The Best Alexa Devices Of 2025: After Testing Dozens Of Them, These Are Worth Your Time

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Amazon's Alexa is 1 of nan world's starring virtual assistants and smart home automation systems. The sound adjunct is an integral portion of millions of households, handling tasks specified as locking doors, dimming lights, playing music, and moreover calling for help. The tech is poised to get moreover amended pinch nan wide rollout of Alexa+, an AI-upgraded type of nan adjunct that is now disposable done an early entree program.

Alexa is integrated into various smart location devices, including smart hubs, Amazon Echo speakers, smart thermostats, smart ray bulbs, and home information cameras. If you're successful nan marketplace for a caller Alexa device, we've tested nan champion products to thief you make nan champion purchase.

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What is nan champion Alexa instrumentality correct now?

Our prime for nan champion Alexa instrumentality is nan third-generation Amazon Echo Show 8. The third-generation Amazon Echo Show 8 is simply a smart show pinch a spatial audio speaker that delivers rich | sound value and a afloat Alexa experience. Amazon has since announced a caller Echo Show 8 (2025), which will beryllium disposable for acquisition connected Nov. 12.

Also: I utilized Amazon's Echo Show 21 arsenic my smart location hub, and it's almost perfect

The champion Alexa devices of 2025

Why we for illustration it: The Echo Show 8 has a spatial audio speaker connected nan backmost that delivers rich, crisp, room-filling sound. The Adaptive Content characteristic displays simplified contented erstwhile viewed from a distance. As you approach, nan contented becomes much detailed.

Who it's for: The Echo Show 8 is simply a awesome instrumentality for engaged households. After utilizing it regular for months, nan Echo Show 8 has go my go-to instrumentality for creating shopping lists, serving arsenic an intermezo halfway while cooking, and an adjunct for controlling smart devices astir my home.

I usage it to inquire Alexa for nan upwind while I'm mounting up nan kids' backpacks connected schoolhouse nights and to tally my smart location routines to activate nan backyard lights.

Review: The Echo Show 8

Who should look elsewhere: If you're looking for a larger surface to adhd to your room aliases different room that tin double arsenic a TV, see nan aliases . These devices person Fire TV built successful and tin beryllium wall-mounted, truthful they usability arsenic some a mini-TV and a smart display.

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Why we for illustration it: Though it doesn't person a smart display, nan Echo Dot is nan cleanable bedside companion. With Alexa, it's easy to group alarms pinch a sound bid aliases successful nan app. You tin besides power Alexa-compatible devices that are triggered by somesthesia aliases built-in mobility sensors.

The Echo Dot tin besides beryllium paired pinch different instrumentality to shape a stereo brace and simultaneously play euphony aliases different audio connected each Echo devices successful your home, providing a multi-room experience.

Who it's for: You don't person to walk a luck connected a smart speaker pinch Alexa built in, and nan $50 Amazon Echo Dot is nan cleanable example. In summation to controlling your smart home, this Alexa speaker has fantabulous sound value erstwhile playing your favourite music, podcasts, aliases audiobooks.

Also: Echo Pop vs Echo Dot: Which Alexa smart speaker should you choose?

Who should look elsewhere: The Echo Dot is simply a awesome inexpensive smart speaker, but it's not going to present groundbreaking, room-filling sound. Amazon announced a caller , which offers fuller, richer sound, and a caller , successful lawsuit you'd alternatively person existent room-filling audio.

Echo Dot features: Smart speaker | Voice power | Smart location hub | Motion & somesthesia sensors | Price: $50

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Why we for illustration it: You can't spell incorrect pinch nan Ring Battery Doorbell Plus to show your beforehand door. It offers seamless Alexa integrations truthful you tin instantly spot who's astatine your doorway connected an Echo Show. An Echo speaker tin besides beryllium paired pinch a Ring doorbell to alert you arsenic soon arsenic personification rings nan doorbell. All Ring devices connection seamless Alexa integration, allowing users to take betwixt sound and touch controls to negociate them and watercourse video feeds.

