As we enter a new year and come down from the high of the holiday season, you might be looking to fill holes for those items you didn't get as gifts. One of those might be a smart speaker, and if you're looking for the best smart speaker you can buy, we have you covered. We have rounded up the best smart speakers in various categories to help you decide on the best one to spend your hard-earned (or gifted!) money on.
Our top pick for the best smart speaker is the Sonos Era 100. We love that it's the perfect size to set on an end table, desk, or bookshelf. Plus, you can't beat the seamless set-up by pairing it with dozens of other Sonos devices as part of a larger speaker ecosystem.
The Sonos Era 100 offers vibrant, room-filling sound, especially considering its small stature. Plus, it's compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Apple's AirPlay protocols.
Andrew Myrick is a Senior Editor at Android Central. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is collecting different headphones, even if they all end up in the same drawer.
At a glance
Best overall
Despite its relatively compact size, the Sonos Era 100 boasts impressive room-filling sound alongside support for Amazon's Alexa smart assistant and Sonos Voice Control.
Best Alexa speaker
Thanks to its sleek rounded design and up-firing speakers, the Echo (4th Gen) is able to provide truly rich sound. You also get a 3.5mm input and Bluetooth support.
Best Google speaker
Sleek and understated, the Google Nest smart speaker will blend into the décor of just about any room, plus it's made from 70% recycled materials.
Best sound quality
The Amazon Echo Studio produces immersive, room-filling sound with a 5.25-inch woofer and Dolby Atmos technology, making it ideal for home theaters.
Best for travel
Don't let this compact speaker fool you. Not only does it boast support for multiple voice assistants and up to 10 hours of battery life, the Sonos Roam 2 offers the same great audio quality of the first model, along with a few upgrades.
Best value
With a retail price of around $60, the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock offers loads of bang for the buck, with solid sound and the ability to extend your Wi-Fi.
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Best smart display
If versatility is important to you, look no further than the Echo Show 10, a smart display with 360-degree sound, a 13MP camera, and tons of exclusive features.
Best speaker for kids
Available in both fearsome Dragon and cute Owl designs, the Echo Dot Kids Edition boasts vibrant sound and tons of useful parental controls.
Best overall
Like most Sonos speakers, the Sonos Era 100 offers audiophile-quality sound at a compelling price. While $250 isn't cheap, for the quality and features, it offers good value. In particular, the Era 100 punches above its weight class in sound output, considering its relatively small size. This allows the device to fit in just about any space, from on a bookshelf to a fireplace mantel, to your kitchen counter.
The Era 100 packs three Class-D digital amplifiers, two tweeters, and one mid-woofer in that small-ish frame. You can combine it with other Sonos devices in multi-device groups, or create a stereo pair. The device has a far-field microphone array to enable it to hear your commands from across the room, and there is also a physical mute switch for when you don't want it to hear you.
What's great about the Sonos Era 100 (and the family of Sonos products in general) is that it's as platform-agnostic as possible when working with popular smart voice assistants and the widest range of content providers. As a result, Sonos speakers support more music services than Amazon or Google/Nest and work with Alexa and AirPlay 2. You can also control the Era 100 and any other Sonos speakers you may have through the Sonos app.
The biggest downside to the Sonos Era 100 is that it does not support Google Assistant. It also isn't water resistant, so you won't want to leave it outside by the pool. While it puts out strong sound, it can't quite compete with bigger, more room-filling devices like the Echo Studio.
Best Alexa speaker
Amazon introduced the original Echo to Prime users in late 2014. Since then, the product has spawned not only a whole line of Amazon smart speakers but an industry full of competition. The Echo, in particular, is now on its fourth iteration, with a completely new spherical design and enhanced functionality that has made it our pick for the best overall Alexa speaker.
The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) employs a rounded design and has front-firing speakers that contribute to richer overall sound. It's eye-catching for sure but doesn't stand out more than it needs to. The components are largely made from recycled materials, and Amazon has engineered the device to be more sustainable for energy usage. The speakers are still not as complex as the Sonos One's, but the Echo does come with a line-out 3.5mm cable and Bluetooth capability, so you can pair with other speakers or connect with other Echos.
As with smartphone iterations, the likes of Amazon and Google have distinguished minor outward upgrades to add new colors, and this year, the Echo brought back a fan favorite in Twilight Blue. I'm a big fan of this color palette and am happy that we're now seeing it come to more Echo speakers across the line.
