We’ve done a lot of research on these smart speakers and have used the majority of them. So when we say this is the best, it’s coming from experience, and not just because we like the name, or the company. The other big improvement here is adding eero built-in. This means that the Echo Dot can improve your WiFi coverage in your home and act as another mesh router in your eero setup.
Sonos One (Gen 2)
With the Sonos One, you’re going to get a really impressive audio experience, with some deep bass, as well as crystal clear mids and highs. Now since the Sonos One outputs so much sound, there isn’t any room for a battery. So the Sonos One is not a portable speaker, and needs to stay plugged in at all times. It also works with the new Sonos S2 app, so you can use it to create a full surround-sound system in your living room, and that is definitely worth thinking about before you decide to invest in the Sonos ecosystem. It works better than Alexa does for surround sound too. Finally, the Sonos One (Gen 2) is an absolutely beautiful looking smart speaker from Sonos. It’s available in all black or all white. The Echo Show 8 was our pick over the 5-inch and 10-inch models, because it’s the perfect size. It’s not super big, and it’s not tiny. But it is big enough to still sit in your kitchen on a counter, or even in your bedroom. Though with it having a camera, that might not be a great idea. With the Echo Show 8, you have the ability to use Alexa just like you would on a smart speaker. But since it has a display, you get some added visuals with it. This includes being able to actually see the weather when you ask about the weather. You can also do video calls, in addition to voice calls. Since, well it has a screen. The Echo Show 8 can also bring up the security camera feeds from outside your home, or the video doorbell. Which is a really cool feature to have available.
Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST
When it comes to portable speakers that are also smart speakers, the pickings are pretty slim. So there wasn’t a lot of competition here, but that doesn’t mean that the Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is a bad speaker. Quite the contrary. It’s a really good smart speaker actually. Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST is available in a number of colors, and if you can’t find one you don’t like, just wait a couple of months. Ultimate Ears normally releases new colors every few months. As well as some new designs from artists that it commissions.
Sonos Beam 2
Price: $449Buy: Sonos
With the Sonos Beam 2, there is support for Dolby Atmos now, but it’s not full-on Dolby Atmos. It’s a bit strange, but it basically comes down to the size, and the fact that there are no up-firing speakers here. Internally, things have been upgraded which will give you a better sound experience here, and it’ll also be quicker to play via AirPlay 2, as well as HDMI eARC for controlling your TV. Sonos Beam 2 - Sonos
Best for the hallway/bathroom
Echo Flex is good to put into the bathroom because it doesn’t have a camera. So you won’t have to worry about it watching you do stuff in the bathroom. Though it does still have a microphone. It’s also good for your kids’ bedroom, as it can serve as a nightlight and also read stories to your kids before they go to bed. The Echo Flex comes in at less than half the price of the Echo Dot, which makes it a pretty great option for adding Alexa into more rooms in your home. Additionally, it has the same upgrades from the new Echo Dot. That includes much better bass, as well as eero built-in.
Best for your Kids
If you want an Echo Dot to put in your kids room, the Echo Dot Kids is the perfect option. It also comes in two cool designs that kids are going to love. So what’s the difference between this and the regular Echo Dot? Well, besides the design, parental controls. Alexa can give kid-friendly answers, and parents are able to control what Alexa tells them and how much they can use Alexa. With Kids+ which is included for a year, there is also plenty of great kid-friendly skills included. Like audiobooks that are aimed at kids from 3-12.
