Best Smart speaker
1. BEST BUDGET SMART SPEAKER FOR ALEXA
Amazon Echo Dot (5th generation)
PROS
- Easy to set up
- Controls other smart gadgets
CONS
- Limited connectivity options
This is one of the most affordable ways to bring Alexa into your home and is a smaller version of Amazon’s spherical smart speaker Echo series.
Made from recycled material, it’s simple to set up and use. The sound is clear and it had no problems picking up our voice in a kitchen where the extraction fan was running. It’s also available with an LED clock display on the side for £31.99.
2. BEST ALEXA BEDSIDE SPEAKER
Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd generation)
PROS
- Compact size
- Helpful voice assistant
CONS
- Screen too small for streaming
This small display is well-suited for a bedside table. It’s got a range of clock faces and we love that the 5-inch display adjusts based on its surroundings, dimming in a dark room and brightening in a lighter one. On test, the audio sounded clear and detailed however it can’t quite reproduce the lower frequencies of the larger version.
3. BEST VALUE SMART SPEAKER FOR ALEXA
Amazon Echo (4th generation)
PROS
- Great voice assistant results
- Very effective smart home hub
CONS
- Much more expensive than Dot
Amazon’s latest iteration of the Echo has a spherical design, and while it can’t quite match the soundstage of the Amazon Echo Studio, it’s certainly an improvement on previous Echo speakers. We love that the speaker will analyse the acoustics of your room and tweak the audio so it sounds as good as possible.
It also acts as a home hub and can automatically identify and control compatible smart home devices. This means you don’t have to use the original app or hub to set them up and control them. It can tell you the current temperature of your home too, thanks to a built-in sensor, and it’s made from recycled material.
4. BEST SMART SPEAKER FOR ALEXA
Amazon Echo Studio
PROS
- Spatial audio support
- Fantastic audio quality
CONS
- May be too big for small rooms
This is the best-sounding smart speaker with built-in Alexa. On test, the sound filled the room with clear audio, and there was plenty of bass, too.
The speaker also supports ‘3D music playback’, which means the voice and instruments appear to be coming from different directions in the room, giving you the feeling of a live performance.
To enjoy this, you’ll need a subscription to Amazon Music HD, which costs £12.99 a month. We love that it has an optical connection though, so it can be used as part of a TV surround sound system.
5. BEST BUDGET SMART SPEAKER FOR GOOGLE ASSISTANT
Google Nest Mini
PROS
- Very compact design
- Reasonable price point
CONS
- Lacks room-filling sound
Google’s smallest and most compact smart speaker is a great, affordable alternative to others on this list, and it’s a similar size when compared to its Alexa-bearing rival. While there’s a hint of bass, it couldn’t quite fill the room with your favourite playlists.
6. BEST VALUE SMART SPEAKER FOR GOOGLE ASSISTANT
Google Nest Audio
PROS
- Attractive fabric design
- Great audio quality
CONS
- Touch controls can be fiddly
Google’s redesigned mid-range smart speaker is louder than its predecessor (the Google Home) and does a better job reproducing bass. The mains-powered speaker now features a rounded rectangular design and is covered in fabric made from recycled plastic bottles.
It’s got Bluetooth, so you can play music from your phone through the speaker, and we like that it increases the volume automatically when a noisy environment is detected.
7. BEST VALUE SMART SPEAKER FOR SIRI
Apple HomePod Mini
PROS
- Excellent sound quality
- Great multi-room capability
CONS
- Not ideal for Android users
Smaller than the original HomePod, this smart speaker still offers a supreme sound with powerful bass, and is almost a third of the price, though you’ll need an iPhone to get it working. It’s got a spherical design, which differs from the now-discontinued cylindrical version, but it’s just as simple to set up, with our iPhone doing all the hard work.
It offers the same smart features, as well as multi-room capability – you can even pair two together for stereo sound, which you might have to do if you want it to fill the room the same way its predecessor did.
8. BEST SMART SPEAKER FOR SIRI
Apple HomePod (2nd generation)
PROS
- Booming room-filling audio
- Stylish appearance
CONS
- Not ideal for Android users
The pricey 2nd generation HomePod isn’t for everyone and we wouldn’t recommend it at all if you’re an Android user or aren’t subscribed to Apple Music.
However, if you want to make the most of Apple Music, have a smart home setup with HomeKit, and love using Siri on your iPhone, the HomePod is a great way to level up the sound around your home.
It delivers a spacious room-filling sound with loads of detail and boomy bass. On test, we’re fans of the stylish minimal appearance, the excellent audio quality and how easy it is to set up.
9. BEST SMART DISPLAY FOR GOOGLE ASSISTANT
Google Nest Hub Max
PROS
- Really nice display
- Great build quality
CONS
- Video calls limited to Google Duo
Google’s largest and most powerful smart display is the best we’ve tested for Google Assistant. The screen was clear and bright, and our try out found the sound was decent (if just a little light on bass).
The built-in camera can be used for video calls or as a wifi security camera, so you can check in on your home when you’re not there. If you subscribe to Nest Aware, you’ll be able to record continuous video (it costs £5 per month).
We were impressed it also has facial recognition so you can see reminders, messages and other personalised content that only applies to you when you look at the display.
