Best Products > Smart Home The 7 Best Alexa and Alexa-Enabled Speakers of 2022 Play your music with the help of a smart assistant By Jason Schneider Jason Schneider Writer Northeastern University Jason has been writing for tech and media companies for nearly ten years. He reviews audio products, including speakers and headphones for Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 5, 2021 Fact checked by Stephen Slaybaugh Fact checked by Stephen Slaybaugh New York University London Metropolitan University Stephen Slaybaugh is a fact checker and music writer with with more than 20 years experience writing about internet retail and consumer tech. He has been featured in Digital Trends, DealNews, and TechRadar. He is a content designer at Bose Corporation and is completing his Master of Arts in Digital Media. lifewire's fact checking process We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Tweet Share Email Smart Home Audio Camera & Video Car Audio & Accessories Computer & Laptops Computer Components Gaming Gifts Networking Phones & Accessories Smart Home Software Tablets Toys & Games TVs Wearables As far as smart assistants go, Amazon’s Alexa is arguably the most well-known. That’s largely because the Echo lineup of smart speakers has remained one of the most affordable options for smart home functionality. Since their release a few years back, this category of smart speaker has come a long way. We’re now on the fourth generation of the small-format Echo Dot, and there are a host of other Amazon-made options out there. But there are also a slew of third-party speakers that include Amazon-certified Alexa functionality with them. Whether sound quality, portability, or compatibility is your priority, we’re breaking down the best options for you. The Rundown Best Overall: Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) at Amazon Jump to Review Best Bose: Bose Home Speaker 300 at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Compatibility: Sonos One (Gen 2) at Amazon Jump to Review Best for TV & Entertainment: Polk Audio React Sound Bar at Amazon Jump to Review Best Budget: Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) at Amazon Jump to Review Best Sound Quality: Amazon Echo Studio at Amazon Jump to Review Best Splurge: Marshall Acton II Alexa Voice Wireless Speaker System at Amazon Jump to Review in this article Expand Our Picks About Our Trusted Experts What to Look For in an Alexa Speaker FAQ Best Overall Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) Amazon View On Amazon View On Best Buy View On Dell What We Like Seamless Alexa integration Bright, LED clock Decent front-firing sound What We Don't Like Still pretty small and a little quiet Not as unassuming as older Dots The Echo Dot line primarily began as a dedicated voice assistant to call up information, schedule calls, check the weather, and other typical day-to-day stuff. But the original Dots weren’t particularly great speakers for music listening. That’s where the fourth-generation Echo Dot, with a clock display, comes in. This round, globe-like device features a bigger, angled speaker driver that provides a much fuller and richer sonic response. Amazon achieves this by angling the speaker upward and toward the front, pushing the sound in the direction of your room, rather than just upward like earlier generations. This makes it an ideal speaker for listening to tunes in the morning or while you’re doing chores. This particular configuration comes with a bright digital clock face, shown through the mesh on the front, which makes it perfect for nightstands. You can, of course, complete all the expected Alexa tasks, such as smart home control, asking questions, etc. This really is Amazon’s best foot forward for most people, and it comes at a reasonable price. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: Both | Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa | Battery Powered: No | Water Resistance: No The 7 Best Speakers of 2022 Best Bose Bose Home Speaker 300 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Best Buy What We Like Excellent sound quality Sleek design Tons of connectivity options What We Don't Like Fairly expensive Not as seamless as an Amazon-manufactured Dot For general sound quality and user-friendliness, Bose is really one of the best audio brands around. The Home Speaker 300 is its answer to in-home audio with built-in Amazon Alexa functionality. This means you get all the features you can expect from a dedicated Echo Dot built into a room-filling Bose home speaker. The larger drivers give you a much bassier sonic response, and the round-firing speakers give you a more 360-like sound. Beyond sound quality, you can connect your speaker to your home Wi-Fi system to communicate with your in-home audio system, but you can also use Bluetooth connectivity to connect the speaker to a phone or computer more instantaneously. Using Bose’s SoundTouch functionality gives you fuller control over any Bose speaker in your system. Simple capacitive touch controls and the classy Bose design round out an incredibly solid option for a smart speaker. At about $200, it is on the expensive side of our list, so that’s a major consideration here. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: Both | Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant | Battery Powered: No | Water Resistance: No The 7 Best Speakers of 2022 Best for Compatibility Sonos One (Gen 2) Courtesy of Amazon View On Amazon View On Best Buy View On B&H Photo Video What We Like Tons of compatibility Intuitive app control Great sound quality What We Don't Like Pretty expenisve No Bluetooth One of the other big names in the smart speaker game is Sonos, and the Sonos One is an excellent choice for those who want a fully integrated smart speaker system. This unit allows you to buy into a system that doesn’t lock you into one specific smart ecosystem. That’s because the Sonos interfaces entirely via Wi-Fi through the Sonos app. While the sound quality will be best if you buy a pair of Sonos Ones to use as a stereo set, a single speaker fits nicely on an office shelf or in a kitchen. Alexa is built right in, allowing for the same smart control you’d expect from the Echo line of smart speakers. But there’s also AirPlay 2 and a host of other services supported through the Sonos app, such as Spotify and Pandora. There’s a lot of digital signal processing and sound research that has gone into Sonos’ technology, meaning that this speaker sounds just plain great. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi | Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant | Battery Powered: No | Water Resistance: No Best for TV & Entertainment Polk Audio React Sound Bar Best Buy View On Amazon View On Best Buy View On B&H Photo Video What We Like Seamlessly integrates into entertainment setups Six drivers for full sound Compatible with Alexa What We Don't Like Not great for bass response Controls can be a little clunky While a dedicated Echo Dot is a great device to have around the house, and many of the models work well in a pinch if you want to listen to music, these gadgets don’t work for rounding out your overall entertainment setup. That’s where a soundbar comes in. The Polk Audio React sits nicely just below your TV, working to pick up where your TV’s sub-par built-in speakers lack. The React gives you six dedicated drivers, some focused on mids and bass, with tweeters focused on the higher end of the frequency spectrum. Polk has even loaded in some DSP that targets the vocal part of the frequency spectrum to help isolate and accentuate it—perfect for watching dialog-heavy shows. Then, of course, there’s the Alexa functionality, allowing you to call up Amazon’s voice assistant right from the soundbar itself. This versatile, Wi-Fi based unit works well for movies and entertainment setups. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: Both | Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa | Battery Powered: No | Water Resistance: No The 6 Best Soundbars of 2022 Best Budget Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) 4.2 Amazon View On Amazon View On Best Buy View On Verizon What We Like Budget-friendly price point Tons of music platform compatibility Small, unassuming design What We Don't Like Sound quality is still a bit flat Lacks loudness and bass Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) Review One of the best aspects of Amazon’s dedicated hardware is that you can get a great deal on a great device. The fourth generation of the Echo Dot does provide better sound quality, but if you want to save a few bucks, you can still get incredible performance from the third-generation model. Available in Charcoal, Heather Gray, Plum, and Sandstone, these little circular devices are meant to sit on a table or shelf, blending seamlessly into your decor. And with the release of this third-generation line, Amazon amped up the sound quality with bigger, better-tuned drivers that provide a fuller sound than older options. And because it’s compatible with Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and more, it’s actually a pretty capable music machine. There’s all the smart functionality you could want from an Alexa speaker, such as checking your calendar, calling up the weather, and teaching hundreds of skills dedicated to Alexa. And the best part is because it’s just one generation old, you still get reasonably modern performance at a price that sits under $40 (and can often be had for even less on sale). Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: Both | Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa | Battery Powered: No | Water Resistance: No "Even with its minimal design and tiny form factor it’s still very aesthetically pleasing, and you can easily see its light ring indicator from across the room." — Benjamin Zeman, Product Tester Best Sound Quality Amazon Echo Studio Amazon View On Amazon View On Best Buy View On Home Depot What We Like Immersive, 360-degree sound Tons of bass with a down-firing port Seamless Alexa functionality What We Don't Like Fairly expensive Bulky cylindrical build A lot of the sound features in the Echo Studio might be rather surprising for an Amazon-designed smart speaker. The five-speaker array offers pretty immersive sound for a comparatively small footprint, and the presence of Dolby Atmos tech means this speaker is making the most of the sound quality that's there. The speakers are laid out in a really interesting way, with three main drivers pointing in three directions, some tweeters to cover the higher end of the spectrum, and a larger subwoofer pointing down with an open port to project. Amazon has also built in some room-reading tech that tries to adapt to the acoustics of the room, further optimizing the sound quality. There is also the Alexa-based functionality inherent in smaller Echo products. You can call up Alexa to ask questions or set up scheduling for your day, or you can teach Alexa skills through the Echo network. There’s smart home control as well, provided your smart home devices are Alexa-compatible. This all means that you can get solid sound quality and the convenience of a voice assistant, all in an Amazon-built device. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: Both | Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa | Battery Powered: No | Water Resistance: No The 7 Best Bluetooth Speakers of 2022 Best Splurge Marshall Acton II Alexa Voice Wireless Speaker System Amazon View On Amazon What We Like Classy design Rich, full sound Multi-room functionality What We Don't Like High price tag Limited on-board controls Marshall is a brand most known for half stacks and classic tube amps, but in recent years, the guitar giant has taken strides toward consumer-focused Bluetooth speakers. The second-generation Marshall Acton looks every bit as quintessential as Marshall’s classic amps, with the gilded grill cover and metallic gold accents and knobs. The Acton is actually advertised as a multi-room speaker, meaning that if you pair it in the Marshall app with other compatible speakers, you can control audio between this speaker and others. There are several means of connecting, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and some hardwired inputs. And, of course, the Acton is Alexa-compatible right out of the box, meaning it will operate much like an Echo Dot. With tons of richness across the spectrum, plenty of coverage from bass to treble, and a really nice design, the Acton II is a great option if you can afford the $300 price tag. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: Both | Voice Assistant: Amazon Alexa | Battery Powered: No | Water Resistance: No Final Verdict It makes sense that our best overall pick comes directly from Amazon, and the fourth-generation Echo Dot (view at Amazon) with a digital clock interface really does give you the most bang for your buck: seamless performance, a handy clock visualization, and improved sound in a small package. If you don’t mind straying from Amazon, you can find a ton of merit in options from Bose or Sonos. Our pick from Bose (view at Amazon) gives you the brand's truly incredible sound quality and smart assistant functionality for a slight premium. There are plenty of Amazon-direct speakers to choose from though, and we were really impressed with what’s offered by Amazon’s flagship Echo Studio speaker (view at Amazon). About Our Trusted Experts Jason Schneider is a writer, editor, copywriter, and musician with almost ten years' experience writing for tech and media companies. In addition to covering tech for Lifewire, Jason is a current and past contributor for Thrillist, Greatist, and more. Benjamin Zeman is a business consultant, musician and writer based in southern Vermont. When he’s not reviewing tech products for Lifewire, he’s getting nerdy fixing them or solving complex problems for businesses in need of an outside perspective. What to Look For in an Alexa Speaker Sound Quality One of the drawbacks of going with an Echo Dot is you’ll lack a big enough driver to give you truly impressive sound quality. If you want better sound, you’ll have to go with an upgraded pick or something from a more audiophile-centric brand, such as Bose or Sonos. Size and Design Your Alexa-enabled speaker will likely be sitting out in the open, right on your shelf, or next to your TV setup. As such, a low profile or elegant design might be important to you. It will likely come at the expense of loudness and bass response, however. Connectivity Most smart speakers connect to your devices via Wi-Fi, giving them most of their smart home and multi-room functionality. Some speakers, including most in the Echo line, also give you Bluetooth functionality for easily connecting to a single phone or device. FAQ Are there Alexa speakers not made by Amazon? While most speakers that are explicitly Alexa-compatible are made and sold by Amazon, many of the top smart speaker and audio brands have taken the time to get Alexa certification to use Alexa with your speaker. Look for the “Amazon-certified” badge on the Amazon listing page. Do you need the internet to use Alexa? Because Alexa functionality often requires information pulled from the internet, it stands to reason that your speaker (or the device it’s connected to via Bluetooth) should be connected to the internet. That way, when you ask Alexa a question or to pull your calendar appointments, she’ll have access to the information. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit