The JBL PartyLight Stick is for those who want to bring energy and atmosphere to their gatherings.
With its premium build, vibrant 360° lighting, and customisable effects, it’s designed to stand out and add a visual spark to any party setup. It’s easy to use and boasts a number of dynamic lighting modes that deliver plenty of visual flair.
But while the lights look great, the music synchronisation struggles, which might disappoint if beat-reactive effects are a priority.
Still, for anyone looking to set the perfect vibe for their events, the PartyLight Stick has a lot to offer, adding something special to your party.
Design
The PartyLight Stick is solidly built with a sturdy cylindrical stand that holds the tube securely. The tube itself feels durable and capable of handling a few bumps. Compared to a cheaper ‘stick’ light I’ve used, the PartyLight Stick has a noticeably more premium feel.
Standing just over a metre tall at 1081 mm with a diameter of 217 mm, it has a clean, minimalist design that’s easy to place. It’s subtle without being flashy, blending well into any room. Weighing just 1.15 kg, it’s also lightweight enough to move around and set up easily.
Inside, it houses 183 RGB lights, and its cylindrical shape provides 360° lighting, ensuring the lights are clearly visible from any angle. At the bottom, you’ll find controls for power and mode selection, along with a USB-C charging port. A nice touch is that the controls aren’t tied to the base, so you can use the light on its own, allowing you to position it however you like, even laying it flat.
It has an IPX4 resistance rating meaning it will survive a splash of water, great for parties where accidents can happen. And it means you can comfortably use them outside without worrying about them getting damaged. However, I wouldn't advise leaving them out in a downpour for too long.
Lights
The 183 RGBs inside the PartyLight Stick are bright and easy to see, even on sunny days. Obviously, they truly come into their own in dark areas, but I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I could see them when outside.
The lights can be customised through the JBL PartyBox app, where you can choose from a variety of modes and select your favourite colours. Modes include Neon, where bright colours flow down the light; Loop, which creates the illusion of a single colour travelling around the tube; Bounce, where the light moves up and down; Trim, where lights come from both ends and meet in the middle; and Freeze, which locks the light on a single colour. Each mode looks impressive and adds visual variety, and the Freeze option is particularly useful for backlighting.
The PartyLight Stick is primarily designed to work with music. It includes a PartyBox synchronisation button that syncs the lights with compatible JBL PartyBox speakers, creating a more cohesive and immersive light show. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to test this because it's only compatible with certain PartyBox speakers:
- PartyBox Ultimate
- PartyBox Club 120
- PartyBox Stage 320
There is a Sound Detection mode in which the PartyLight Stick uses its inbuilt microphone to listen to music or sounds in the environment, and sync with it. This didn’t work as well as I had hoped. I wanted the lights to flash and move to the beat, but it wasn’t even close. If you’re looking for lights to sync with your music these aren’t great.
App
The JBL PartyBox app is easy to use, and I love how quickly it connects to the devices.
There’s a number of options here like the aforementioned PartyBox Sync, selecting different lighting modes and choosing what colours you want the light to be. There are also options to change the speed of the lights, change the brightness, turn Sound Detection on and off and turn the Backlight on and off.
It’s straightforward and works just as well as it should.
Battery
The PartyLight Stick boasts an 8-hour battery. This will fluctuate based on how bright you have the lights though. I always had them on full brightness, and it dropped to about 6.5 hours.
The good news is you can use the light while it's charging, and a full charge takes around three hours. Not bad.
You can also do things like turn off the Back Light and Sound Detection modes to get a bit more life out of it.
Verdict
The JBL PartyLight Stick is a well-designed and premium-feeling lighting accessory that delivers bright, customisable 360° RGB effects. Its sturdy yet lightweight build, combined with IPX4 splash resistance, makes it perfect for parties both indoors and outdoors.
The variety of lighting modes, like Neon, Bounce, and Freeze, adds plenty of visual flair, but the Sound Detection mode falls short, struggling to sync accurately with music beats. For ambient lighting, it’s fantastic - for beat-synced effects, not so much.
The JBL PartyBox app is intuitive and responsive, offering quick connections and easy control over colours, modes, and brightness. Battery life holds up well, providing around 6.5 hours at full brightness, with the bonus of being usable while charging.
If you’re after stylish, versatile lighting to enhance your party atmosphere, the JBL PartyLight Stick is a solid choice. Just don’t expect perfect music synchronisation.
