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 in the US to 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 later, Alexa really has become a household name.

Since the original Echo rolled out all those years ago, Alexa smart speakers have become the centrepiece of 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 in the form of the Echo Dot; then came a series of smart displays with screens, called the Echo Show; closely followed by the best-sounding Amazon Echo in the Echo Studio. In 2018, the company even ventured 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. The Echo Pop joined the gang last year, and Amazon even brought back the Echo Spot smart alarm clock in the summer.

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 your 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: