Despite its relative novelty, smart home technology has made its way into millions of homes. There are now a lot of options to choose from, mostly from major tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple. Smart home technology isn’t necessarily designed to totally transform your life — rather, it’s a way to make modern demands a little more manageable. From reminding you of meetings to turning off appliances, voice-controlled smart speakers add convenience to your everyday routines.
Amazon’s voice-controlled speakers kicked off the smart home boom, and their line of Echo speakers are still some of the best options on the market. Echo devices come at a pretty wide price range, which is why it’s helpful to know the differences between them. Read on for our guide to the best Echo devices for your home.
1. All-new Echo Dot
The Echo Dot is Amazon’s most affordable smart speaker, and it has most of the same functions as the more expensive Echo. The major thing that’s compromised by the Dot’s compact and affordable design is sound quality; if you’re going to rely heavily on the speaker for playing music, you may want to spring for the Echo.
Pros: The Dot is Amazon’s most affordable smart speaker, and its compact and lightweight design makes it unobtrusive.
Cons: Limited sound quality, so may not be ideal if it’s primarily used for playing music.
2. Echo Show
If you want a smart home device that you can talk to and look at, the Echo Show has a compact screen that can be used for everything from video chatting and displaying weather to connecting to your front door camera. It can do all the same things as the Echo, plus it has video functionality.
Pros: Video display can be used for checking the time, video chatting, and watching the news.
Cons: Adjustable stand must be purchased separately.
3. All-new Echo
The All-new Amazon Echo has a tweeter and subwoofer for playing powerful high and low audio frequencies, making it a great option if you plan on using it for listening to music. The Echo is the largest device on this list, but it comes in a wide range of finishes, so it can seamlessly fit into the design of your home.
Pros: Improved sound over the Dot and the first generation of Echo, has built-in subwoofer and tweeter.
Cons: If you want truly big sound, the Echo Studio is a better option.