A good smart speaker makes the smart home even more convenient by allowing you to play music throughout your home as well as being the voice-enabled control center for the other smart device. You can make lists, set timers, answer your doorbell, listen to your favorite music and podcasts with these devices.
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Folks looking for the right smart speaker might be intimidated by all the options. Here at CNET, we've been testing voice control devices and smart speakers since they first hit the scene. We've considered all the important smart device features, from sound quality to the ease of installing multiple speakers. Lots of products are available to choose from, but these are the ones we found to be the best.
Amazon Echo speakers are among the most affordable and easy-to-set-up smart speakers out there. That's why the fourth-generation Amazon Echo is our pick for the top smart speaker overall. It's likely to best meet the needs of most households. Although it's a few years old, the device features improved sound quality over the previous generation, is compatible with an assortment of smart devices and goes for the relatively affordable price of $100 (although it can often be found on sale for $80 or less).
That said, the fourth-generation Echo might not be the best pick for your particular home. Almost every smart speaker allows you to control the lights, play music, ask questions, set reminders and much more with simple voice commands. The decision may simply come down to which brand you're already invested in. If you have an affinity for a particular company's products, whether you're devoted to Amazon, Apple or Google, picking a speaker is easy.
For platform-neutral folks (or those looking to switch things up), our top picks aside from the fourth-gen Amazon Echo, are the second-gen Google Nest Mini, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen), the Apple HomePod Mini, and the new Sonos Era 100. Find out why below.
If you're in the market for a budget smart speaker, they don't come any more feature-packed than the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen). It offers a wealth of capabilities including a temperature sensor, an Eero mesh extender and the ability to tap it like an alarm clock.
The Echo Dot (5th Gen) also sounds better than other speakers at the price, including the Echo Pop and Google's Nest Mini, with plenty of vocal clarity and decent bass weight. Its microphones are sensitive enough to hear you from across the room, even with another speaker playing.
While Google's Nest Mini is a little more sophisticated in terms of its responses, the Amazon Echo Dot is better in every other respect and is the best smart speaker for under $50.
$28 at Amazon $28 at Best Buy $28 at TargetThe smart speakers above are our current favorites, but you still have lots of other options if you're looking for something specific in audio performance. Read our breakdown of Alexa versus Google Assistant versus Siri if you'd like to learn the pros and cons of each and decide on a smart home device based on its platform.
In the past year or so, we have seen several new smart speakers (namely the Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo Pop, the Sonos Era 100 and the Era 300), but most of the models out there have been available for much longer. The Era 100 is the pick of these new speakers, and although the $40 Pop is interesting in its way, the Dot (5th Gen) offers more features for only $10 more.
If you like the idea of ready-to-listen tech but want something more visual, check out our list of the best smart displays. Smart displays essentially combine a smart speaker with a touchscreen so you can watch videos on YouTube, make video calls, scroll through pictures and control your smart home gadgets with a touch. Amazon and Google both have several options worth considering in the category.
Read more: Best Smart Displays for 2024
Figure out what platform or features you'd like, and you should be able to quickly narrow down your options and find the best smart speaker for you and your family.
Yes!
Nearly every Amazon Echo smart speaker can stereo pair with another Echo speaker. The list is quite long, so take a look at Amazon's stereo device compatibility page. You'll find a list of which speakers can pair with each other for stereo sound.
All of Google's smart speakers can be stereo-paired, as long as they're identical models. Google's Nest Audio speaker is the best bet for stereo pairing, and a two-pack of these speakers often provides a discount off the $99-per-speaker MSRP.
You'll be able to set up the speakers in your Google Home app and tell Google which speaker is right and which is left. Bass and treble settings are also adjustable from the Home app.
Apple's HomePod and HomePod Mini can be paired with identical speakers for left and right-channel stereo listening. You can also pair your HomePods with your Apple TV for surround sound theater. The smaller speakers won't blow you away, but it's a nice extra feature.
If theater surround sound for your TV is your biggest smart speaker priority, Sonos offers the best audio quality, in our opinion. Two Sonos speakers (of the same model) can be stereo-paired, or you could trade up for its excellent selection of smart soundbars (Beam or Arc).
Today, the race is extremely close between Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa. Apple's Siri is on the board but in a solid third place when it comes to reliability, knowledge and comprehension of human requests.
Overall, we give the edge to Google Assistant for its superior cadence, naturalistic tone and ability to understand (and answer) questions and follow-up queries consistently.
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That said, it's close enough that you can safely invest in either Google Assistant or Alexa based on other preferences like speaker style, devices and compatibility with other popular smart home products.
Alexa is nearly as good as Google Assistant, so you really can't go wrong no matter which assistant you choose. You'll learn its quirks and how to interact with your assistant to coax the best responses and helpful information.
For fun, here's our deep dive into each assistant's "personality."
In our testing of Apple, Amazon and Google smart speakers, we think the Amazon Echo Studio offers the most when it comes to sheer volume. The Sonos Era 100 is close behind with powerful sound, and it's also our current pick for best sound quality. Especially if you're considering using your speaker in a stereo pair or as a theater system for watching TV.
Amazon smart speakers can play music from free or paid subscription tiers on Pandora, Spotify and other popular music streaming platforms. In addition, if you have an Amazon Prime account, you can play music from the vast Prime Music catalog.
Google smart speakers have similar music streaming options, but while Amazon requires a paid Prime subscription for ad-free listening via Prime Music, Google includes a cut-down YouTube Music subscription for free with its smart speakers.
