When you know how to use Alexa, having a smart speaker (or three) will let you take advantage of all the best Alexa skills and features. But not all the best smart speakers are made the same — that’s why we’ve spent hundreds of hours testing dozens of options for your buying convenience.
What are the best Alexa speakers?
See all of the best Alexa speakers below, and check our smart home guide for advice on building the ultimate connected home.
The best Alexa speakers you can buy today
Read our full Sonos One review. The Echo Show’s 10-inch display is the same size and resolution (1280 x 800) as previous models, but this new model has a trick up it’s sleeve: the screen rotates so that you’re always the center of its attention. This way when you’re taking video calls with the 13MP camera, bouncing around the kitchen following Alexa’s recipes or managing multiple people in a single household, the display stays in your line of sight. This might sound a little creepy, but our experience felt more intuitive than we expected. It’s not following you all the time — just when you use your assistant’s wake word. The large display also acts like a hub for your collection of smart home devices, so you can control them easily on a single interface. The Echo Dot’s purpose is to be more of a personal smart speaker. No, this isn’t the solution for controlling all your connected home devices or filling your space with sound, plus it no longer has a 3.5mm audio line out. But it does have eero built-in and features room temperature sensor that can initiate certain Alexa smart home routines. That’s why it’s a great “starter” device for a smart home. It makes a great gift, too. The Echo Show 8 delivers visuals and audio far better than its price would suggest. And, for the same price as the first version, the new Echo Show 8 has an upgraded 13-megapixel camera for higher-quality video chats. It also adopted the digital pan-and-zoom abilities of the Show 10. While the display can’t physically rotate to keep you in frame, the new wide-angle lens can center you like the Google Nest Hub Max and the Facebook Portal can. A parental dashboard also lets you keep track of what your child is doing with the Echo Dot, and allows you to restrict access or certain skills. The Echo Dot Kids Edition comes in six colors, but we think the rainbow model is the best of the bunch. And, it comes with a 2-year warranty, in case junior spills milk all over the device. One thing the Echo Studio has that the Sonos One lacks is a 3.5mm audio-in port. So, for example, you can connect a turntable directly to the Echo Studio to elevate its sound. It might not be the best entry-level Echo, but we found that it’s worth the $200 price tag if you’re looking for a great speaker that makes use of all Alexa’s features. If you’re looking for a portable smart speaker that’s not as pricey as the Sonos Move, the UE Megablast is a great option. It costs half as much, weighs even less, yet sounds great for its size. Plus, the Megablast is water-resistant, so you can dunk it in a pool for up to 30 minutes, and it should come out just fine. Read our full UE Megablast review.
How to pick the best Alexa speaker for you
The key decision you’ll have to make while shopping for one of the best Alexa speakers is whether you’re looking for a standard, grilled speaker or a speaker with a display. If this is your first smart home purchase, you’ll want to opt for the 4th-generation Echo, Echo Dot or Sonos One. All are simple to set up and lay a foundation for getting your other gadgets connected. If you have a large family or spend a lot of time in the kitchen or other shared space, a smart speaker with a display is a better choice. You can check in on your security cameras and video doorbells, get recipe advice and make calls. Video calls can only be made with the Echo Show 8, second-generation Echo Show or Echo Show 5, though.
How we test the best Alexa speakers
When reviewing any of the best Alexa speakers (or any of the best smart home devices, for that matter) we consider several different factors before assigning it a final rating. Here are some things we look for, after spending hours testing available buying options: Ease of setup: How simple is the device to install? Can anyone, even a first time smart speaker owner, set it up themself? Features: What features does the device have relative to others in its price range? Performance: Does it actually work as advertised? Is its app easy to use, with a sensible layout? Price: How expensive is it when compared to similar devices? While this isn’t the most critical criteria, it is a factor in its final rating.
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