The Best Wi-Fi Mesh Routers and Systems of 2022

Google users will gravitate naturally towards the Google Nest Wi-Fi, but really any homeowner should be pleased with the performance of this mesh system. Setup is a cinch, our testers found, and once it was up and running, download speeds increased significantly, even in far-flung parts of the home. We also love the built-in Google Assistant, enabling voice control over other connected devices in the home through every extension. Not for nothing, the Google Nest Wi-Fi also has a sleek design, so you won’t mind seeing the router and nodes on countertops and side tables.

While no mesh systems can be called cheap, TP-Link is known for its value options, including the GH-approved Deco M9+. Setting up the system is super easy and its feature set is richer than you’d expect for the price, including anti-malware protections and a built-in hub for control of other connected devices in the home. Download speeds and coverage aren’t quite what you’ll experience with pricier, more robust systems, but if your house size and internet needs are moderate, the Deco M9+ should deliver.

With coverage area up to 6,000 square feet (the average U.S. home comes in at around 2,500 sq. ft.), the Eero Pro 6 is the way to go if you live in a big house that’s plagued by dead spots and buffering. Installation and setup are virtually fool-proof and of course the system works with Alexa (Amazon owns eero!), for seamless voice control. The system also boasts built-in Zigbee, so you don’t need a separate smart home hub to manage other connected devices. One small point testers quibbled over: though the Eero Pro 6 was clearly designed with families in mind, parental controls only come with the $3 monthly subscription plan. It would be nice to see them baked into the product, free of charge.

The ZenWiFi AX is a whole-home system that provides fast download times across up to 5,500 square feet. What really sets this device apart from the competition, however, is the suite of anti-malware software and parental controls that are included in the free lifetime subscription to Asus’s AI Protection Pro program. We say free, though the upfront cost of the system is on the higher end. But if you’re concerned about hackers or keeping tabs on your kids’ internet activity, the ZenWiFi AX is worth the splurge.

Smart home technology is becoming more streamlined, which is a very good thing for consumers, since it means fewer devices to purchase and manage. SmartThings WiFi is a prime example. Like other mesh systems, the system blankets more of your home in fast, reliable internet service. It then goes one step farther by acting as a hub for other connected devices in the home, including lights, thermostats, video doorbells, and more. That makes it easy to control your entire smart home through a single SmartThings app. Our testers also like the intuitive parental controls, which make it simple to set boundaries on internet use.

Even if you live in a small house or apartment, WiFi can be spotty because of thick or concrete walls or interference from other electronics. The scaled-down Linksys Velop was designed with those spaces in mind. The compact device is unobtrusive and easy to set up. It’s also fully modular, so if you end up moving to a larger place, you can simply buy additional nodes to expand the range of coverage.

If you’ve upgraded to a WiFi 6 router, you’re already aware of the benefits: lighting-fast speed and the ability to support many connected devices (50 to 100 isn’t unheard of in today’s brightest smart homes). With the latest router, you’ll want a mesh system to boost WiFi coverage, and the Orbi WiFi 6 System is the top pick from our testers. Like any cutting-edge device, it’s expensive, but the download times are second-to-none, so if there’s a lot of streaming, gaming, and zooming happening at home, you shouldn’t suffer any buyer’s remorse with this pick.