The Best Boomboxes of 2025

The original boomboxes offered one of the first ways to bring music anywhere. We’ve got plenty of options for portable music now, but a boombox brings more than that, with plenty of features, playback options, and volume.

UPDATE: 01/11/2025

We’ve updated our picks for the best boombox overall, and the best Bluetooth boombox.

What to Look For in a Boombox

We live in a different world than the one that produced the boomboxes of old. As much as we might feel nostalgic for the style and utility of older boomboxes, that doesn’t mean we’re not looking for modern features.

Bluetooth, or wireless communication in general, is the cornerstone of those modern features we’re talking about. For most of us, our phone, tablet, or computer is the main source of our music. Every model we’re looking at in this article features Bluetooth, so the boomboxes can link to these devices and play the sounds you want.

Of course, if you’re looking for improved audio fidelity, you might prefer another option on your boombox, like an auxiliary input jack. Not every boombox we’re looking at here has an aux jack, but we’ll mention when they do.

If you’re looking to buy a boombox, chances are good that you’re also looking for one with a built-in radio. Most of the boomboxes we’re focusing on in this article feature a built-in radio, but not all do, and some are limited to FM radio only.

The original boomboxes relied on physical media in addition to their built-in radios. More and more people are going digital-only with their music, so this may not apply to you. But if you have physical media, you’re likely looking for a CD player. Some of the boomboxes we’re highlighting here also feature cassette playback if you’re feeling truly old-school.

Finally, size is a major consideration. Some people want something small and portable, while others seek something huge that pumps out the sound. Before you decide on a boombox, it’s important to consider just when and how you’ll be using it to make sure you’re buying the proper size.

If you’re ready to pick up a modern boombox, check out one of our recommendations below!

How Did We Research
Models Evaluated	Hours Researched	Reviews Analyzed
13	4	9

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Back in the day, boomboxes were all about cassette decks, radios, and that classic rectangular design. JBL has flipped the script with its latest creation, delivering a boombox that’s not just powerful but perfectly built for today’s music lovers.

If you loved the JBL Boombox 2 with its 120W of chest-thumping bass, get ready to be blown away by the new JBL Boombox 3. With a whopping 180W of power, it’s not just JBL’s most powerful boombox yet—it’s one of the best boomboxes for anyone who loves to crank the volume and feel the beat.

Essentially a large Bluetooth speaker with a handle, it features a dedicated subwoofer, which delivers even punchier bass, so your party vibes are stronger than ever. Plus, it handles highs, mids, and lows like a pro, keeping your music balanced at any volume.

Whether you’re at the park, the basketball court, or an all-day event, this boombox has the juice to keep up. It also doubles as a power bank, so your phone won’t die while you’re DJing! And if you want to mix it up, you can connect two devices at once so you and a friend can take turns dropping tracks. Do you have more JBL PartyBoost speakers in the mix? Sync them all up for an even bigger bang.

This boombox doesn’t just sound amazing—it looks and feels the part too. The updated JBL silhouette, metal handle, and orange silicone grips make it portable and ready for anything. IPX7-rated, it is dustproof and waterproof, so no worries if the party gets messy. And while it skips the old-school radio and CD player, it’s got an audio jack for wired connections.

Plus, JBL’s commitment to sustainability shines through with eco-friendly design and packaging. Whether you’re bringing the beats to a backyard bash or hyping up a crowd at the court, the JBL Boombox 3 is your ticket to unforgettable sound and serious fun.

While parts have generally come down in price over the years, the sheer feature sets packed into budget boomboxes have grown in the past few years. For example, the MEGATEK Portable CD Player Boombox features typical boombox mainstays, but also several other useful ways to connect and listen.

To start, you get a CD player and FM radio, both key features of a more traditional boombox. While the radio’s FM limitation is somewhat disappointing, the CD player makes up for it. This model can also play MP3 CDs, which lets you pack much more music onto a single disc, perfect for playlists or audiobooks.

That said, if you prefer more modern forms of connectivity, you’ll find them here as well. The boombox features Bluetooth input, letting you pair your phone or another device. It also features USB playback, letting you easily play media from a flash drive. The boombox also features an aux-in for wired connectivity.

This is a smaller, more portable boombox, meaning the speakers are three inches in diameter. Still, they’re stereo, and you get a built-in EQ with five presets to tune the music to your liking. The MEGATEK also features a headphone out port.

