very solid performance that’s plenty for all the things most people do every day. It can even handle light video editing and other intensive tasks, though it has no dedicated graphics card; for that, you’ll want the Pangolin Pro (see below). That said, I’ve been impressed with the Arc B390 iGPU in the Ultra X7 model. I’ll add more performance details after I’ve had a chance to test more.
The port selection is good, with two USB 3.2 Type-C ports—one of which is a Thunderbolt 4 port—a USB-A port, a 3.5-mm headphone/microphone combo jack, a MicroSD card reader, and an HDMI 2.0 port. Battery life is also fantastic, lasting all day in most use cases. The keyboard, while not my favorite, is pleasant enough to type on.
As with all System76 laptops, it ships with the company’s Pop!_OS Linux distribution preinstalled (you can also opt for Ubuntu, but I highly suggest trying Pop!_OS). Pop!_OS’s Cosmic desktop is based on Gnome, but unlike Gnome, Pop!_OS is very customizable and can be tweaked to your liking. Aside from Arch Linux, Pop!_OS is my favorite distro.
Best MacBook Replacement
Tuxedo’s InfinityBook Pro 14 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a svelte, lightweight laptop that’s dedicated to the open-source world. Tuxedo is based in Germany (which is why the price is in euros), and like System76, it has a long history of providing excellent Linux support.
The InfinityBook Pro is Tuxedo’s everyday laptop, powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 H 255 chip. I haven’t tested Tuxedo’s AMD model, but I have tested the same chip in other Linux laptops and found performance very good. Note that the H 255 has no active NPU, so it’s not ideal for local AI, but it’s plenty for average to demanding workloads. I had no trouble playing back 8K video out of a GoPro, for example. The InfinityBook can be configured with up to 96 GB of RAM and 8 TB of storage per drive slot (there are two SSD card slots), though of course, with the price of memory and storage where it is, it will cost you.
The performance specs are solid, but the real highlight of the InfinityBook is the gorgeous 2,880 x 1,800-pixel-resolution matte screen. At 400 nits, it’s plenty bright enough to work anywhere, and the anti-glare matte finish means you can see it under bright sunlight. In my testing of the Intel model, the InfinityBook Pro had plenty of power for most tasks, and I expect the AMD chip to deliver the same. The battery life is solid and lasts all day, and the custom tools for fine-tuning the power settings are the best I’ve used. Tuxedo’s custom OS (based on Kubuntu) is a great Linux experience, and the website offers extensive documentation and help for new users.
Best DIY Linux Laptop
Framework’s Laptop 13 is my personal favorite. It’s not my top pick because it won’t be right for everyone (it’s lacking in ports and doesn’t have the premium feel of the Lemur Pro), but it does everything I need, has great battery life, and I happen to love the ability to swap the ports around in different configurations. I’m typing this on a Framework laptop running Arch Linux.
There are a few flavors of the Laptop 13. I tested the second release of the 13-inch model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and loved it, but since then we’ve reviewed the newer 13-inch AMD Framework, the 16-inch Framework, and the smaller Framework 12. All of them make great Linux laptops because Framework officially supports Ubuntu and Fedora Linux, and also has a helpful forum of users who’ve made just about every Linux distro you can think of work on their Framework Laptops.
The current line of DIY Framework Laptop 13 can be configured with either an AMD or Intel processor (though Intel seems to be frequently out of stock). The AMD Ryzen model ships with AI 300 Series chips, starting with the Ryzen 5, with several upgrade options to the Ryzen AI 7 and even the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. An Intel configuration starts with the Core Ultra 5 125H, with upgrades to the Core Ultra 7 155 or even 165H available. Whichever processor you pick, you can upgrade to up to 96 GB of DDR5-5600 RAM and choose a drive up to 8 TB.
I’ve tested Framework laptops with Ubuntu, which Framework supports, and Arch Linux, which is community-supported, and both worked great. My only gripe with Framework is the same as with many Linux laptops: battery life could be better. I get about seven to eight hours with casual use, and much less when editing video or doing other intensive tasks.
My other complaint is that the Framework’s build quality isn’t as nice as System76 or Tuxedo’s offerings, but that may change with the new Framework 13 Pro, which will be shipping soon; we’ll update this guide as soon as we get our hands on one.
A Sysadmin Favorite
System76’s Pangolin Pro is a 16-inch, AMD-powered laptop with enough ports to leave the dongle at home. The Ryzen 7 chip has plenty of power for most tasks; it didn’t even break a sweat playing back 8K video, though it did spin up the fans when it came time to export that video down to 4K. As you would expect, benchmarks on graphics-intensive tasks are behind any machine with a dedicated card—though you can plug in an eGPU via the OcuLink port—but the Ryzen AI 7’s overall performance is quite good.
You can configure your Pangolin Pro with up to 96 GB of RAM and 16 TB of storage should you have recently won the lottery, but the base model comes with a more affordable 16 GB of RAM and 500 GB of storage.
The battery life is good for the size—it lasted all day in most of my testing. The keyboard is quite nice to type on. The oversized trackpad sometimes got in my way, but it wasn’t a de
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