How to Choose the Right Smart Speaker

The standout models from our tests are versatile household helpers—and can offer impressive sound, too

By Allen St. John

Only a few years ago, smart speakers seemed like little more than quaint novelties with a sci-fi twist—The Clapper meets HAL 9000 from “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Now more than 40 percent of households in the U.S. own one, and millions of us routinely issue orders to (and direct questions at) these voice-controlled, internet-connected devices, which answer to names like Alexa, Siri, and Hey, Google.

It’s little wonder: Smart speakers are generally simple to set up and use. They can do anything from adjusting your smart thermostat to shuffling your Ladies of the ’80s playlist or ringing your sister for a video chat. (It’s as easy as saying “Hey, Google, turn up the temperature,” or “Alexa, play ‘Bette Davis Eyes.’") And during sales events, you can buy one for under $30.

As smart speakers have gone mainstream, however, it has become trickier to choose the right model. The range of features and capabilities has grown significantly since the Amazon Echo first appeared in 2014 looking a lot like a Pringles can. Some models now have built-in screens. Others feature impressive sound quality. And the prices can hit a hefty $400. There are two basic things to keep in mind as you weigh the options.

First, your buying decision should largely depend on how you plan to use your smart speaker. Will you mainly ask it to play music? Should it have a screen to display recipes when you’re working in the kitchen? Or do you need a model that lets you take full advantage of products like Apple CarPlay or your Amazon account? We’re here to guide you through such questions and direct you to the models that best suit your needs. (Our smart speaker ratings—available to CR members—can help with that process.)

Second, you should understand that while spending more on a smart speaker can buy you a touch screen or better sound, it won’t make the device any smarter. A $50 Amazon Echo Dot is every bit as intelligent as the $350 Bose Home Speaker 500, for example. That’s because the “brains” of a smart speaker don’t live in the device itself but in the cloud-based computers at Amazon, Apple, or Google, and the cheapest devices have the same access as the most expensive ones. That’s all the more reason to consider your needs before choosing a model for your home.

A Sound Decision

For all the clever tricks smart speakers can perform, most consumers use them primarily to play music.

This once was a problem because early models weren’t tops for sound quality, but that has changed. You can now find models with sound that gets Very Good ratings from our testers. These models come from audio industry stalwarts like Bose and Sonos, as well as Amazon (see the Echo Studio). They generally cost $200 and up. But even a $100 model, like the latest-generation Amazon Echo, represents a major sonic upgrade from tinny-sounding budget models.

But here’s an expert tip: You can buy an entry-level smart speaker—Amazon’s Dot or Google’s Nest Mini, for example—and pair it to a stellar-sounding wireless model, like our top-rated Edifier S1000MKII, $350, for a system that’s smart and sounds even better than our top-rated smart speaker.

Smart speakers can also be integrated into a multiroom system that allows the kids to blast Olivia Rodrigo in the basement while the adults listen to NPR’s “Radiolab” podcast in the kitchen. And an increasing number of portable models have rechargeable batteries that allow you to take your tunes outside, although you’ll need a WiFi connection or mobile hot spot to take full advantage of voice commands.

Screen Selections

In the past few years, Amazon and Google have started making speakers with touch screens. Think of them as stationary tablets that respond to voice commands. These models, often called smart displays, are super-helpful in the kitchen, allowing you to call up recipes, screen how-to videos, and make video calls to friends, all without having to stop chopping veggies or rinse off grimy hands.

The one problem? Kitchen real estate is often at a premium, and these devices can take up counter space that might otherwise be used by a coffee maker or stand mixer. Amazon’s Echo Show 10, which has a screen that uses an electric motor to pivot on its base to follow you around the room, needs a patch about the size of a large pizza. And if you don’t heed the company’s placement requirements, the screen can swing around and knock over a coffee mug or bottle of cooking oil.

Other models may require less room, but you should consider how often you’ll be using that screen functionality. Tablets, laptops, and even smartphones let you watch videos, albeit without voice control, and you can stow them away when you’re done.

Amazon tries to address the space challenge with its new wall-mountable Echo Show 15 smart screen. It’s designed to serve as a family hub, sort of the digital equivalent of Post-it notes and magnets on the fridge. But once you fasten it to the wall it’s less versatile as a cooking aid, unless you’re cool with returning to the screen each time you need to consult a recipe or how-to video.

It’s hard to find a model with both a screen and good sound, so you may need to choose one or the other. As for privacy concerns, all smart speakers provide a switch to disable the built-in mic. Most models with smart displays allow you to turn off the built-in cameras, too.

Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri?

Deciding among the three most popular digital assistants isn’t as big a decision as you might imagine. All three options work fairly well, particularly when it comes to the most popular tasks. Models from Bose, Sonos, and others allow you to choose between Alexa and Google Assistant, and Sonos has added a new privacy-friendly assistant (“Hey, Sonos”) just for music commands. (Siri fans must buy a speaker made by Apple.)

But for people who are heavily invested in a suite of products and services from Amazon, Apple, or Google, there are minor differences worth noting.

Amazon has the broadest catalog of skills, over 100,000, the company claims, and more keep coming. If you do a lot of shopping at Amazon, your Echo smart speakers can help. (“Alexa, order more Tide Pods.”)

Do you want a speaker that’s more adept at answering day-to-day questions? Google is the king of search, while Amazon’s Alexa is powered by Microsoft’s less popular Bing search engine. And Apple lets you request driving directions from your HomePod Mini and send them to the Apple CarPlay app in your car.

Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the July 2022 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

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