Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri have become our reliable digital assistants. They live inside our devices and jump at our spoken commands to set timers, play music, and teach kids how to spell those difficult homework words. Smart speakers are one of the easiest ways to use these voice assistants around your home.
But before you can choose a smart speaker, you have to pick a camp. The top voice assistants don’t work very well together and, if you want to equip multiple rooms, you should stick to a single one. This guide explains all your options and helps you pick the best platform for your needs, along with the right smart speaker (or speakers) for your home.
Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
Best for Most Alexa Users
Why We Picked It
The original Amazon Echo started the smart speaker trend and has only improved over time. The current iteration of the Echo is sphere-shaped rather than cylindrical. It features a built-in temperature sensor and a Zigbee smart home hub for compatible devices, and gets surprisingly loud for its size. It’s effectively as powerful as the now-discontinued Amazon Echo Plus, which served as the scaled-up Echo speaker until the Echo Studio solidly assumed that role. That means strong bass in a fairly compact package.
We rate the Echo more highly than its Google Assistant counterpart, the Google Nest Audio, because of that stronger bass response and room-filling sound. The temperature sensor is a nice gimmick and the Zigbee hub can be helpful if you have older Zigbee smart home devices, but both Alexa and Google Assistant now have fairly extensive built-in support for home automations. It’s the sound that puts the Echo over the top.
Who It’s For
The Echo is the Goldilocks of Alexa smart speakers. It’s loud enough to comfortably fill a medium-sized room, unlike the tiny Echo Dot, and it’s half the price of the larger Echo Studio. It’s a good anchor smart speaker, something to put in the living room to control lights and play music without taking up a lot of space or costing a lot of money.
PROS
- As powerful as the Echo Plus
- Strong bass for the size
- Built-in smart home hub
CONS
- High frequencies don’t get quite as much finesse as they could
- Alexa can still be awkward to talk to
Amazon Echo Studio
Most Powerful Echo Speaker
Why We Picked It
This is the most powerful first-party Alexa speaker and the most technically impressive. The Echo Studio gets far louder than the Echo and has better treble response for crisp, clear sound as well as booming bass. That alone makes it a strong pick.
The biggest surprise in the Echo Studio, however, is Dolby Atmos support combined with directional audio. The speaker has five separate drivers that can generate a wide sound field with (if the geometry of the room is suitable for it) accurate imaging from left to right and even above. Amazon promotes the Echo Studio’s ability to play 360-degree music via its Amazon Music HD subscription service, which is not included in Amazon Prime. The speaker also supports optical audio if you simply want to connect it to your TV and use it as your main TV speaker. You have to spend a few extra bucks for a 3.5mm-to-optical adapter, though.
Who It’s For
If you want the best sound available from an Echo speaker, this is the one to get. It’s loud, clear, and can offer precise imaging from its one-piece, mini-keg-shaped body. There are a few other Alexa-compatible speakers that sound even better, and one’s on this list, but they’re much pricier than the Echo Studio.
PROS
- Excellent value for the size and power
- Loud, clear sound
- Compelling directional audio
CONS
- Requires Amazon Music HD to listen to fully 3D Ultra HD music
Amazon Echo Dot With Clock (5th Gen)
Best Small Smart Speaker
Why We Picked It
On the other end of the Echo lineup is the Echo Dot. There are a few variations available, including the regular Echo Dot (which comes in three colors), the Echo Dot Kids (with your choice of a panda or tiger face), and the Echo Dot With Clock (which integrates a clock). That last entry offers all of the usual Alexa features and solid-if-modest sound in a tiny, inexpensive package. It can serve as a bedside clock, which is already well worth the extra $10 from the regular Echo Dot, but its flexible LED display also lets it show even more information, like song titles and detailed weather forecasts.
Who It’s For
If you want Alexa by your bed or desk and don’t need powerful, room-filling sound, the Echo Dot With Clock is the best pick.