Your smart home is a futuristic marvel. But when cameras may be hacked to spy on us, microphones manipulated with lasers, and entire security systems compromised by a smart plug, it's understandable if you have reservations about connecting your house to the internet.
There's no need to avoid the benefits of smart home devices entirely, though. The trick is to understand the risks and take advantage of available security features. Whether you have a full network of smart kitchen appliances or a single voice assistant, follow these steps to ensure no one messes with your stuff.
(Credit: Getty Images/Media Raw Stock)
Before rushing to buy a smart speaker, thermostat, or video doorbell, assess your comfort level when it comes to balancing convenience with security and privacy. A security camera might offer protection, but are you okay with footage being uploaded to the internet? A voice assistant like Alexa never sleeps, always listening for your commands. Is that creepy or a perk? Figure out what you need from a smart home, and where privacy trumps convenience for you.
(Credit: Getty Images/Westend61)
Out of the box, most routers use a model-specific SSID and either aren't secured or use a generic password like "admin," making it easy for hackers to access your home Wi-Fi and poke around your connected smart home devices.
The first thing to do is secure your Wi-Fi network with a strong password. How you do that varies slightly by device, but the basics are the same; here's how to get started. If your router allows it, also think about changing the SSID, which is just the name of your Wi-Fi network (e.g. PCMag_Home).
While you're there, make sure you're using the highest-possible security protocol. In most cases, WPA2 will be your best bet, but newer routers will have the superior WPA3 standard available.
(Credit: Getty Images/Bussarin Rinchumrus)
Firmware is the low-level software that powers your router and other Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets. You can access your router's firmware to change the password and configure various settings.
Companies roll out bug fixes and new features over the internet for various connected devices, and many automatically refresh when connected to Wi-Fi. Registering your smart device with the manufacturer may help ensure these updates reach your gadgets.
However, there are still plenty of devices that require owners to proactively select the Update button for the latest goodies and security patches. Don't ignore these; running older firmware versions can leave your device vulnerable to hackers looking to exploit unpatched flaws.
Configure your device to automatically upgrade—if you're willing to accept the potential risk involving automatic downloads from third-party servers. Otherwise, your best bet is to set a reminder to regularly check for improvements. Amazon, Arlo, Google, Ring, Wyze, and others provide details about how to check and update your firmware.
(Credit: Getty Images/Tetra Images)
Chances are you probably bought a new phone or laptop in the last few years. But what about your router? Has it been gathering dust on a shelf for far too long? If your internet performance is not yet suffering, the security of your connected devices almost certainly is. An aging router means aging security protocols—and an easier access point for bad actors.
If you need a new router, the newest home internet standard is Wi-Fi 7. Some brands have begun rolling out fresh Wi-Fi 7 routers. While you wait for more options to hit shelves, take a look at our roundups of the best wireless routers, gaming routers, and Wi-Fi mesh networks.
(Credit: Getty Images/Boris Zhitkov)
With the Wi-Fi network secured, it's time to protect the individual devices and services that connect to it. Many smart devices are controlled through a mobile app, and you’ll need to set up an account with each one.
Using the same password for everything is convenient, but it's a security nightmare. If one of those accounts is breached and the password are exposed, hackers potentially have the keys to all the other accounts on which you used that password. Instead, create a unique password you can remember, but others won't guess; you may want to use a random password generator to produce hard-to-guess codes and a password manager to remember them all for you.
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Strong passwords are one thing. But you can take it a step further by enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) on supported services. So, even if a hacker gets their hands on your password, they won't be able to log into your account without another form of authentication.
Head over to the security settings for the accounts you wish to protect and get started by connecting the service to an authenticator app like Google Authenticator or Authy (SMS-based authentication is an option too, though it's generally viewed as less secure than an authenticator app). Now, when you log in, those accounts will require your password, plus a second form of authentication—like the six-digit code generated by your authenticator of choice.
Many smart home devices support MFA, including Amazon Echo, Arlo, Google Nest, Ring, and more. Read our guide to learn which platforms provide it and how to set it up.
(Credit: Getty Images/Luis Alvarez)
A 2019 FBI warning suggested that "your fridge and your laptop should not be on the same network. Keep your most private, sensitive data on a separate system from your other IoT devices." After all, hackers aren't interested in whether you're running low on Greek yogurt; the unsecured refrigerator is just an access point for breaking into your wireless network to steal data from your laptop or phone.
Prevent this by putting your appliances on multiple networks. Most routers allow the creation of a secondary guest network, which can also be used for those smart home gadgets. This not only frees up bandwidth for browsing and streaming, but can potentially separate IoT devices from the data you want to protect. If you do get hacked, any malware that infects your smart home instruments is unlikely to make the jump and corrupt others on your main network.
PCMag Editors' Choice Firewalla Purple (Credit: PCMag)
If you're still concerned about network security, you can manually monitor who is on your Wi-Fi. The program Wireless Network Watcher, for instance, shows every device connected through your router, so you can crosscheck them against owned gadgets.
For extra protection against network vulnerabilities, we recommend investing in a comprehensive security suite as a buffer against whatever a bad actor may try to inject into your home network.
However, there are also contraptions that monitor your network for vulnerabilities: Firewalla sells products that allow you to see and manage all network devices and their actions. (We gave the Firewalla Purple our Editors' Choice honors.) There is also the Fingbox, which can detect vulnerabilities, block unknown items, and more.
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