The 10 best smart speakers for voice assistance and audio quality

Why we like it: The Echo Dot is a bargain Alexa speaker that's louder and clearer than you'd expect for its diminutive size. It's solid for music in the kitchen, with well-rounded bass and clear vocals, and it has a built-in temperature sensor. It's easy and straightforward to control via Alexa or with the buttons on top, too. It has no problems picking up our voice, even when we've got the extraction fan running! Essentially, it's a perfect compact option if you're building an Alexa-controlled smart home.

Take note: While it's feature-packed for the price, it's worth remembering that the Echo Dot is still a very compact speaker. It lacks any wired connectivity, so audio only plays through the built-in speaker. And, although its sound is good, it’s still best for small spaces only. The bass and volume are modest compared to bigger Echo speakers.

Read our Amazon Echo Dot review

Why we like it: If you want a smart display rather than a straightforward speaker alone, the Echo Show 8 offers a great balance of screen size and price. You get a bright 8-inch touch display, so it's ideal for following recipes, watching clips, or glancing at the weather forecast. The stereo speakers deliver loud, room‑filling sound, and there's also a 13 -megapixel camera with auto-framing for video chats. It doesn't always have to be on, either – there's a physical shutter that you can snap closed for privacy.

Take note: It's worth knowing that Amazon shows adverts on larger Echo Show home screens. This one is mostly free of clutter, but it may have promotions included in the future. App support is also somewhat restricted. You get Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube, but you may find your favourite service isn't supported. Also, the screen bezels are thick, and it's a little larger overall. It may suit desks or worktops, but it probably isn't meant for a smaller bedside table.

Read our Amazon Echo Show 8 review

Why we like it: The HomePod Mini is a compact Siri speaker that's designed to suit homes with a few Apple devices. It's able to deliver a rich, room-filling sound from its small build, but it can be even better if you pair two together for stereo sound. We love how the Mini auto-tunes itself to deliver the best possible performance, no matter which corner of the room you place it in. We've found it great for music and podcasts, and it's easy to "hand off" playback from your iPhone. Siri is simple to use, and the Mini can act as a smart home hub if you set up your devices through Apple's HomeKit.

Take note: The HomePod Mini’s downsides are mainly that it's an "Apple-only" setup. You need an iPhone or iPad to set one up, and there's no option to pair with an Android phone or direct support for Bluetooth music playback. You also can't play services other than Apple Music with voice control – it will need to be routed through your iPhone. Plus, while it looks sleek, the on-device controls are minimal and there's no mute button on the device – you have to say “Hey Siri, stop listening” to turn Siri off.

Read our Apple HomePod Mini review

Why we like it: If you want true portability from a speaker that's still "smart", then this is the one. The Sonos Roam 2 is able to deliver a decent sound quality from a lightweight and weatherproof design. It's a versatile option that works like a portable Bluetooth speaker but also has both Amazon Alexa support and Sonos voice control. It also works with Apple AirPlay 2 for wi-fi playback from Apple devices, and has a 10-hour battery life so you can take it with you on trips when you're away from the wi-fi and want to use Bluetooth on the go. This is a good option overall that will work just as well as a hybrid portable speaker as it will being part of a Sonos multi-room system.

Take note: While it's good for background listening and on-the-go convenience, it's not as big or powerful as the Sonos Move 2, which may be better for smarts and portability. The Move has a stand and is easy to grab, but weighs quite a bit more. The Roam is also fairly pricey when you consider it alongside other Bluetooth speakers of a similar size, and it's not going to match some of those speakers when it comes to a big and immersive sound.

Read our Sonos Roam 2 review

Why we like it: You'll note that many of the speakers on our list support one voice assistant or another. What makes the JBL Authentics 300 special is that it's able to use both Alexa and Google Assistant simultaneously. So, if your household uses both ecosystems, this could be a game-changer. You can say “Hey Google” or “Alexa” as needed without swapping devices or going into the speaker's settings. We also love the retro style of this speaker, its built-in handle and its punchy sound quality. Despite its size, it even has a rechargeable battery to deliver about eight hours of playback, making it a somewhat portable option too.

Take note: This speaker is worth it if its dual voice assistant features matter to you, but it is a hefty unit. It also isn't rugged or water-resistant for proper outdoor use, and it comes at a bit of a cost that you could avoid by picking a more affordable Alexa or Google speaker. There are also some notable omissions from JBL's app, like a lack of native Spotify integration.

