Best Alexa Smart Display
I’m surprised to say that of Amazon’s last two Echo Show devices, the new Echo Show 11 ended up being my favorite over the fourth-generation Echo Show 8. I actually liked the larger screen, and it didn’t feel ridiculously big like the Echo Show 15 or Echo Show 10 before it did, but it helps that the base is much smaller on the Show 11 than the Show 10’s Wall-E-esque rotating base.
The Echo Show 11’s screen is bright and crisp, and I loved the way landscape photo slideshows looked. There’s a small side menu you can slide to see things like your smart home favorites, and I found the sound quality immersive and fuller than the new Show 8. Taylor Swift’s “You’re On Your Own, Kid” sounded beautifully dimensional, while “Opalite” didn’t lose its bass like on the new Show 8. It has a 13 MP camera like we saw on the Show 8 models, and that larger screen is one of them. one. I’d be more likely to stream a show compared to the smaller Show 8 and Show 5 sizes. If you’re looking for one of the newer displays, this is the superior option.
| Speaker array | 2.8-inch woofer, dual full-range drivers |
| Audio options | Compatible with Bluetooth and services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and SiriusXM |
| Additional Features | Zigbee smart home hub that supports Matter and Thread; 13 MP camera; 11-inch 1920 x 1200 screen |
CABLE
- Great sound and good screen size (and quality) without being bulky
- Integrated smart home hub and spatial audio capabilities
- Built for and delivered with Alexa+, no waitlist required
FATIGUE
- Has on-screen advertisements
- Has predefined content that it will display unless disabled
Best Affordable Alexa Smart Display
Amazon
Echo Show 8 (3rd generation)
The Echo Show 8 has been our favorite smart display for Alexa for three generations in a row, and the 2023 model remains my favorite option among the Show 8 models, even though there is a new version. The 8-inch screen is a good size for just about everything, from weather updates to recipes and video chats (thanks to the 13 MP camera), without being too bulky.
The third generation model has a smart home hub and a spatial audio system. I was also happier with the sound quality of this one compared to the new one Fourth-generation Echo Show 8 ($180). Although the new model comes with Alexa+ out of the box and offers an updated screen experience, the speaker is a bit weaker and doesn’t have the same level of bass and depth for songs as the third-generation version. The biggest irritation I have with the third generation version is that Amazon will run a lot of ads on it (along with other Echo Show devices), but there are some ways to get around this problem.
| Speaker array | Two 2-inch speakers |
| Audio options | Compatible with Bluetooth and services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and SiriusXM |
| Additional Features | 8-inch screen with 1280 x 800 resolution; 13 MP camera with auto framing |
CABLE
- The smart display adds extra features you won’t get on a regular smart speaker, and the 8-inch size is ideal for most things
- Has a built-in smart home hub
- Physical cover for camera included
FATIGUE
- Has a camera, which not everyone might want in their home
Comparison of the best Alexa speakers
Honorable mentions
While I wouldn’t call these smart speakers my absolute favorites from Amazon, they do have some excellent qualities that make them stand out among the huge lineup of Echo models.
THE Echo Studio (2nd generation) is the best Alexa speaker for sound quality. This is the second version of the Echo Studio to be our audiophile choice. The current version is similar in size to the old Echo (4th generation), but the musical power of this speaker is almost ridiculous. It filled the entire great room on my second floor with music, and I didn’t even have to reach the highest volume level to achieve it. Honestly, I’m almost afraid to use it at full capacity. Not only was it loud, but clear and delivered a nice amount of blast, beautifully playing the dulcet tones of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” and the piano riffs of Jack’s Mannequin’s “Dark Blue” with its three 1.5-inch speakers, plus a 3.75-inch woofer. The harmonization of “What Is This Feeling?” » by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo also sounded great. If you’re looking for big sound in an Alexa box, this is what you need. It is a similar size to that Apple HomePodbut I like the sound much better and it’s cheaper too. You’ll also get a built-in smart home hub, spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, touch controls like the Echo Dot Max, and early access to Alexa+ right away.
THE Echo Spot (2nd generation) is the best Alexa speaker for bedside tables. THE Echo point has returned in 2024 after a few years of hiatus, and it’s a great little bedside companion thanks to its semi-circle screen that shows the time, and any alarms you’ve set are also visible below the main time. You can customize the clock with different color and dial options, and the screen darkens nicely when the lights are off to a soft red that’s easy to read without lighting up the room. I like to request alarms set to my latest playlist or lo-fi jams, and it’s easy to set this up with a voice request. Unlike Echo Shows, it doesn’t have a distracting, constantly moving slideshow that would be annoying for the bedroom. show ads or have a built-in camera. (No one wants a rogue camera in their bedroom.) The sound isn’t fantastic, but it’s loud enough for an alarm or casual listening while you get dressed in the morning.
THE Echo Dot Kids (5th generation) is the best Alexa speaker for kids. Do your kids really need their own Alexa speaker? It’s up to you. This special edition of the Echo Dot is almost identical to the fifth-generation Dot above, but it features easy-to-use parental controls that let you set deadlinesfilter explicit content and review activity. The owl or dragon themed sphere comes with one year of AmazonKids+which includes thousands of Audible books and other special games and features. After that, you will be charged $3 per month. Alexa can help your kids spell, listen to their favorite music, or, through another speaker in your home, remind them when it’s dinner time.
More Alexa (and Alexa-enabled) speakers
There are many Echo devices and third-party speakers compatible with Amazon Alexa. Here are all the Alexa smart speakers we tried and what we thought of them.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th generation) with clock for $60: I like this version of the old Echo Dot that adds an LED clock to the front of the speaker, and I was excited to see it back in stock last year. The LED clock can also display information such as the weather when you ask Alexa questions. It’s temporarily out of stock again as of this writing, and availability has been spotty for about a year. It’s still a good find when it’s available.
Amazon Echo Hub for $180: THE Amazon Echo Hub is similar to an Echo Show, but without the speaker. Instead, it’s a slim device that looks a bit like a tablet, designed to be mounted on the wall (or placed on a separately purchased stand, which is how I used it) and used to control your smart home devices. This is a great choice for anyone who wants something focused solely on smart home control. You can still ask Alexa questions and even listen to music, but the thin speakers aren’t worth listening to music on. But you can tell your Echo Hub to play music on a different set of speakers and even set default speakers to work with it. It’s a great companion device if you already have a smart home setup.
Amazon Echo Pop for $40: THE Echo Pop is a perfectly fine little speaker and the cutest in the Amazon range. Does it sound good? No, it’s good enough for background tunes or if you’re limited to a dorm room, but you’ll get much better sound for a similar size with the Echo Dot (but you’ll pay a little more and you won’t get such cute colors)!
Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) for $90: This smart display is another really good option, but it’s too small to be a great display, and the included camera makes it a no-no for a bedside table; better to opt for the Echo Spot above or an Echo Dot.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (4th generation) for $180: I generally like an Echo Show 8, but this model didn’t have the same sound quality as the older model. If you’re thinking of getting one of Amazon’s new displays, you’d better get the Echo Show 11 ($220) for the same experience with a slightly larger screen (even though there is a 3-inch difference, it doesn’t feel that big) and better sound.
Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd generation) for $300: This smart display is a good display, but it clearly wants to act as a TV and isn’t very good at it yet. Hopefully we’ll see better TV-related performance in the future to make it worth adding to a kitchen or office. It does a great job with widgets, though, thanks to the massive 15.6-inch screen. There is also the largest Echo Show 21 ($400)which is essentially the same thing but bigger.
JBL Authentics 200 for $360: This JBL smart speaker supports both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, allowing you to switch between them for different tasks without changing your in-app preferences. This makes this speaker particularly attractive to people with an extensive collection of smart products from both.
Sonos Era 100 for $189: If you’re looking for a speaker that can talk to Alexa but isn’t necessarily made by Amazon, the Sonos Era 100 is a great option. We just wish we liked the Sonos app better. You can view our full Sonos ecosystem guide here.
What is Alexa+?
Photography: Nena Farrell
Amazon deployed the New and improved Amazon Alexa, named Alexa+which relies on generative AI and promises a more powerful assistant capable of handling more of conversational topics and requests. It is available for a 30-day free trial; after that, you either pay a $20 monthly fee or become a Prime member. Being a Prime member is the best deal, probably by design. Neither my colleagues nor I have been impressed enough with Alexa+ to say it’s worth paying for on its own. I like the updated, more conversational voice, and Alexa+ did a good job answering all sorts of questions in a quick and thoughtful manner. Check our convenient early access for everything I thought while testing.
Alexa+ has made some changes, even for those who don’t use it. It is now necessary that all voice recordings are sent to Amazon for treatment, which was not necessary before. Amazon has changed its features to support this, and now all recordings with standard Alexa also go to Amazon. There was previously a “Do not send voice recordings” privacy feature that you could select to have voice requests handled locally, but it was discontinued on March 28, 2025, according to an email Amazon sent to current users.