PROS
- LED display more useful than previous model
- Convenient tap gestures
- Well-balanced sound
- Can serve as eero mesh network node
CONS
- No 3.5mm jack
- Limited frequency range
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin (2021)
Best All-in-One Speaker System
Why We Picked It
This is the speaker we were talking about above when we mentioned you can get even better sound with Alexa if you’re willing to pay much, much more money. The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin is a speaker with a long pedigree and it’s admirably up-to-date with modern technology. The first Zeppelin was an iPod dock with a 30-pin connector, which launched 15 years ago. Now, it’s a completely wireless speaker with Apple AirPlay and Bluetooth, as well as Alexa. It still looks like a cool, floating black football, and it still sounds fantastic. Specifically, it sounds fantastic enough to justify its $800 list price.
Who It’s For
If you have relatively deep pockets, an eye for style, an ear for excellent audio, and an affection for Alexa, the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin is one of your best options. It’s pricey, but it looks and sounds great, thus making it an ideal speaker for an office or living room you want to spruce up visually and aurally.
PROS
- Powerful audio performance with rich bass and detailed highs
- Stylish, iconic design
- App includes adjustable bass and treble settings
- Built-in Amazon Alexa voice control
CONS
- Stereo separation could be more pronounced
- Expensive
- Digital signal processing isn’t for purists
Google Nest Audio
Best for Most Google Assistant Users
Why We Picked It
This is, for all intents and purposes, Google’s version of the Amazon Echo. It’s $100, big-but-not-too-big, and lets you use Google Assistant hands-free without your phone. It surpasses the Echo in higher-frequency response but puts out weaker bass so it won’t sound quite as nice at room-filling volume levels. Its chiclet shape is also a bit more plain and awkward than the friendly Echo sphere. The shape doesn’t matter as much as the sound, though.
Who It’s For
If you want to use Google Assistant instead of Amazon Alexa, and you want some good music performance as well as a helpful voice assistant, the Nest Audio is the best choice. It’s another Goldilocks speaker, not too small or expensive, but versatile enough for wherever you want to put it.
PROS
- Balanced sound with strong, detailed highs
- Supports Bluetooth and Google Cast
- Google Assistant is more useful than ever
CONS
- Bass isn’t particularly powerful
Sonos Arc
Best Smart Soundbar
Why We Picked It
A handful of soundbars support voice assistants, but the Sonos Arc stands out from the pack. It works with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. It also supports Sonos’ multi-room audio platform, which means you can mix and match it with other Sonos speakers as part of your home theater setup or around the house.
The Arc sounds excellent by itself, however, which is what makes it impressive. It puts out enough bass that you probably won’t miss a subwoofer (a good thing, since it works only with the Sonos Sub subwoofer, which costs almost as much as the Arc), and its multiple angled drivers and Dolby Atmos compatibility allow it to produce a large sound field with strong directional audio even without rear satellites.
Who It’s For
This is for anyone with a home theater who wants big, powerful surround sound in a streamlined package. The voice assistants (you can choose between Alexa and Google Assistant at any time within the Sonos app) are simply a nice bonus compared with the audio performance. The assistants are really useful by themselves, of course, but their inclusion here means you don’t need to stick another tiny speaker somewhere else in the room.
PROS
- Large sound field with powerful bass, even without a subwoofer
- Supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
- Can easily be expanded with satellites and a subwoofer
- Dolby Atmos compatibility with angled tweeters
CONS
- Expensive
- Only works with pricey Sonos subwoofer
Apple HomePod mini
Best for Siri Users
Why We Picked It
The Apple HomePod was the first Siri smart speaker, but it was too expensive and limited to be very appealing. The HomePod mini is far superior and costs a third as much as the HomePod. It even offers hands-free Siri voice control and solid, if not nearly as powerful, sound. It lags behind the Amazon Echo in terms of sound quality, but it’s also smaller and offers the benefit of Apple AirPlay 2 support.
Who It’s For
This is the smart speaker for Apple users, and specifically for Apple users who turn to Siri instead of Alexa or Google Assistant for everything they need. If you have an iPhone and have been careful to make sure all of your smart home devices are HomeKit-compatible, this is ideal. You can also pair it with a second HomePod mini for stereo sound. Of course, if you aren’t already on a first-name basis with Siri, you don’t need to give it much thought.
PROS
- Solid audio performance with rich bass and bright highs
- Multiple speakers can be grouped and used as stereo pairs
- Easy Siri voice control
- Good Apple Home app integration for smart home controls
CONS
- Not the absolute best audio quality for the price
- No aux input
Sonos Move
Best Portable Speaker
Why We Picked It
Few smart speakers are portable, because voice assistants need some kind of internet connection to work. The Sonos Move is an exception. It’s large and powerful, plus sports an internal battery that allows you to carry it around. It’s more suitable for moving between rooms (or from inside to your backyard or deck) than taking on far-flung adventures, but even that flexibility is more than most smart speakers offer. It also has an IP56 rating, which means you can take it to the beach and don’t need to worry about it during a downpour.
The Sonos Move also offers a choice between Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Once you set your voice assistant of choice, you can use it just like an Amazon Echo or Nest Audio. And, as a Sonos speaker, it integrates with Sonos’ multiroom audio system. That means you can pair it with your Sonos One, Sonos Beam, or any other Sonos speaker you have around the house.
Who It’s For
If you want a smart speaker you can take around, especially just outside your home for barbecues and parties, the Sonos Move is one of the best. It’s loud, battery-powered, and lets you choose your voice assistant. It’s pricey, but if you want Alexa or Google Assistant out on your deck and enough audio power to get people on their feet, this is your best choice.
PROS
- Powerful audio with rich bass depth and bright highs
- Portable, dust- and water-resistant build
- Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control
CONS
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Sculpted, mono sound signature not for everyone
Google Nest Mini
Best Affordable Google Assistant Speaker
Why We Picked It
The little puck is the most affordable Google Assistant smart speaker you can get. You can pop it anywhere—even on the wall!—and use Google’s voice assistant easily; it fills the same niche for Google Assistant as the Amazon Echo Dot does for Alexa. It has clean treble but, otherwise, its audio is pretty weak. That said, it’s suitable if you want to listen to music before you sleep or play podcasts to idly distract you during the day.
Who It’s For
This is another speaker for your counter, desk, or nightstand: It’s small and doesn’t cost too much money. Sadly, there isn’t an alternative version with a clock, though you can get the clock-equipped Lenovo Smart Clock Essential if you really want one. Just be aware that the Lenovo variant sounds worse.
PROS
- Affordable.
- Small.
- Good high-frequency response.
CONS
- No significant changes over Google Home Mini.
- Weak bass and midrange.
Buying Guide: The Best Smart Speakers for 2022
How to Talk to Your Smart Speaker
Every smart speaker responds to a wake word, such as “Alexa” for Alexa, “Hey, Google” for Google, and “Siri” for Siri. Once they start listening to you, you can ask for whatever you want. The question then is how to ask.
All three voice assistants are fairly easy to talk to, but they can trip up if you don’t use the proper syntax. You need to speak to Alexa in a certain way, in particular, to get the best results. This isn’t a problem once you get used to the syntax, but the voice assistant too often gets confused if you use an unfamiliar term or phrase a command in an unfamiliar way.
Google Assistant and Siri are both much better at recognizing natural language and are generally less frustrating to use. Amazon continues to develop Alexa, but for now, Google and Apple have the edge here.
Amazon Echo Studio
(Credit: Zlata Ivelva)
How to Use a Smart Speaker to Manage Your Smart Home
Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri can control pretty much any smart home device nowadays. In the Alexa and Google apps, and with the new Siri Shortcuts feature, you can set up rooms of multiple devices to control, plus configure multi-step routines, like “I’m leaving the house.” All three smart assistants support most major smart home device brands, with few holes between them.
The Amazon Echo and Echo Studio add support for the Zigbee smart home standard, which means they work with more third-party devices (and other Echos in your home, as a result). Most newer smart home devices are Wi-Fi-based and hubless, or otherwise work with Alexa and Google Assistant, so you should be covered regardless.
If you intend to use Siri to control your smart home, make sure the smart home devices you buy are HomeKit-compatible, and you have a HomePod, iPad, or Apple TV to use as a hub. These devices enable you to create rooms, groups, and multi-step routines, as well as control your devices remotely—but only from iOS. Apple’s Home app is gorgeous, but you have to be all-in with Apple for it to work well.
Matter is an emerging standard worth keeping an eye on, though it isn’t yet widely available for smart home devices.
You can also use Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri to control a TV or home entertainment center, with a compatible TV or appropriate hardware add-on (a media streamer like an Amazon Fire TV device for Alexa, a Chromecast or Android TV for Google Assistant, an Apple TV for Siri, or a Roku device for any of them).
Google Nest Mini
(Credit: Zlata Ivelva)
Explore Third-Party Smart Speaker Skills
Amazon’s voice assistant ecosystem benefits from tens of thousands of third-party “skills,” and Amazon has a directory(Opens in a new window) of them on its site. These skills let you do everything; for example, you can check your local transit status, look up your credit card balance, find trivia about your favorite college football team, play games, and sing along with songs. However, you have to seek out the skills you want and stick to a very specific syntax. It’s a stunningly powerful system but involves a bit of a learning curve.
Google Assistant has fewer skills, which is its main trade-off against Alexa for its more casual syntax and ability to accept more free-form conversation rather than demanding specific word-for-word phrasing. You can check out Google’s skills (which it calls “actions”) in its convenient web-based directory(Opens in a new window).
Can You Use Smart Speakers for Phone Calls?
All of the voice assistants let you make phone calls from your smart speaker. Alexa and Google make free phone calls directly. Google Assistant can call numbers in the US and Canada, but only to phone numbers in your Google Contacts(Opens in a new window). Alexa can call anyone in the US, Canada, and Mexico, but not toll-free numbers. You can also use Amazon Drop In to make voice calls to any friends or family with Alexa devices or the Alexa app, including different Echo speakers in your own home. You can also use the HomePod as a speakerphone, but you have to start the call on your iPhone.
Recommended by Our Editors
How Do Smart Speakers Sound?
All smart speakers can play music from your phone but, if you’re relying only on voice commands, you are stuck with cloud services. Alexa and Google Assistant both connect to Apple Music and Spotify Premium accounts, as well as to Pandora, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio for free. Alexa speakers also play Amazon Prime Music, while Google Assistant speakers can access YouTube Music. Siri on the HomePod and HomePod mini can play Apple Music and songs from your Apple Music account. For any of these services, you can just ask the smart speaker to start playing music from them.
Apple HomePod mini
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
Most smart speakers also support Bluetooth connections or the Apple AirPlay or Google Cast platforms, so you can stream audio directly from your phone, tablet, or computer. Several also feature 3.5mm ports, though some are output-only (for connecting tiny smart speakers to larger, non-smart speakers).
The Google Nest Mini and Amazon Echo Dot have both made big strides in sound quality, but they still can’t really fill a room and aren’t quite good enough to be primary music speakers. As mentioned, you can use them to control better speakers.
The Echo, HomePod mini, and Nest Audio sound notably better, as do most smart speakers in the $100 to $200 price range. The best value on this list is currently the $200 Echo Studio, which sounds just as good as speakers that cost twice as much.
Ultimately, the best smart speaker for you has the voice assistant you want along with the right power, size, and price for your needs. And if you want video support as well, there are always smart displays, which are basically smart speakers with touch screens.
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