Alexa Might Not Be Able to Tell You What the Best Amazon Echo Speaker Is, But We Can

Editor’s Note: We reviewed our current product picks to ensure they are in stock, available, and accurately priced. We'll be updating this piece again as Prime Day inches closer so you can get the most up-to-date information available.

An Amazon Echo is a microphone-enabled smart speaker or smart display that's connected to the Internet. The devices are basically digital assistants that are activated when they hear a wake word (Alexa by default, a name that was inspired by the Library of Alexandria). In a matter of seconds, they record your voice command, which is uploaded to Amazon's cloud services, the recording is analyzed, and then the speaker will give you a response.

You can ask Alexa to play music, tell you the weather, play Jeopardy, turn on your internet-connected lights, make cooking conversions, do math, add an item to your shopping list, set a timer or reminder, get answers to questions and stay informed — the list goes on and on and on. In fact, Alexa has more than 100,000 skills.

Amazon Echo devices are convenient for folks who want to be able to play music, podcasts, or get information hands-free without having to fuss with a smartphone, tablet, or computer. If you own multiple Alexa speakers, you can link them all to create a multiroom audio system. If you have a Fire TV, you can even ask Alexa to play something on Netflix or use your voice to pause a show.

They also work well for aspiring smart home enthusiasts who are looking for a way to control all their smart home gear. Every Amazon Echo product also lets you make free audio calls in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Best Amazon Echo Speakers

What to Consider

➥ Location of Speaker

When shopping for an Amazon Echo, you first need to decide what rooms in your house you plan to use them. Typically, the smaller the room, the smaller-sized speaker you'll want. Echo devices come in various shapes, sizes, and price points. Sound quality varies greatly among devices, but most have similar microphones, so they can easily pick up your voice — even if you're far away from the speaker.

➥ Smart Speaker vs. Smart Display

The biggest difference between Echo devices is their design. There are two types of Amazon Echo devices: smart speakers and smart displays. Smart displays combine a voice-controlled speaker with a 5- to 10-inch touchscreen display. They still are activated by a wake word (Alexa), but rather than just verbally giving you an answer, they display the information they give you on the screen. Smart displays like the Amazon Echo Show 8 work really well in the kitchen since you can use them to read recipes. They also serve as small streaming setups and can be used for video calls with family and friends. The Echo Show 10 even will move the screen and camera so you're always in the frame and can see your loved ones. Smart displays also makes for excellent alarm clocks, especially the Echo Show 5, which we recommend in our gift guide for the tech-obsessed.

➥ A Quick Note on Privacy

It's worth mentioning that since these speakers are always listening, some people have privacy concerns. All data sent to Amazon's servers is encrypted, but the devices do gather data about you that is used for marketing purposes. Amazon allows you to delete all recordings, but we still recommend you review Amazon's privacy webpage before investing in an Alexa-powered device.

If you're confused about which Amazon Echo speaker to get, we're here to help! Here, we broke down each model, from the affordable Echo Dot to the new and much larger Echo Show 15, so you can see which is the best Amazon echo for your home.