FAQs
What is the difference between an Echo and an Echo Show?
A regular Echo is a smart speaker or speaker with microphones that allows it to hear you talking to it and respond. An Echo Show is a smart display with a screen and camera so you can make video calls, stream content, and see answers to your questions on a screen. Both have similar capabilities when it comes to smart home control, answering questions, and playing music, but the Echo Shows have additional capabilities thanks to the screen. All Echo Shows have a camera and come with a physical camera cover for added privacy.
When is the best time to buy an echo?
The best time to buy an Amazon speaker is during a major sales event like Black Friday Or Amazon Prime Daywhile there are often significant discounts. You’ll often see the cheapest speakers around 50% off, and larger speakers get great sale prices too.
How and where should you configure your Alexa?
Alexa speakers are best used in spaces you find yourself in a lot. I like to set mine up in my kitchen and living room – usually a screen in the kitchen, so I can pull up a recipe or the weather while I make my morning cup of tea, and a speaker in the living room so I can listen to music and control the lights without a screen to distract me from watching TV or playing with my son. You can also install one in the bedroom to use as an alarm clock, but make sure it’s a non-camera model for better privacy.
Ultimately, the most important thing is that the speaker is in a location where it can hear your commands. Where this is located will vary depending on your home, but think about where you will be when asking for the weather or to dim the lights, and position your speaker accordingly.
You’ll set up the Alexa speakers using the Alexa app, which lets you manage multiple Alexa speakers if you have more than one through your Amazon account. Third-party speaker setup methods may vary.
Is Alexa always listening?
Alexa is always listening, to some extent. It is designed to listen only for its wake word and should not record or process audio unless it hears that word. But Alexa can sometimes mishear a word and think it’s the wake word, or he may hear a word similar enough to activate the speaker. If you have an Alexa, it’s probably happened that the assistant suddenly responded when you weren’t talking to it. Once he hears the wake word (or what he thinks is the wake word), he will start listening to everything in an attempt to hear what you need and respond to it.
Alexa+, the latest version of Alexa, will also stay on for a short while after you ask a question to listen for follow-up questions, no wake words required. Alexa and Alexa+ will light up in some way (regular speakers will turn into the blue light ring, while displays will show a blue bar on the screen) to let you know that the assistant is listening. Most Echo devices also have a physical mute button and display a red light or red bar to let you know when mute is on.
How to remove ads and spam from an echo show?
If you use an Echo Show device, you’ve probably noticed that the device will show you a ton of content by default. Sports results! Local news! A recipe that might interest you! This makes the device exhausting and annoying in close proximity.
Here’s how to control what you see:
- Swipe down from the top of your Echo Show to display the menu and select Settings.
- From the Settings menu, choose Home Content.
- There are over 40 options you can turn on and off in this menu, and you should remove as many as possible that you aren’t using. I usually delete everything except the weather forecast and recently played audio files.
While you can opt out of interest-based ads from third-party skills (it’s under Alexa Privacy in the Settings menu), this won’t stop all ads. The only ad-free setting is choosing how photos are displayed, which can use either Amazon’s included photo library or your own. The downside is that it turns it into a digital photo frame, so you won’t even see a clock or features like widgets.
Can I have my Alexa requests processed locally or do they need to go to the cloud?
There used to be a privacy feature called Don’t Send Voice Recordings that let you handle all of your voice requests locally on your Alexa device instead of being sent to Amazon’s cloud storage. This feature was removed in March 2025 to support Alexa+, and even if you continue to use the old Alexa, you no longer have access to this feature.
How does WIRED select smart speakers to test? How are these speakers tested?
For this guide, we’re specifically testing speakers compatible with Amazon Alexa. This is a big limitation and reduces the options significantly, especially compared to the speaker options you’ll see in our other guides like the Best Bluetooth Speakers. This is primarily Amazon’s speaker ecosystem, and while there are third-party options, the best options tend to be designed by Amazon to work with its own voice assistant.
Each speaker is installed in a tester’s home for daily use, to see how the microphone works, how the speaker sounds with different types of music, how well smart home control features work with compatible devices such as smart lights and video doorbells, and to test other features if necessary (for example, streaming features on smart displays).
How does WIRED obtain models? What does WIRED do after testing them?
We typically acquire review units as press samples, but we also purchase samples independently if necessary. All review units in this guide were provided as press samples with no obligation for coverage or promise as to what that coverage would be.
After testing, we keep most of our picks either installed for long-term testing in our homes or in stock to compare to updated models and new speakers that come out. If the sample becomes useless or useless to keep, we donate it locally.
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