Why we like it: Amazon’s smallest full-featured smart display, the Echo Show 5, is ideal if you want a bedside display option or something for a hallway. It has a larger screen than the Echo Spot, and the display is bright, detailed and able to dim itself in night mode. The audio is solid too, with reasonable bass and clear vocals compared to its predecessor. With Alexa, you can easily set alarms by voice, check your calendar or get a quick news briefing. You can even make video calls on its little display, as it has a built-in camera.

Take note: At £89.99, the Show 5 isn’t designed to be a premium device, and it is a bit more expensive than the Echo Spot or Echo Pop, which may suit the bedside table a bit better. You do get a touch screen and camera with this, but it's quite tiny. It’s not meant for watching films or shows, and compared to larger Echo Shows, you might find this is a bit too compact for it to have any use. The camera is also fine for video calls, but not a high-quality option for longer chats.

Read our Amazon Echo Show 5 review

Why we like it: The Echo Spot (2024) revives Amazon’s compact smart display concept as a smart alarm clock. It has a small display that's rounded at the top and designed to show clock faces with crisp text. It does a good job of delivering on all the basics from a smart speaker, and it has some clever display features too, like the ability to view the weather. This is not meant as a full-on display, though, so don't think you'll be watching films on this tiny screen. The Spot is good for asking Alexa quick questions, and it's a nice option for streaming music or playing the radio. Of course, it's also ideal for alarms, and we like how it dims at night. It will still show the time, but not in a distracting way.

Take note: The Spot is meant to be a very little Alexa companion for the bedroom – it's not designed to be a great speaker for much other than background music, and it's certainly not for video content. It's a digital clock with voice control, and if that's what you want, it's perfect. It's just important to be clear about what it does and doesn't do before you buy it. While it has a mini display, it's designed for audio-centric tasks.

Read our Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review

Why we like it: If your top priority is immersive listening, and you want your speaker to have Alexa built-in, this is the one to pick. It also has Sonos voice control, and you get a setup with multiple drivers (four tweeters, two woofers, and a dedicated up‑firing tweeter) that are tuned for Dolby Atmos spatial audio. What this means is that it creates a broad soundstage. Your playlists will sound expansive, rich and nuanced. While the smaller Sonos Era 100 is also a good option, this is better for bass and immersion. If you're splashing out, you could also pair it with another Era 300 for true stereo sound. Of course, it links up with other Sonos speakers for multi-room audio, and it has extra connectivity like Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect.

Take note: The Era 300 is bulky and comes at a high cost. Price-wise, it’s comparable to other audiophile speakers, and it's designed to be used for high-fidelity listening or paired up with a Sonos soundbar. It also only supports Alexa and Sonos voice control, not Google Assistant.

Read our Sonos Era 300 review

Why we like it: The full-size HomePod 2 is Apple’s top-tier Siri speaker. It looks a lot like the original 2017 HomePod but adds some enhancements. If you want to make the most of Apple Music, have a smart home setup with HomeKit, and love using Siri on your iPhone, the HomePod is a great way to level up the sound around your home. We love the performance of Apple’s spatial audio processing and room correction. This is a speaker that fills a room with a detailed, immersive and wide sound. The hands-free Siri capabilities are great, and it's easy to set up – as long as you're an iPhone user! It is, of course, a great pick to use within an Apple ecosystem with other devices, including other HomePods.

Take note: Unsurprisingly, this powerful home speaker is an Apple-exclusive. You need iOS devices to set up and control it, it's designed for Apple Music subscribers, and Siri is the only supported voice assistant. It doesn't offer extra auxiliary inputs, and there's no Bluetooth support for music playback. It can all feel rather "locked down" compared to Alexa or Google. It's also worth saying that it's a big investment, and one that's more expensive than most smart speakers of a similar size.

Read our Apple HomePod 2 review

Why we like it: If you’re after more of a budget mini-speaker, this is our favourite for small spaces. We like its range of colours and cute half-sphere shape. It makes it ideal for the kitchen or hallway. It's great at listening out for its wake word and very responsive, and it's really affordable. Like the other Alexa speakers, it's great for smart home control and for answering queries, as well as playing music from different streaming services. For those after a tech gift or getting their first-ever Alexa speaker, this is what we'd recommend.

Take note: It's best for those with a tight budget or limited space. The Pop doesn't really compete with larger speakers, and is meant for the smaller rooms of your house, like a home office. We think it's a nice pick for background music or podcasts, but its sound power is pretty modest, and it lacks quite a few of the features – and the audio quality – that you're going to find in the slightly more expensive Amazon models.

Read our Amazon Echo Pop review