The 10 best Amazon Echo devices to shop during Amazon Prime Day |...

The 10 best Amazon Echo devices of 2025 — shop during Amazon Prime Day

Overview

Among Amazon's flagship devices, like Kindles and Fire TVs, Echos are the star of the show. These multitasking smart home devices do a little bit of everything in nearly every room in the house. Whether you need a smart speaker, alarm clock, or hub for your other smart devices, there's an Echo to help you out. Amazon's list of devices is ever-growing, so we've tested them to find the best Echo devices for your smart home.

Plus, with the announcement of Alexa+, Echo devices are now getting supercharged with extra AI features.

If you're ready to invest in an Echo, you don't need to buy these devices at full price. With Amazon Prime Day running from July 8 to 11, now is an exceptionally good time to buy. The deals leading up to the event have been popping off, too. Before Prime Day officially kicks off, you can find Echo devices up to $60 off, so you can start shopping now.

amazon echo 4th gen

The Good & The Bad

Easy-breezy setup
Built-in Zigbee smart home hub
Dual front-firing speakers and woofer/ Dolby premium sound
Nice privacy controls
Temperature sensor
Motion detector
Drop-in feature

No video capabilities
No direct iOS compatibility (in comparison to competitors like the Apple HomePod)

Why We Like It

Read our full review of the Echo (4th Gen) here.

If you're just looking to get your foot in the door of the whole Alexa-driven smart home game, the Amazon Echo is a great place to start. It's about as basic as a latest-model Echo device gets these days, adhering to the main tenets of what an Echo was meant to be from the start: A sleek little speaker that responds to your voice commands.

That's not to say, however, that this isn't still one of the best Amazon Echo devices out there. Now in its 4th generation, its spherical form looks good in any setting (and in your choice of a few different colors too), and it delivers premium Dolby sound whether you're streaming music or just getting the latest weather update. Plus, you can easily connect your other smart home devices to this one central hub so that you can control all your little tech minions with your voice alone. It even has a built-in temperature sensor that can work in conjunction with your smart thermostat, and motion detection that can be used to automatically turn lights on when you walk into a room. Another cool feature is the ability to "Drop-In" on the Echo devices of your loved ones.

Details

An Amazon Echo Dot

The Good & The Bad

Useful LED display
Vibrant sound
Good choice for smaller rooms
Motion and temperature sensors
Lower price point
Eero mesh network support

No Dolby audio
No video capabilities
Only a 90-day limited warranty

Why We Like It

Read our full review of the Echo Dot (5th Gen) here.

Looking suspiciously similar to the baseline Echo, the Echo Dot is just about the same as its spherical older brother, except in a smaller form. While the Echo stands just over 5 inches tall, the Echo Dot is a more squat 3.5 inches, making it better suited for a bedside table, shelf, home office setup.

Now in its 5th generation, the Echo Dot boasts more vibrant sound with clearer vocals and deeper bass, though it does not have Dolby audio like the latest-model Echo. It also only has one front-firing speaker as compared to the Echo's two plus a woofer. However, the Echo Dot does have the same built-in mic and in-app privacy controls as the Echo, as well as a temperature sensor and motion detector to help automate other smart home devices. Amazon takes smart home functioning quite seriously with its Dot: If you enable sound detection routines, for instance, you can program a particular sound (dog barking, oven dinging, door opening) to trigger a certain Alexa Routine.

Details

echo spot alarm clock showing a time of 9 o'clock

The Good & The Bad

Easy set-up
Customizable faces and sounds
Compact size perfect for nightstand
Affordable for a smart alarm

Small display
Can't view time while music is playing
Alarm is hard to turn off

Who it's for:

Whether you want an Echo smart speaker in every room or just need a smarter alarm clock, the 2024 Echo Spot is made for your bedside. It has programmable routines to queue your morning wake-up and evening wind-down. Plus, it responds quickly and clearly to Alexa commands, so you can play music from the speaker without opening your phone or ask for a weather report as you're getting dressed.

Why we like it:

The 2024 Echo Spot improves about the previous models' shortcomings, creating an easy-to-use smart alarm clock that's both useful and good-looking. It's bigger than both the Echo Pop and Echo Dot; at 4.5-inches by 4.1-inches by 4.4-inches, it takes up just the right amount of nightstand space without overcrowding.

Slanted at a slight angle, the upper half of the clock face features a small touchscreen. While we think it's a little too small, it still has vibrant colors. The bottom half is a 1.73-inch front-firing speaker, the same that comes in the Echo Dot. The speaker produces clear audio that doesn't sound tinny, however, it's meant for small spaces — don't plan on using it for your next party. Alexa also answers quickly to questions and commands, making it easy to turn on a podcast to kick off your morning.

The alarm function works like any daily alarm clock. Snoozing is easy: Tap the top of the device with more than one finger to get another few minutes of rest. Meanwhile, turning off the alarm is slightly more annoying, requiring you to interact with the touchscreen. While it works fine, it would feel more natural to have a "Stop" button on top.

The touch screen is rather minuscule and limited to the small rectangular space on the half-moon top of the clock face. Another big drawback of the Echo Spot comes when you're playing music or listening to a podcast. When audio is playing, the time disappears — a hinderance if you need to know what time it is.

Otherwise, the Echo Spot is a worth entry into the Echo line of devices, offering a well-designed smart alarm clock.

Details

amazon echo show 10

The Good & The Bad

Larger display
Built-in shutter and mic off button
On/off motion feature
Built-in smart home hub
13-megapixel camera

Takes up more space than any other Echo
Alexa not always responsive

Why We Like It

Read our full review of the Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) here.

The Echo Show 10 sits at the crossroads of great audio and visual content delivery, but it is considerably larger than other Echo devices. With a 10-inch display, the Echo Show 10 is much more than just a larger screen to enjoy Alexa's AI and video calls with loved ones. In fact, its whole form is different. Whereas the Echo Show 8 is a bit boxy, the Echo Show 10 boasts a slimmer screen perched atop a speaker, a cue that the Echo Show 10 is the superior choice when it comes to audio. It almost looks like an Amazon Fire tablet slapped on top of an Echo Dot, but we promise it's more sophisticated than that.

One of the Echo Show 10's coolest features is that its HD screen moves with you. Whether you're on a video call or following a recipe while moving around the kitchen, the screen will turn to face you. You can also utilize this functionality to look around the entire room while you're away from home. Not only are the views multidirectional, but the Echo Show 10 also delivers premium, directional audio that can really fill a room.

Details

The Echo Pop in a Lavender color over a white background

The Good & The Bad

Won't break the bank
Same trusty Alexa capabilities
Audio projects well and fills the room
Small size works in any setting

Contrary to popular belief, can't be used as a true "Bluetooth speaker"
No temperature sensor

Why We Like It

Read our full review of the Echo Pop (1st Gen) here.

If you want to keep up-do-date on the latest versions of Amazon Echo devices, the 1st Gen Echo Pop is a solid choice to go with (given the fact that it was rolled out in May 2023). It's a fresh product, there's no arguing with that; however, we don't think the Echo Pop differs much from the 2022 5th Gen Echo Dot, which retails for only $10 more. One time we would recommend it over the Echo Dot? When it reaches record-low pricing of under $15.

Mashable writer SaVanna Shoemaker reviewed the lil' Pop in July 2023 and praised it for its ability to (inexpensively) fill up a living space with great-quality music. Besides being a handy and cheap smart speaker, the Echo Pop also boasts "nearly all of the same functionality" as other Echo devices on the market — including that signature smart home compatibility and Alexa voice control. Note that, unlike the 5th Gen Echo Dot, the newbie Pop doesn't have temperature sensors.

Shoemaker was quick to mention (and bust) the myth that the Echo Pop is equivalent to a Bluetooth speaker. You cannot, in fact, use it to stream audio directly from your phone. The Alexa app must serve as a handy intermediary in order to do so.

Details

amazon echo show 8

The Good & The Bad

Great display and camera
Audio and visual benefits
Layers of privacy controls
Motion sensor

Some issues with Zoom

Why We Like It

Read our full review of the Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) here.

Breaking beyond just audio, we're now jumping into the Echo devices with visual displays, also known as the Echo Show lineup. First on our list is the Echo 8 with its 8-inch HD touchscreen and 13-megapixel camera. It can act as a sous chef in the kitchen, serving up recipes while keeping your hands free, and it can just as easily make video calls to keep up with friends and family or stay productive while WFH (though our reviewer SaVanna Shoemaker noted some issues with Zoom functionality). You can also "Drop-In" on any other Alexa devices in your household, including video chat with other Echo Shows.

That's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Echo Show 8's visual feats, though, and the gorgeous display really opens up the door to an incredible amount of enhanced Alexa functionality. The Echo Show 8 can even function as a security camera, and you can check in on what it sees via the Alexa app on your phone while you're away. That said, you can close the camera shutter and shut off the mic for more privacy.

If you're looking for the same capabilities in a smaller size for the bedroom or office, however, the Echo Show 5 is an equally nice choice. Note that the smaller-screened Show 5 won't do as good of a job with streaming, pulling up ingredient lists on recipes, or other tasks that require a large display. Check out our full in-depth comparison of the two for more details.