For power, you’ll need three C batteries, or you can plug in the included AC cable. The MEGATEK Portable CD Player Boombox comes in three colors: black, Blue Jay, and Cherry.

If you like the idea of a modern-style boombox but don’t want to pay the premium price, the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom 2 is a fantastic choice. It offers much of the same potential for volume and room-shaking bass, but at a price that’s much easier to swallow.

The Soundcore Motion Boom 2 is an upgrade to the already impressive original Motion Boom. This new model is one of Anker’s recent Soundcore releases, which includes the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus, Soundcore Motion 300, and Soundcore Motion X500. This boombox also evolved from a Bluetooth speaker and supports Bluetooth 5.3 with steady connections and long-range coverage.

With 80W of power, this boombox packs a punch. It features titanium drivers, a 50W subwoofer, and two 15W tweeters, giving you rich, 2.1 stereo sound with deep bass, crisp highs, and solid mids. Whether jamming out at the beach or hosting a backyard BBQ, the Motion Boom 2 makes every track sound full and vibrant.

When the sun goes down, you can turn on PartyCast to synchronize the beats with RGB lights on wirelessly connected compatible speakers. Each new PartyCast connection amplifies the sound and intensifies the light show, adding a cool and colorful vibe to your night. Plus, with up to 24 hours of playtime, it’ll last as long as the party does—and then some. It can also double as a power bank to charge your phone.

Weighing just 4 pounds, it is 9 pounds lighter and more compact than the JBL Boombox 3, making it easy to carry about anywhere the fun is hassle-free, whether it’s a poolside party or a beach bash. The IP67 rating means it’s dustproof and waterproof, so it can handle pool splashes, sandy beaches, or any other rugged environment. Plus, it floats, so if it accidentally takes a dip, you have nothing to worry about.

If you’re looking for a Bluetooth boombox that delivers powerful sound, long-lasting battery life, and party-ready features, the Anker Soundcore Motion Boom 2 is a no-brainer. It is available in black, blue, and green.

Philips may not be the first name that comes to mind when you imagine a boombox, but the company has been making them since the 1970s. While the form factor hasn’t changed much, the style and features of the Philips Portable CD Player show how far the humble boombox has come over the years.

As a glance at the front reveals, the Philips offers nearly anything you’ll likely look for in a modern boombox. You have the advertised CD player, but also a built-in cassette deck and FM radio, complete with 30 memory presets. Beyond these traditional features, you’ll find some more modern touches as well.

Like many modern boomboxes, the Philips features a USB port for playing back files from portable storage, with a maximum supported capacity of 128GB. You also get Bluetooth connectivity for playing music from your phone, tablet, or computer. In a feature you won’t find in every boombox, this model has a remote to let you skip songs and adjust volume without standing next to the controls.

For connecting players that don’t have Bluetooth, you get a 3.5mm auxiliary input jack, and Philips even included a cable. You also get another 3.5mm jack for the headphone output. That said, don’t forget about the speakers built into the boombox when you want to crank the volume, complete with a bass boost to enhance the low end.

If you want to keep the Philips Portable CD Player portable, you’ll need six D batteries. That said, you can plug into AC power for home listening, but you’ll still need a single AAA battery for the remote. The boombox is available in black/blue or black/red color options.

If you don’t think the other boomboxes on this list look quite right, you may have a specific aesthetic in mind. In that case, you might like the Audiocrazy Retro Boombox, which is inspired by boomboxes of yesteryear but also comes with smart modern connectivity.

From the slide-style radio dial to the big, plastic, chunky buttons on top, this boombox is dripping with vintage style. Audiocrazy has added features you’d typically never expect to see on a boombox, like old-school VU meters instead of LED lights showing the playback volume.

The radio we’ve already mentioned, but what would a retro boombox be without a cassette deck? Don’t worry—you get one here, as well as a 3.5mm auxiliary input. If you’ve got a bunch of music files to play, the boombox supports playback from USB drives, or you can pair your phone via Bluetooth and listen that way.

Interestingly enough, the Audiocrazy has rather flexible routing when it comes to recording. You can record from the onboard tape deck or radio to USB for ease of digital capture. On the other hand, if you’d rather travel a bit back in time, you can record from USB or Bluetooth directly onto the cassette deck to make your own mixtapes.

When it comes to power, Audiocrazy’s Retro Boombox offers plenty of options. It comes with a 2,500mAh rechargeable battery, but you can also supply your own batteries as backups. If you’re using the boombox at home or anywhere near a handy outlet, you can plug it in with the included AC power plug.