Since its debut in 2014, Amazon’s Alexa has become America’s leading voice assistant and smart home automation system. Alexa is built into millions of smart home devices, aiding users with everything from locking doors, dimming lights, playing songs, and even calling for help, all with a simple voice command.
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Alexa is integrated into smart home devices like smart hubs, Amazon Echo speakers, smart thermostats, smart lightbulbs, and home security cameras.
What is the best Alexa device right now?
After testing almost all of the Amazon Echo devices featured on the e-commerce site at this time and dozens of Alexa-compatible devices, the best Alexa device is the third-generation Amazon Echo Show 8. The third-generation Amazon Echo Show 8 is a smart display with a spatial audio speaker that delivers rich sound quality and a full Alexa experience. I compiled a list of the best Echo and Alexa-compatible devices for most smart home needs below.
The best Alexa devices of 2024
Pros
- Easy to use
- Screen adjusts as you approach
- Room-filling sound
Cons
- Not many customization options
In late 2023, the latest Echo Show 8 received a significant upgrade from previous generations. It now has a new spatial audio speaker on the back that delivers rich, crisp, room-filling sound. The Adaptive Content feature shows simplified content when you glance at the screen from a distance and switches to more detailed content when you approach.
After using it daily for months, the third-generation Echo Show 8 has become my go-to shopping list maker, entertainment center while cooking, and assistant to control smart devices around my home. I use it to ask Alexa for the weather while I’m setting up the kids’ backpacks on school nights and to run my smart home routines to turn on the backyard lights.
Review: The Echo Show 8
Other buyers agree, making the Echo Show 8 one of the highest-rated Alexa devices available. One reviewer said, “What I appreciate most is its seamless integration with Alexa. From controlling smart home devices to providing weather updates or simply cracking jokes, Alexa brightens my day with her responsiveness and wit. And navigating through everything is a breeze, thanks to the intuitive interface and responsive touchscreen.”
Echo Show 8 features: 8-inch touchscreen display | 1080p resolution | 13MP camera | Spatial audio | Zigbee, Matter, Thread | Price: $150
Pros
- Great sound
- Affordable
- Easy setup
Cons
- Sound isn’t as full as other smart speakers
If you want to save money on a smart speaker with Alexa built-in, the $50 Amazon Echo Dot is the perfect choice and the best way to get the most bang for your buck. In addition to controlling your smart home, this Alexa speaker has excellent sound quality to play your favorite music, podcasts, or audiobooks.
Though it doesn’t have a smart display, the fifth-generation Echo Dot can be the perfect bedside companion. It lets you easily set alarms by asking Alexa or using the Alexa app and controlling Alexa-compatible smart home devices triggered by the temperature or built-in motion sensors.
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“For the price of this, it’s such a great value. Loud sound and clear, voice recognition is good, easy to set up and sleek appearance. Quality-built product, and it will definitely last! Overall great performance and easy to move,” one reviewer commented.
The Echo Dot can be paired with another for a stereo pair and can simultaneously play music or other audio on all Echo devices in your home for a multi-room experience.
Echo Dot features: Smart speaker | Voice control | Smart home hub | Motion & temperature sensors | Price: $50
Pros
- High-quality, clear video
- Removable rechargeable battery
- Package detection
Cons
- Paid subscription required
- No pre-roll or Bird’s Eye View
If you’re looking for the best smart home devices to build a whole Alexa ecosystem experience, you can’t go wrong with the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus for monitoring your front door.
An Echo Show paired with a Ring doorbell can quickly display who’s at your front door, all hands-free when someone rings the doorbell. All Ring devices offer a seamless integration with Alexa, letting users use their voice and touch to control them and stream video feeds.
Review: Ring Battery Doorbell Plus
A Ring Battery Doorbell Plus has all the features most users need, and buyers agree. One of them said, “Picture is clear and battery great. No issues with connectivity, and it’s picking up motion, person, and bell perfectly. Extremely easy to set up in the app and navigate settings etc. For mounting, as a renter, I purchased the door mount and it looks and works great! Super secure!”
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus features: Head-to-toe video | 1536p resolution | Two-way talk | Person & package detection | Quick-release battery pack | Price: $180
Pros
- Crisp sound
- Fire TV support
- Spatial audio
Cons
- Larger form factor
- Expensive
The Amazon Echo Studio is the company’s best smart speaker overall. It is a high-end option combining premium Dolby Atmos spatial audio benefits with smart home capabilities.
