Best Amazon Echo Alexa smart speakers 2024: Echo Dot to Echo Show

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Surely, Amazon couldn’t have known in 2014 that it would be about to transform a name ranked 32nd in popularity into the most commonly shouted name in living rooms across the globe. But that’s what it did when it launched a little smart speaker called the Amazon Echo. Ten years on, and Alexa really has become a household name.

Since the original Echo rolled out, Alexa smart speakers have become the centrepiece to every smart home, and Amazon has since made one for every room, be that the kitchen or the bedroom.

It started with a series of smaller, more budget-friendly Amazon Echo devices, called Echo Dots; then came the series of smart displays with screens, called Echo Shows. These were closely followed by the best-sounding Amazon Echo in the Echo Studio, with the company even venturing into making an Amazon Echo device for the car.

While Amazon experimented with other Amazon Echo gadgets, including a weird little device called the Amazon Echo Look, which was a hands-free fashion and styling assistant, it’s the original Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show and Echo Studio which have stayed the course. And in May, Amazon launched the Echo Pop and an all-new Echo Show 5.

But with so many Alexa-enabled smart speakers floating around, it’s hard to know which one is right for you. We’ve put them to the test to help you choose the ideal smart companion.

How we tested

We’ve been using these Alexa devices in our home for months, testing them out with a bunch of different use cases. From playing music, audiobooks and games to streaming content, reading recipes from afar and making voice and video calls with friends and family.

We’ve also considered the design, specs, audio quality and performance of each device. We’ve thoroughly put these Amazon Echo devices through their paces to find out which one is right for you. Whether you want one for the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom or your tiny little office.

The best Amazon Echo smart speakers for 2024 are: