Last Updated on September 1, 2023 by Daniel Osakwe
Welcome to our review of the best smart speakers. Getting the best smart home speakers or smart TV speakers usually requires a lot of considerations and evaluation. So, for reasons like this and to make your search easy and straightforward, we’ve researched and highlighted 10 of the best smart speakers available in the market today.
These smart speakers are well designed, have quality sound, easy to use, and are compatible with other smart home gadgets. So, having said that, if you’re looking for the best smart speakers to buy, you just found the right place.
Table of Contents
Buyers Guide: Things to Consider Before Buying Smart Speakers
Bluetooth: This is a convenient workaround on the off chance that you need to stream music on a smart speaker that doesn’t support your administration of decision. You can essentially tap in by means of your cell phone or PC. Note, this won’t add smart controls to the service.
Cross-platform support: Most makers are slowly extending their associations with third-party organizations making smart home speakers and other gadgets. In the event that you own or are anticipating buying smart machines and amusement items from explicit organizations, investigate whether they can straightforwardly speak with one another. This makes the set-up process a lot simpler.
Usability: This involves set-up, openness (physical controls), and, in particular, how well it reacts to orders in different conditions. Those with lower scores expected us to rehash orders even in calm rooms. Great speakers can get your voice, even in a bustling circumstance. Try not to anticipate too much, be that as it may, your smart speaker is probably not going to perform well in an uproarious situation, similar to a gathering.
Sound quality: Most smart speaker proprietors use them as a media player of sorts, so stable quality is a genuine thought. Be that as it may, on the off chance that you just need to utilize your smart speaker to control your TVs or other gadgets, or tune in to verbally expressed word substance, for example, the news, you could pull off one of the littler, less expensive models.
Best Smart Speakers Compilation Chart
Product | Features | Where to Buy |
Sonos One | Virtual assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant | Wi-fi: Yes | Get it on Amazon |
Apple HomePod | Virtual assistant: Siri | Wi-fi: Yes | Get it on Amazon |
Amazon Echo | Virtual assistant: Alexa | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Get it on Amazon |
Google Home | Wireless: 2.4/5 GHz | Smart assistants: Google Assistant | Get it on Amazon |
Pure DiscovR | Wireless: 2.4/5 GHz, Bluetooth | Smart assistants: Alexa | Get it on Amazon |
JBL Link Portable | Power: 20W | Features: waterproof, Bluetooth v4.2, Google Assistant built-in, Chromecast, AirPlay 2, music over wi-fi | Get it on Amazon |
Ultimate Ears Megablast | Virtual assistant: Alexa | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Get it on Amazon |
LG WK7 | Virtual assistant: Google Assistant | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Get it on Amazon |
Best Smart Speakers in Sound Quality
Sonos One
Virtual assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: No | Outputs: N/A | Dimensions (HWD): 16.1 x 11.7 x 12cm | Weight: 1.85kg
Sonos’ presentation Alexa speaker is a neatly planned, include rich, and extraordinary sounding gadget that unites the best of the two biological systems. You have the ever-improving Alexa from one viewpoint, and on the other, you have Sonos with its own multi-room smarts and for the most part unmatched sound execution.
There’s additionally another component in the blend that vows to change the game: AirPlay 2. With it, the Sonos One can converse with Siri and structure a multi-room matching with the Apple HomePod. It currently additionally supports Google Assistant creating it the most flexible speaker on the rundown.
On the off chance that you feel somewhat secured by the Sonos One, make certain to look at its convenient cousin, the Sonos Move; this smart speaker accompanies all the smarts of the One, and is top of our rundown of the best Bluetooth smart speakers for 2021.
Pros | Cons |
Plays music while Alexa is muted | Pricey |
Rich sound |
Pros | Cons |
Google apps are nice to use | LG app isn’t great |
Large sound, powerful bass | Bass a little uneven |
Apple HomePod
Virtual assistant: Siri | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: No | Outputs: N/A | Dimensions (HWD): 17.2 x 14.2 x 14.2cm | Weight: 2.5kg
The Apple HomePod at long last entered the smart speaker fight for your shelf. The conspicuous advantage of an Apple HomePod over an Echo or Google Home gadget is that it’ll get along with your other Apple items. So in case you’re an extremist Apple fan, the HomePod might be an easy decision. At the point when we assessed the gadget, we were torn in light of the fact that we were truly evaluating two things without a moment’s delay.
That is, how the HomePod weighs up as an excellent speaker and how it admissions as a smart home center. In the previous class, the HomePod is magnificent, as it flaunts an unbelievable sound and a natural set-up.
Be that as it may, in the last mentioned, Siri is just average in its execution, and the way that you’re not ready to break out of the Apple environment for some key capacities likewise bothers. Apple is supposed to be dealing with the Apple HomePod 2, or a less expensive, progressively minimized HomePod Mini, rumored to dispatch eventually in 2021.
Pros | Pros |
Nice, minimal design | Apple Music needed |
Great sound | Siri’s scope is limited |
Best Smart Speakers in Features
Amazon Echo
Virtual assistant: Alexa | Wi-fi: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Outputs: 3.5mm | Dimensions (HWD): 4.3 x 10 x 10cm | Weight: 300g
The modest Amazon Echo smart speaker has entered a huge number of homes as of now – and all things considered. It’s a moderate section point for those starting their smart home, with sound fit enough to deal with the news, digital recordings, music, or whatever you may be utilizing your AI voice hireling for. That is particularly evident with the new 2021 Amazon Echo, a third-generation model that knocks up the sound further with the drivers utilized in the 2018 Echo Plus – however without the last’s Zigbee similarity.