There's now a new-gen model of the Echo Show 8 — the 3rd Gen Echo Show 8 — that might be an even better fit, if you're dedicated to buying only the latest smart home tech. Mashable hasn't gotten hands-on with this new release, but you'll find upgraded audio features, a speedy processor, and mics with noise-reduction technology.

Details

amazon echo dot kids owl speaker

The Good & The Bad

Year of Amazon Kids+
2-year worry-free guarantee
Same great audio as Echo Dot
Character-inspired exterior and voices
Great parental controls

No Dolby audio
No video capabilities

Why We Like It

The Echo Dot gets an adorable facelift in this kids' version of the device. You can choose from cute and colorful designs — like an owl or dragon — for the outside, but the inside is exactly the same as the latest-model Echo Dot, minus the LED clock display. The Echo Dot Kids is not just a pretty paint job, though; it also comes with a free year of Amazon Kids+, a digital subscription designed for kids aged 3-12 to access kid-friendly audiobooks, educational Alexa skills, interactive games, homework help, bedtime stories, and more — all without ads. (Though to be fair, you could always subscribe to Amazon Kids+ separately and use it via any other Echo device too.)

In addition to a built-in mic off button for privacy, the Echo Dot Kids is also packed with parental controls: Like only giving kid-friendly responses to any questions asked, filtering out explicit songs when playing music, and only allowing calls to parent-approved contacts. It also allows Alexa's voice to be changed to that of an owl- or dragon-inspired character, making the whole experience more fun for little ones. And, it comes with a 2-year worry-free guarantee that allows for replacement if it breaks (which is a huge step up from the Echo Dot's 90-day limited warranty).

If you, however, want to treat the kiddos to the latest-and-greatest in the world of Amazon tech, your best bet would be the Amazon Echo Pop Kids (released on Oct. 25). The Pop Kids costs $49.99, has all the same parental controls features we mentioned above, and grants you six free months of Amazon Kids+. Its Avengers or Disney Princess design options are giving #genderstereotypes, but they're still a great way to add some brightness to your kid's room and life.

Details

amazon echo studio

The Good & The Bad

Incredible Dolby Atmos audio
Room-filling 3D sound
Great for home theater setup
Spatial audio processing technology

No motion or temperature sensors

Why We Like It

At their core, the Echo and Echo Dot are essentially just speakers — incredibly intelligent speakers, but speakers nonetheless. And while they're great for casual music listening and hearing Alexa serve up her endless knowledge, they won't impress any true audiophiles. That's where the Echo Studio comes in with its wow-worthy Dolby Atmos sound and five strategically positioned speakers inside. Standing 8 inches tall with a nearly 7-inch diameter, it's markedly larger than the baseline Echo — but it's still a relatively unobtrusive speaker that can fill a large room with exquisite audio. You can even pair two Echo Studios together (plus an Echo Sub subwoofer add-on, for good measure) and configure them for the left and right to create a truly immersive, three-dimensional audio experience. Even better, connect it all to your Fire TV for a truly cinematic home theater setup.

Aside from its epic sound quality, the Echo Studio functions almost identically to the standard Echo when it comes to smart home capabilities and Alexa's functionality. However, it doesn't have motion detection or a temperature sensor, so you won't be able to automate any connected devices in those ways. But it does have a built-in "mic off" button and in-app privacy controls. For instance, on the Alexa app, "you can review your daily voice history and delete anything you don't vibe with, manage the access to data certain skills have, and more," according to former Mashable fellow, Stacia Datskovska.

Details

black echo auto device

The Good & The Bad

Hands-free driving companion
Hears commands over music and road noise
Mic off button
Controls home tech remotely

Newer cars have a lot of this tech built-in

Why We Like It

PSA: Amazon has an Echo device just for your car, in case you weren't aware. While other Echo devices are designed mostly around the idea of being a hub for smart home devices, the Echo Auto brings that very intelligence to your vehicle.

As of now, you likely don't have a ton of smart tech to control while in your car, but the Echo Auto allows you to access Alexa's hundreds of thousands of skills hands-free while you drive. You can control your music, podcasts, or audiobooks, or make phone calls and send texts. You can also remotely control your devices at home from the road, such as turning on your lights and bumping up your thermostat for a warm welcome when you walk in the door. You can even contact roadside assistance, all with simple voice commands. The Echo Auto comes with an adhesive mount, fast car charger, and AUX cable, and it's built with privacy controls, such as a "mic off" button.