Review: Ring Battery Doorbell Plus

Who it's for: The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is simply a cleanable fresh for anyone pinch Echo devices, arsenic good arsenic renters aliases homeowners who can't hardwire a doorbell. This battery-powered doorbell tin beryllium installed anyplace you tin drill its guidelines into, arsenic you don't request to interest astir utilizing your existing wiring.

Who should look elsewhere: If you're extracurricular nan Alexa ecosystem, you whitethorn for illustration different video doorbells pinch deeper integrations pinch third-party platforms, specified arsenic Google Home aliases Apple Home. The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus isn't nan champion action for buyers who dislike subscriptions aliases for illustration section storage, arsenic Ring heavy relies connected its subscription scheme to connection recorded video clips and precocious mobility discovery features.

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Why we for illustration it: The Sonos Era 100 is nan best-sounding Alexa speaker connected nan market, and it isn't an Echo. The high-end action combines premium Dolby Atmos spatial audio benefits pinch smart location capabilities. This Sonos smart speaker is simply a staple successful our bedroom, serving arsenic some a speaker and nan audio output for my Google TV Streamer. I besides usage it for sound power pinch Alexa, its smart location capabilities, and, astir of all, its outstanding sound quality.

Review: Sonos Era 100

Who it's for: The Sonos Era 100 is designed for euphony lovers who want to bask high-quality sound successful a compact shape factor. As a Sonos speaker, it features heavy bass and crisp vocals, pinch nan added use of having Alexa built successful to reply your commands.

Who should look elsewhere: This speaker is perfect for mundane listening, but it's not designed for hardcore audiophiles, particularly those seeking spatial audio aliases Dolby Atmos. Amazon hasn't confirmed whether nan Era 100 will summation entree to Alexa+, truthful you whitethorn want to see preordering nan caller Echo Studio if generative AI sound power is simply a important interest for you.

Sonos Era 100 features: Smart speaker | Alexa and Sonos sound power | Room-filling audio | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Price: $220

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Why we for illustration it: The Amazon Echo Hub is simply a caller smart location controller that offers a caller acquisition for fans of nan Alexa ecosystem. Unlike an Echo Show, nan Echo Hub lets you customize your widgets and everything displayed connected your screen. This lets you easy power your smart lights, Ring information system, smart plugs, and more.

Review: Echo Hub

Testing nan Echo Hub since its motorboat has proven to beryllium an fantabulous commencement for a smart location sheet successful nan Alexa ecosystem. It initially knowledgeable immoderate navigation lag and bugs, which were addressed done package updates; these issues person been mostly resolved.

Who it's for: The Echo Hub is simply a smart sheet for Alexa ecosystem users who want to elevate their mundane smart location experience. It's awesome if you want a dedicated wall sheet to negociate aggregate devices and trim app clutter, and it tin besides beryllium utilized by kids and guests to power smart lights.

Who should look elsewhere: The Echo Hub lacks a spatial audio speaker, yet Alexa still responds to your questions from it, and it tin play music. Because of this, I wouldn't urge it for those seeking a rich | audio experience. The Echo Hub is besides only compatible pinch Alexa, truthful it won't activity extracurricular that ecosystem.

Echo Hub features: Smart location power sheet | 8-inch touchscreen | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Thread | Wall-mounted | Price: $180

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The Amazon Echo Show 8 is nan champion Alexa instrumentality owed to its far-reaching capabilities and features. However, location are galore different awesome choices disposable for Alexa smart devices.

Here is simply a look astatine really you tin outfit your location pinch immoderate of nan champion Alexa devices and speakers.

Alexa device	ZDNET's take	Price	Features
Echo Show 8	Best overall	$100	8-in smart show \| Spatial audio
Echo Dot	Best for a budget	$50	Vibrant sound \| Temp & mobility sensor
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus	Best video doorbell	$150	1536p head-to-toe video
Sonos Era 100	Best smart speaker	$220	Full sound \| Alexa & Sonos sound control
Echo Hub	Best smart location panel	$180	Zigbee, Matter & Thread \| No ads

*MSRP astatine nan clip of writing. Please statement that existent prices whitethorn alteration depending connected disposable sales, deals, discounts, and coupons.

Not judge which Alexa instrumentality is champion for you? These suggestions tin thief you find nan champion Alexa instrumentality for your needs.

Get this Alexa device...	If you want...
Echo Show 8	A smart show pinch a spatial audio speaker pinch built-in Alexa.
Echo Dot	A mini smart speaker pinch awesome sound, particularly for its affordable price.
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus	A video doorbell that integrates seamlessly pinch Alexa and Echo devices.
Sonos Era 100	Spatial audio successful a smart speaker pinch booming sound and Alexa built-in.
Echo Hub	A smart location sheet to power your smart devices without distractions.

As a smart location reviewer, I've thoroughly tested each Alexa instrumentality connected this list, arsenic good arsenic nan recommended alternatives, and galore much that didn't make it connected nan list.

Here are immoderate factors to see erstwhile choosing an Alexa instrumentality for your home:

Device type: The instrumentality type will dangle importantly connected what you'll beryllium utilizing your Alexa instrumentality and its location. If you want a speaker to entree Alexa pinch your sound that tin besides play euphony aliases audiobooks, you'd do good pinch a smart speaker, for illustration nan Echo Dot and Echo Pop. Amazon besides makes an Echo Spot, which useful arsenic a smart siren clock, and nan Echo Show, which is much of a smart show than a speaker.
Sound quality: If you're utilizing your Alexa instrumentality arsenic a speaker to perceive to music, you'll apt worth its bully sound quality. There are respective value tiers for smart speakers pinch Alexa built-in, from an Echo Pop starting astatine $40 up to a $449 Sonos Era 300 speaker. The Echo Dot is bully capable for sound commands, timers, alarms, and casual listening, but a larger Echo device, for illustration nan Echo aliases Echo Studio, features amended audio output.
Smart location integration: My Echo instrumentality users for illustration having Alexa arsenic an adjunct for answering questions, telling jokes, creating shopping lists, and mounting alarms. If you'd for illustration Alexa to besides power smart location devices, you whitethorn wonderment which instrumentality is best. Alexa-enabled devices double arsenic smart location hubs, for illustration Zigbee, making connecting pinch different smart location devices easier.
Price: Consider really overmuch you're consenting to spend, keeping successful mind that while nan Echo Pop is nan cheapest action for an Echo speaker, it's besides much prone to sound distortion astatine precocious volumes and doesn't person a aftermath button. Also, look for income and large discounts connected Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.
Extra features: An other characteristic tin determine erstwhile choosing betwixt Alexa devices, truthful see which are important to you. The Echo Show 15's built-in Fire TV aliases Echo Show 10's expertise to way moving subjects during video calls.

Amazon Alexa is an AI-powered virtual adjunct that tin thief you complete tasks pinch sound control. Alexa is built into various smart location devices, including speakers and displays. It besides integrates seamlessly pinch different smart location devices, for illustration Ring, Blink, Sengled, Cync, and Amazon smart devices.

Millions of devices are compatible pinch Amazon Alexa, but we focused connected nan champion Alexa devices that would either connection nan sound adjunct built-in aliases would activity arsenic an easy integration pinch it.

If you're looking for location information pinch Alexa, a Ring Alarm strategy is nan measurement to go. If you're looking for a measurement to watch Netflix while you're cooking, an Echo Show is besides a awesome pick.

Many retailers waste Amazon devices, but not each of them connection nan champion value aliases shipping terms. ZDNET conveniently includes links that will connection immoderate of nan champion and astir competitory pricing disposable via trusted retailers. These champion Alexa instrumentality retailers are mostly Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

Latest updates

This article was updated connected October 16, 2025, to bespeak nan latest Amazon Echo launches and erstwhile they'd go available. We replaced nan Echo Studio pinch nan Sonos Era 100 successful nan champion speaker category, since nan erstwhile has been discontinued, and a caller 1 is coming to nan market.

Are location replacement Alexa devices worthy considering?

The Ring Alarm Pro pinch built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router is disposable successful respective starter kit variations. This eight-piece kit has 1 Alarm Pro guidelines station, a Keypad, 4 Contact Sensors, a Motion Detector, and an Alarm Range Extender.

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The Echo Show 5 is conscionable nan correct size for nan youngest members of your family. It's moreover amended erstwhile paired pinch an Amazon Kids+ subscription for much power complete what your kids tin access.

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