Over the past year, the Echo Studio has become a staple in our TV room. I’ve used it as a speaker and my home theater audio output. I use it for voice control with Alexa, its smart home capabilities, and, most of all, its outstanding sound quality.
Review: Echo Studio
Echo Studio buyers tend to agree with this assessment; one review reads, “The Echo Studio is a quantum leap from any other speaker that Amazon has produced to date. Everything else sounds like a transistor radio in comparison. The sound separation is fantastic; you can feel the bass at higher volume levels.”
An Echo Studio is also an intelligent hub for Zigbee and Matter-compatible devices.
Echo Studio features: Smart speaker | Dolby Atmos | Spatial audio | Voice-controlled | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee | Price: $200
Pros
- No ads
- Customizable widgets
- Simple smart home experience
Cons
- Navigation can be laggy
- Some bugs are still being worked out
The Amazon Echo Hub is a new smart home controller that offers a new experience for enthusiasts, especially those interested in the Alexa ecosystem. Unlike an Echo Show, the Echo Hub lets you customize your widgets and everything displayed on your device, letting you easily control your smart lights, Ring security system, smart plugs, and more.
Review: Echo Hub
Also, unlike the Echo Show, the Echo Hub doesn’t have a spatial audio speaker, though Alexa does respond when you ask questions. During setup, the Echo Hub plays music and audio over a preferred speaker in the Alexa app.
Testing the Echo Hub for the past few weeks has proven an excellent start for a smart home panel in the Alexa ecosystem, though it does have some navigation lag and some bugs that can be worked out with software updates.
Echo Hub features: Smart home control panel | 8-inch touchscreen | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Thread | Wall-mounted | Price: $180
The Amazon Echo Show 8 is the best Alexa device because of the combination of all its far-reaching capabilities and features. But there are many other great choices for Alexa smart devices available.
Here is a look at how you can outfit your home with some of the best Alexa devices and speakers.
| Alexa device | ZDNET’s take | Price | Features |
| Echo Show 8 | Best overall | $150 | 8-in smart display | Spatial audio |
| Echo Dot | Best for a budget | $50 | Vibrant sound | Temp & motion sensor |
| Ring Battery Doorbell Plus | Best video doorbell | $180 | 1536p head-to-toe video |
| Echo Studio | Best smart speaker | $200 | Dolby Atmos | Fire TV support |
| Echo Hub | Best smart home panel | $180 | Zigbee, Matter & Thread | No ads |
*MSRP at the time of writing. Please note that actual prices may vary depending on available sales, deals, discounts, and coupons.
Not sure which Alexa device is best for you? These suggestions can help you find the best Alexa device for your needs.
| Get this Alexa device… | If you want… |
| Echo Show 8 | A smart display with a spatial audio speaker with built-in Alexa |
| Echo Dot | A small smart speaker with great sound, especially for its affordable price |
| Ring Battery Doorbell Plus | A video doorbell that integrates seamlessly with Alexa and Echo devices |
| Echo Studio | Spatial audio in a smart speaker with booming sound and Alexa built-in |
| Echo Hub | A smart home panel to control your smart devices without distractions |
As a smart home reviewer, I’ve exhaustively tested every Alexa device I’ve recommended on this list, down to the recommended alternatives below and many more that unfortunately didn’t make it on the list.
Aside from testing and only recommending the products I’d buy myself or recommend my best friends and family to buy for themselves, I also consider what others say. As a writer, I read what other reviewers think about these products and what buyers write in their reviews after purchasing them.
Amazon Alexa is an AI-powered virtual assistant that can help you complete tasks with voice control. Alexa is built into various smart home devices, including speakers and displays. It also integrates seamlessly with other smart home devices, like Ring, Blink, Sengled, Cync, Amazon smart devices, and many more.
Millions of devices are compatible with Amazon Alexa, but we focused on the best Alexa devices that would either offer the voice assistant built-in or would work as an easy integration with it.
If you’re looking for home security with Alexa, a Ring Alarm system is the way to go, but if you’re looking for a way to watch your favorite Netflix show while you’re cooking, an Echo Show is also a great pick.
Many retailers sell Amazon devices, but not all of them offer the best price or shipping terms. ZDNET conveniently includes links that will offer some of the best and most competitive pricing available via trusted retailers. These best Alexa device retailers generally include Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
Though the Alexa devices we’ve chosen above are great recommendations, they’re not the only options you have when looking for the best Alexa devices. Here are other devices to consider:
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