The top smart speakers with Alexa built-in so you can let Amaozn's voice assistant take charge
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Editor's note: December 2023
Nothing has changed in our list of the best Alexa speakers, but we've given it a quick cleanup. We have reviewed the brand-new Amazon Echo Pop, which doesn't quite make our list of the best Echo speakers, but is incredibly affordable. Still, we think the Echo Dot offers better value for money, and you'd be better off paying just a little more for that than the inferior Pop. Josephine Watson, Managing Editor, Lifestyle
Powered by Amazon's voice assistant, the best Alexa speakers allow you to listen to your favorite music on your preferred streaming service – but these smart speakers are capable of so much more.
From delivering the latest headlines, delivering a weather forecast or even telling you the scores from recent sporting events, Alexa is a fantastic home assistant –plus, it can even control your smart home devices with ease.
While a majority of the best Alexa speakers are made my Amazon, a number of third-party brands like Bose and Sonos offer some of the best smart speakers with Alexa built-in, meaning there are plenty of shapes, sizes and price ranges to choose from. Amazon also now offers a range of smart displays, which feature a screen that offers a visual interpretation of the information Alexa serves up – fantastic if you're working from a recipe or have a video doorbell or security camera that needs monitoring.
Alexa can also control your smart lights, and connect with your smart thermostat to boost the temperature a few degrees, as well as lamps or radios connected to smart plugs and smart switches, creating a cozy atmosphere without reaching for your smartphone. Alexa will also develop 'Hunches' based on your activities at home and suggest automations to make life easier.
The best Alexa speaker of 2023
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If you're looking for the best Alexa speaker, you'll be hard pushed to do better than Sonos’ debut smart speaker. Sleek and stylish, this speaker packs a punch when it comes to sound quality, but even though it's not manufactured by Amazon, it still brings the benefits of Alexa.
On test, we were impressed with the mic array, which ensured our voice was picked up, even from the other side of the room. It laso has both Wi-Fi and an Ethernet port, making it ideal for homes that struggle with a strong wireless internet connection. However, this is an expensive smart speaker when compared to the rest of the market.
If you're looking for a more portable option, check out the Sonos Move, which offers a similar excellent sound quality but also lets you take Alexa on the move.
Pair two together for an affordable home cinema set up
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Doubles as a Zigbee hub
Reasons to avoid
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Large size won't suit all
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Requires subscription for 3D audio
With the ability to pair two Eco Studio's together for stereo sound, and a single output of 330W, this is the best Alexa speaker if you're looking to take your home cinema system to the next level.
On test, we were seriously impressed by the sound quality, and the fact it doubles as a Zigbee hub too. However, the large, bulky footprint won't suit everyone and to get the best from the Alexa speaker, you'll need to subscribe to Amazon Music HD to enjoy the 3D immersive sound that Amazon highlights as one of its best features.
That said, it's certainly more affordable than similar speakers from rivals such as Sonos.
Striking the right balance between price and smart home features, the latest Amazon Echo is the best Alexa Speaker for smart home control. The spherical design looks different from any Echo before it and is certainly pleasing to the eye. The audio has been improved too, but the fact that it acts as a Zigbee hub so you can control your smart home devices even when you're not at home, really makes it stand out.
The Echo’s only real issues are that its max volume level is a bit soft, especially compared to larger Alexa speakers such as the Echo Studio (above).
If you're on a tight budget, the Amazon Echo Dot is the most affordable way to get your hands on an Alexa speaker. It's ideal for those who aren’t sure about smart home tech and want to take the first step, as it provides room-filling sound and the benefits of Amazon's voice assistant for under $50 / £50 / AU$80 (it can often be found discounted during online sale periods too).
With the same space-age aesthetic as the Amazon Echo (2020) it's better-looking than previous iterations, and on test, we found it extremely easy to set up and use. However, you do comprise the sound quality, with directional and shallow audio, and there's no Zigbee hub inside, unlike its more expensive sibling.
If you're looking for the best Alexa speaker for the bedroom, the Echo Dot with Clock (2020), is the ideal choice. It builds on the Echo Dot (above) with an illuminated display feature the current time - ideal if you wake up in the middle of the night and don't want to disturb your partner by asking "Alexa, what's the time".
It sports the same spherical design as the Amazon Echo Dot and Amazon Echo, and the rounded styling certainly fits in with home decor better than previous iterations. As you'd expect, it's also extremely easy to set up and use. However, as we've already mentioned above, as it shares the same speaker as the Echo Dot, the audio is directional and shallow, and it also lacks a Zigbee hub inside
One of the most expensive smart speakers on the market
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Hit and miss Wi-Fi setup
The Bose Smart Speaker 500 can certainly give the Sonos One (above) a run for its money when it comes to sound quality - making it our pick as the best Alexa speaker for audiophiles.
Its elegant design is backed up by room-filling sound while Alexa provides the smarts. On test, we were impressed with the eight microphone array, that picked up our commands to Amazon's voice assistant even when the speaker was playing music at a loud volume. We also loved the preset buttons that offer one-touch access to your favorite playlists, radio stations, or albums.
However, it's one of the most expensive smart speakers on the market, and we found setting the speaker up on a Wi-Fi network using the Bose Music app is harder than it should be.