It even resembles an Echo Plus, and it might be confounding to reveal to them separated on the off chance that you have one of each in your home – however, the 2020 refresh of the standard Echo raises the benchmark for the entire range. At $99.99/£89.99/AU$149, it’s as yet less expensive than the Plus, or the Apple HomePod, notwithstanding the lift to sound quality.
With milder texture looks than the more mechanical prior models, Alexa appears to be more at home in a lounge than any time in recent memory – while new AI capacities have presented voice profile highlights and more variety with regards to changing voice speed.
We don’t figure you ought to utilize it to supplant your HiFi – you may need the recently announced Echo Studio for that – and yet, it’s an extremely extraordinary spot to begin on the off chance that you need to evaluate what the smart home life resembles.
Pros | Cons |
New Alexa features | No Zigbee |
Bigger sound | Alexa app still needs improving |
The JBL Link Portable’s flawless network highlights carry plenty of streaming alternatives to the table – includes infrequently found in the sub-£150 speaker classification including AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and hello res support. You additionally get a hands-free Google Assistant, a charger support, and remote spilling by means of wi-fi or Bluetooth.
The Link Portable closely resembles a superior item. For a speaker of this size, it has heaps of detail and an extensive blend in with everything present, including bass. While there’s no PartyBoost or Connect+ support for daisy-tying other JBL speakers, the Link Portable makes JBL a genuine contender in the classification of moderate wireless smart speakers.
Pros | Cons |
Packed with features | Fussy over placement |
Premium design | No JBL Connect support |
Pure DiscovR
Size: 5.8 x 3.9 inches | Speakers: 3-inch woofer, 0.8-inch tweeter | Ports: 3.5mm line in/out | Wireless: 2.4/5 GHz, Bluetooth | Smart assistants: Alexa
The Amazon Echo range of smart speakers is as yet the market chief for smart speakers – as far as deals, at any rate – however for every one of their hands-free accommodation, they’re not speakers you’d look to in the event that you need really great sound. The Pure DiscovR figures out how to package top-class sound with the entirety of Alexa’s smarts, and the instinctive touch controls to make utilizing it by hand or voice a genuine delight.
The capacity to spare voice orders as presets is significant, and something the remainder of the smart speaker market could gain from. The capturing configuration helps as well. The adjusted 3D shape, and raised speaker – which can be packed down into the packaging to quiet Alexa’s receiver – feels enormously inventive in a jam-packed market, while the glimmering colors around the LED edge make for substantially more of a light showcase than the Echo’s meek blue.
In case you’re watching out for a quality smart speaker that conveys on voice control, sound quality, and an imaginative plan – and with an eye solidly on client protection – the Pure DiscovR is actually what you need.
Pros | Cons |
Alexa voice control | Expensive |
Detailed sound | Rubber base feels a little flimsy |
The Megablast is Ultimate Ears’ most intense and very smart speaker yet. With Amazon’s Alexa voice aide worked in, it can address your inquiries just as play all your preferred tunes.
All the more energy, the Megablast joins the brand’s arrangement of five-star Bluetooth speakers that are basically amusing to utilize and tune in to. Gorgeous and incredible sounding, the Megablast is a flat out treat.
Pros | Cons |
Excellent build and design | Not fully featured just yet |
Dynamic, detailed sound | Presentation is slightly lean |
Google Home
Size: 5.6 x 3.8 inches | Speakers: 2-inch driver, dual 2-inch passive radiators | Ports: None | Wireless: 2.4/5 GHz | Smart assistants: Google Assistant
First of all, you may never acknowledge exactly how much music is on YouTube without purchasing a Google Home. We’re not saying Google Home is equipped for playing any melody you can consider, however in the wake of digging the profundities of the ’90s we despite everything couldn’t discover a tune Google Home couldn’t find and begin playing.
While Google Home exceeds expectations as a DJ, it’s likewise a shockingly insightful smart home hub. It as of now guides into probably the biggest stages now accessible by including Nest, Philips, and Samsung’s SmartThings, and allowed a couple of months that number will become significantly more. Be that as it may, we’re torn with regards to suggesting the Google Home.
Somehow or another it’s frustrating and doesn’t satisfy be the desired focus of the brilliant home Google has showcased it as. That is on the grounds that it’s only not there yet. It’s excessively inflexible in its language cognizance, its rundown of smart home gadgets is developing yet at the same time a piece disappointing, and, maybe the greatest frustration of everything, it doesn’t have a considerable lot of Google’s center administrations incorporated with it.
Also, it can possibly create to rival Amazon’s Echo, later on, however until further notice, the Google Home is essentially a smart oddity with access to YouTube Music, worked in Google Cast, and the capacity to spare you an outing to the light switch.
Pros | Cons |
Customizable base | Requires precise phrasing |
Expanding hardware ecosystem | Missing Google’s own services |
Test Process
During our testing, we relied on the opinion of experts and feedback of clients based on these major factors: Sound Quality, Design, and Features.
More analysis of these smart speakers were uncovered from further research and online reviews. From the result and feedbacks (both positive and negative), we were able to categories each product according to our standard.
If you take a critical look at our review, you’ll discover the manner at which each smart speaker has been categorized. Also, take note that after our testing, the smart speakers that weren’t up to standard were excluded from our list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Having read our review, looking for the best smart speakers wouldn’t be as hard as it use to be. All you need to do is to select one or two among our list of smart speakers we’ve highlighted for you above. However, ensure you check all the necessary details of your preferred choice before buying.