The best Alexa speaker enables you to listen to your favorite albums and playlists on music streaming services, as well as access to Amazon’s voice assistant. Ask Alexa to control the playback of music, as well as information such as the latest headlines, the weather, or even recent sports scores, and the best Alexa speakers will oblige, serving up the information you requested audibly.
Many of the best Alexa speakers are made by Amazon - in fact there’s a model to suit every budget and room in your home. From the compact entry-level Echo Dot to the Echo Studio, which is an excellent-sounding speaker that will be right at home in your entertainment set-up.
However, a number of third-party brands including Bose and Sonos also offer some of the top smart speakers with Alexa built-in, on the market right now too. Alongside the best Alexa speakers, Amazon also now offers a range of smart displays. These build on an Alexa speaker with a screen that offers a visual interpretation of the information Alexa serves up.
Whichever Alexa product you opt for, you’ll be able to control an array of compatible smart home devices from different manufacturers at the same time. With just one command, you can ensure your smart lights illuminate, your smart thermostat boosts the temperature a few degrees, and lamps or radios connected to smart plugs and switches turn on automatically, creating a cozy atmosphere without reaching for your smartphone.
The best Alexa speakers can also be used to stay in touch with friends and family through audio, as well as doubling as an intercom for the house.
There are many different models to choose from when it comes to picking the best smart speaker featuring Amazon's voice assistant for you. We’ve put all of Amazon’s designs to the test, along with those from Bose and Sonos to help you decide which is the best Alexa speaker for you.
The best Alexa speaker of 2022
How we test Alexa speakers
When it comes to putting the best Alexa speakers to the test, we evaluate the sound quality of the speaker and whether the audio is clear when listening to music, podcasts, and even the responses from Alexa.
We assess each model on its ability to pick up your voice when issuing commands to Alexa, as well as privacy features that help ensure the smart speaker isn’t constantly watching and listening, and how compact and durable the design is.
Best Alexa Speaker FAQs
What to consider when buying an Alexa speaker
There are a number of considerations when it comes to choosing the best Alexa speaker for you.
Do you want an Alexa speaker that just offers audible responses from Amazon’s voice assistant, or do you want a device with a screen, known as a smart display, that lets you see as well as hear Alexa’s responses? And if so, do you want a larger screen that can be easily seen in a quick glance when ou’re on the other side of the room, or do you want a smaller , more compact device?
Next, consider where you intend to locate the Alexa speaker. Large devices are best suited to rooms with bigger footprints such as a lounge or dining room, while for bedrooms, you may want a smaller Alexa speaker so it fits neatly on your bedside table.
If you intend to use the smart speaker as your main listening device, make sure you consider the number of speakers, and the sound output and quality it offers. Those with smaller speakers are best suited to background music, while larger smart speakers will offer a louder, more room-filling sound. Also look for models that can be paired together to create stereo sound if you’re planning to use a smart speaker as part of your home cinema set-up.
What do Alexa speakers do?
As we’ve already mentioned, Alexa speakers can be used to listen to music but there’s also a host of other things they can do thanks to Amazon’s built-in voice assistant. To start with, they can control the playback of music for you, rather than needing to reach for your smartphone. Just ask Alexa to pause the music, skip tracks, adjust the volume or even play a specific album, track, or playlist.
Alexa speakers can also offer up a range of information such as a weather report, the latest news headlines, or even sports scores, if you ask for them. The voice assistant can also provide trivia and answer your burning questions such as ‘who is the Queen of England’ or ‘what is the tallest mountain in the world’.
Alexa speakers can be a great way to stay in touch with family and friends by letting you make audio calls, and if you have an Alexa smart display, video calls. It can even be a source of fun by telling jokes and playing games. .
Finally, Alexa speakers can also be used to control compatible smart home devices; for example, it can dim or brighten any smart lights you have in your home, turn the temperature up or down if you have a smart thermostat, and let you converse with anyone at your doorstep by connecting to your video doorbell.