Amazon has even gone so far as to introduce some new features to the Echo and Echo Dot. If you have one of the 4th-generation models or newer, you'll now enjoy motion detection. This enables the ability to create Occupancy Routines, meaning that your lights can automatically turn off if everyone leaves the room or turn on some music while you're cleaning the house. This feature is also available on the 2022 model Echo Dot, later on this list.
Best Google speaker
Google's newest smart speaker is the understated yet impressive-sounding Nest Audio. With a look somewhere between the Nest Mini (2nd Gen) diminutive puck and the shelf-sized Google Home Max, the Nest Audio is more than capable of serving as your primary smart speaker or part of a stereo pair. The device is a huge improvement over the original Google Home smart speaker, which resembled a Glade scented air freshener. It's available in five soft colors, including Chalk, Charcoal, and our favorites, Sand, Sage, and Sky.
We've been so impressed by the Nest Audio's performance that we even called it the best Google Assistant speaker available. We think it can go toe-to-toe with the latest regular-sized Amazon Echo or even the Sonos One (2nd Gen). Where it beats those speakers is in its next-generation Google Assistant integration. It can get up to 75% louder than the original Google Home and features 50% more bass than that first-generation smart speaker.
Like the Nest Mini (2nd Gen) before it, the Nest Audio's fabric shell is made from 70% post-consumer recycled materials like plastic water bottles. We applaud these efforts and look forward to future designs incorporating even more recycled and recyclable materials.
Best sound quality
The Echo Studio is Amazon's first big bet on big sound. Think Apple's HomePod, but bigger, with arguably more room-filling sound and at about half the price.
It's no coincidence that this product followed hot on the tail of Amazon's HD music service launch. It has three midrange 2-inch speakers, a 1-inch tweeter, a large 5.25-inch woofer, and Dolby Atmos technology, making it more than capable of handling high bitrate music formats that have been mastered for 3D music. And now that Amazon is offering its HD tier at no additional cost to new and existing subscribers of the Unlimited tier, everyone who purchases an Echo Studio will be able to get the full experience.
The Echo Studio also works for smart home management and security, with a physical microphone mute switch and a built-in Zigbee smart hub. Amazon's "Certified for Humans" program aims to help smart device partners make their setup and user experiences much easier for novices. In the interim (and for older smart devices), the Zigbee hub should help make that smart device setup and interoperability much easier.
Like all Echo devices, you can pair two Echo Studio speakers together for stereo sound, or group them with other speakers in multi-room set-ups. You can also pair them with your Fire TV for a richer TV viewing and listening experience.
Best for travel
The Sonos Roam 2 is a follow-up to the original Roam, and while it does have some upgrades, it largely sounds the same as before. That's a good thing because the original already sounded pretty great for a speaker of its size. But we expected more from a second-gen product, like what Sonos did with its Era series.
The Roam 2 does not have Google Assistant due to the ongoing legal battle between the two companies, but it does have Alexa and Sonos Voice Control. The speaker comes in five colors, which is nice.
There are some worthwhile upgrades, too. Sonos fixed the biggest issue we had with the first model by giving the Roam 2 a dedicated Bluetooth button. Pairing it with a phone is also simpler now as you can pair it directly, even before you set it up with the Sonos app on your home network.
Other than this big change, most of the other aspects are similar to the first model. It's IP67 rated for dust and water resistance, works with Apple's AirPlay 2, and the built-in battery can last for up to 10 hours on one charge. Our detailed review of the Sonos Roam 2 has all the info you need. The Roam 2 launched at a slightly higher price, but it's usually available at a discounted rate.
Best value
Amazon kept the spherical design from the Echo Dot with Clock (4th gen), down to the exact same dimensions. But managed to increase the speaker size, add a built-in temperature sensor, eero router compatibility, and more. Oh, and the LED display picked up new features too. Thank you, Amazon!
Amazon kept the fan-favorite LED clock from previous models but gave it more to do than just tell time. The Echo Dot with Clock (2022) can give visual feedback when responding to queries such as weather, showing artist and song that's playing, and more. It sounds simple, but this little adjustment makes it much more useful as a smart speaker and even better value for the money than before.
During our review of the smart speaker, it was clear that even the small bump in speaker size made a difference in overall audio quality. The added temperature sensor brings even more functionality to the smart home device. You can now use the room's temperature where the speaker is placed to trigger automation, like turning on a fan.
For those using one of the best mesh Wi-Fi routers on the market from eero, using this speaker makes your internet coverage even better. The Echo Dot with Clock can act as an extender to broaden your Wi-Fi coverage by up to 1,000 square feet! This new smart speaker is a great option for a small but mighty desktop companion.
