A smart speaker can be positioned almost anywhere in your home, including desks, shelves, kitchen counters, TV stands and even bedroom cabinets. The leading models deliver enough audio performance to fill a room with ease, while their intelligent capabilities support home voice commands, smart device connections and streaming from your preferred music services.

Why I like it: Amazon produces many Echo models, and selecting the newest and best can prove difficult. My top recommendation for 2026 is the updated Echo Studio with its unique Death Star-inspired shape. It brings notable upgrades including Dolby Atmos support, and although it falls short of our preferred Sonos options, it still fills a room with music while delivering solid bass.

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Pros

Large sound with Dolby Atmos support
Alexa's excellent compatibility options with smart home devices
Compact design
Service upgrades available like Emergency Assist

Cons

Amazon likes to charge extra for things like Alexa Plus and Emergency Assist
Echo privacy options have grown slightly more limited over time
Expensive compared to other Echos

Why I like it: Higher-end smart speakers must provide serious audio performance to match their cost. The Wiim Sound impressed me here, especially with streaming services such as Spotify, which it handles effectively. While it may not match the quality of Apple's large music files on a HomePod, streaming from typical online sources sounds excellent thanks to the high-quality silk-dome dual tweeters and 4-inch paper-cone woofer.

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Pros

Excellent audio quality if you use common streaming services
Versatile little touchscreen with instant presets
Deeper audio customization options than almost any smart speaker I've seen
Controller includes Alexa
AI room calibration options

Cons

More expensive than many speakers at $300
Voice assistant isn't as useful here as it is in other smart speakers

Why I like it: I initially selected the Echo Dot with the LED clock for this spot, since it is a versatile smart speaker that performs well on a desk or bedside table. But because it launched back in 2022 and may be discontinued soon, I am replacing it with the newer Echo Spot.

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Pros

Affordable
Can connect to smart home devices
Good sound for the size
Display shows time, weather and more info

Cons

Too small if you want to fill a room with sound

Why I like it: Google's 2026 Home Speaker is the first smart speaker the company has released in years. It drops the Nest name and emphasizes Gemini for Home. It also marks a major improvement in audio quality. It retains a vaguely Nest-like design but delivers better bass and sound clarity that surpasses even the similarly priced HomePod Mini, making it the $100 speaker to beat.

Pros

Best audio for a $100 speaker
Easy setup with Google Home
Plentiful connections for audio and video streaming
Compact but powerful design with multiple color options
Subscription isn't really necessary unless you want advanced AI features

Cons

Gemini for Home is better than Google Assistant, but still falls behind other voice assistants

Why I like it: The original HomePod was an unusual Apple device with impressive sound, but it had some drawbacks, especially its high price. The HomePod 2 improves on it in nearly every area, yet it remains costly at $300. The HomePod Mini offers a middle ground as a smaller unit at a more affordable price of around $100.

Pros

Sounds great for its size
Compact and interesting design
Lots of compatibility with Apple products
Temperature and humidity sensor
Much more affordable than the HomePod

Cons

More expensive than other "mini" speakers
Smart home support is lacking compared to alternatives

At CNET, we have been testing all the latest smart speakers from Google, Amazon, Apple and other brands to see what performs the best, which voice assistants rise to the top and more. Now I am ready to make recommendations when you are ready for a sound revolution in your home.

What's the best smart speaker overall?

Amazon's latest primary smart speaker is the Echo Studio, designed for Dolby Atmos and ready for the Alexa Plus AI. While you will need a high-quality streaming service to take advantage of the Echo Studio's sound, it is one of the better-sounding smart speakers available, and I enjoy the upgrades that Alexa Plus brings. Alexa's smart home compatibility also remains the best in the game. It is a little pricey at over $200, but I have seen big discounts for Black Friday and other events.

However, if you are more focused on audio quality than anything, you may prefer my Sonos pick, and if you are more of a Google Home and Gemini person, I have a new device for you, too. Take a look at the full list to learn more.

Best smart speakers of 2026

Pros

Large sound with Dolby Atmos support
Alexa's excellent compatibility options with smart home devices
Compact design
Service upgrades available like Emergency Assist

Cons

Amazon likes to charge extra for things like Alexa Plus and Emergency Assist
Echo privacy options have grown slightly more limited over time
Expensive compared to other Echos

The Alexa app is mostly intuitive to use and connects very readily with music services as well as smart home devices, which you can control with voice commands. Alexa Plus, if you spring for it, is a more conversational and generally more intelligent version of the voice assistant, albeit with occasional response delays.

Finally, note that there are extra services you can add to your Echo speaker for a fee, notably Alexa Emergency Assist, which costs around $6 per month and can listen for alarms or breaking glass while connecting you with a live emergency assistant on demand. Alexa Plus, Amazon's big AI upgrade is slowly rolling out to users and is free if you have a Prime subscription (otherwise, it is $20). Along the way, Amazon has also removed some privacy features that allowed you to prevent Echo from processing your voice data.

Who is this for: Those who want an all-purpose smart speaker that's capable of playing music for a larger room while also getting a lot of voice assistant smarts, and is especially appealing for Prime subscribers.

Who shouldn't buy it: People who don't like Alexa or Amazon's latest privacy practices and those willing to spend even more to get really top-tier sound, or, conversely, those looking to stay under a $100 budget.

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Pros

Excellent audio quality if you use common streaming services
Versatile little touchscreen with instant presets
Deeper audio customization options than almost any smart speaker I've seen
Controller includes Alexa
AI room calibration options

Cons

More expensive than many speakers at $300
Voice assistant isn't as useful here as it is in other smart speakers

While the Wiim Sound offers its own app and app connections with streaming services, there is also a small touchscreen that acts as a clock and displays album artwork, as well as letting you change streaming services or settings. You can program several presets to act like starting places for a Spotify radio station, for example.

Inside the app, in-depth controls exist for creating your own EQ balance profiles and other customizations that, frankly, almost no other smart speaker supports. There is also an aux audio cable connection on this speaker, although it is more than able to stand on its own. The remote even has a built-in voice assistant, although with so many other control options, I didn't find myself using it as frequently.

Who is this for: Buyers willing to pay a bit more for a standalone speaker with excellent audio and perfect compatibility with streaming services, especially Spotify (although it supports Tidal, Qobuz and many more options).

Who shouldn't buy it: People who already have a HomePod or Sonos speaker they're happy with, Wiim's Sound is amazing, but paying $300 for minor differences probably isn't your jam. Also, buyers who don't use streaming apps and prefer to download and manage their own library can use the Wiim Sound, but it really shines with streaming.

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Pros

Affordable
Can connect to smart home devices
Good sound for the size
Display shows time, weather and more info

Cons

Too small if you want to fill a room with sound

The Spot has the same speaker as the Echo Dot but adds a small screen that displays more information when you ask questions or control smart home devices. It also doubles as a convenient alarm clock, capable of answering questions, showing the weather and running your morning smart home routines.

Alexa Plus support and other Echo Show abilities are all included on this small speaker, and the sound is suitable for nearby music, even if it won't fill an entire room. Just note you won't be able to stream any videos on that small display: That's what full smart displays are for.

Who is this for: People looking for a smaller, cheaper smart speaker that can serve as an alarm clock and other small tasks around the home. People who want a small speaker for their kids.

Who shouldn't buy it: People who want truly big sound, people worried about a smart speaker eavesdropping in the bedroom (while Echo Spots have mute buttons, that also means you won't be able to use the voice assistant features).

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Pros

Best audio for a $100 speaker
Easy setup with Google Home
Plentiful connections for audio and video streaming
Compact but powerful design with multiple color options
Subscription isn't really necessary unless you want advanced AI features