Best smart display
The Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) is the ultimate screened Alexa portal and just might be the best smart display overall right now. Yes, all that innovation comes at a price. But the features justify the cost for many people.
This Echo Show has a large screen and fabulous speaker array along with a great camera. The speakers take advantage of the 360-degree base to project a fuller sound, and the 13MP camera is twice as good as that on the Nest Hub Max (and better than the Google Pixel Tablet, too). Not only do those features make it the perfect home video calling device because they can keep you in the frame during calls, but they also make for a fantastic content consumption device.
The display uses advanced technology to track your movements when enabled, meaning you can always see that cooking video or Netflix show while you're moving around the kitchen preparing a meal.
The Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) is built with privacy in mind, with a built-in, physical camera cover and microphone mute switch. So even though the tracking technology cannot identify you, nor does it save any image data, you can disable it at any time. But if you want to use the device to monitor your home while you're away, you can do that too with an Alexa Guard Plus subscription.
If you want to go even bigger, you can opt for the Amazon Echo Show 15 or even 21, which have 15-inch and 21-inch screens, respectively, perfect for mounting on the wall.
Best speaker for kids
Amazon has created parallel product lines for its Fire tablets and the Echo Dot that it calls Kids Edition devices. Generally speaking, these come in more playful colors and feature kid-friendly content, strong parental controls, and even stronger product warranties. Oh yeah, and they're more expensive than the "regular" versions of the products.
However, what you get for the increased price is value and peace of mind. The Echo Dot Kids Edition (2022) comes with one year of Amazon Kids+, Amazon's curated service of kid-friendly and age-appropriate content. In addition to tailored music, stories, and audiobooks, several kid-friendly skills are available on this Dot. Amazon Kids+ makes parental controls easy, allowing them to set time limits, content, and purchase restrictions.
Protecting the device is just as important as controlling what content your kids have access to. Let's face it. Kids destroy things. The Echo Dot Kids Edition comes with a two-year worry-free guarantee, which means that Amazon will replace the device if it breaks, no questions asked! So, if it falls off the table or your child gets a bit rough with it, Amazon will replace it should it break.
As for the device itself, it benefits from all the new features that are in the Echo Dot with Clock from above, aside from the LED display. With the "Hey, Disney" voice assistant, kids can enjoy magical worlds and Disney-specific features like trivia, soundscapes, and more.
How to choose
Which smart speaker is best?
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If you want a good-sounding smart speaker with platform and assistant flexibility, we recommend going with the Sonos Era 100. While it doesn't work with Google Assistant, it works with Alexa and Sonos Voice Control, along with the most content partnerships, and sounds great. But if you want to look beyond our top pick, it's important to ask yourself the following questions.
1. Are you locked into a particular ecosystem?
Some, but not all, of the best smart speakers are made by Amazon, Apple, or Google. But even others are intertwined with those companies' software platforms, smart voice assistants, and overall ecosystems. Chances are, if you are an Alexa household, you're not going to be well served by considering an Apple or Google smart speaker.
Beyond platform and OS lock-in, however, you will also want to consider the third-party apps and connected home devices you want to pair with your smart speakers. Some speakers like the HomePod mini don't work with Spotify or YouTube Music, while Nest devices don't play well with Ring security products. And speakers from companies like Sonos and Bose have mixed results with smart home integrations. Before you purchase your smart speaker, take an inventory of your apps, devices, and services, and see which are compatible with what devices.
2. Do you need portability?
Many smart speakers are intended to be stationary, remaining plugged into the outlet somewhere in your home or office. You can indeed unplug and move them to another room, but unless they have a built-in battery, you're not going to be taking them to the beach or pool. So for those use cases, you're going to want to look away from Amazon, Apple, and Google and towards companies like Ultimate Ears and Sonos.
3. How much do privacy and security matter to you?
If you're concerned about always having connected microphones and/or cameras in your home, you'll want to look at devices that have built-in physical controls like mute switches and camera covers. The latest smart speakers from Amazon and Google/Nest have these features and even show indicator lights and play audio cues to let you know when they're not watching or listening.
Even the more basic smart speakers these days have a mute button to prevent voice assistants from accidentally hearing something they perhaps shouldn't. And Amazon, Apple, and Google all give you various degrees of control over your voice recordings and history, with some even offering the ability to delete voice records at a certain time automatically or to do so on-demand.
