There are dozens of smart speakers on the market, and picking the best one keeps getting tougher.
First, you need to decide which voice assistant you prefer. There are three worth using—Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri—and each has its ups and downs. Right now, we prefer Amazon- and Google-powered smart speakers, as they are the most widely available and user-friendly.
Second, you need to decide which speaker has features that are most important to you. Is music quality your biggest concern? Do you want a touchscreen, or is voice assistance alone enough? Does your speaker need to connect to your other smart home gadgets? That’s where finding the best option gets trickier. Don’t fear, you’ll find what you’re looking for! We’ve tried enough smart speakers to know what’s the best right now. Below, you’ll find our favorite options in all varieties of styles and ecosystems. As with all our buying guides, we’ve used every one of these speakers (and many others that didn’t make the cut).
For more WIRED recommendations, check out our guides to the Best Google Speakers, Best Smart Displays, and Best Alexa Speakers.
Updated in February 2020: We’ve swapped out some older options and updated copy to reflect the fact that no smart speaker will last forever.
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1. Best Overall
(Connects to Alexa, Sonos, AirPlay 2, and Google Assistant.) There are louder speakers and some that are more portable, but no smart speaker is a better buy than the Sonos One right now (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It sets the bar in a number of areas, including sound quality, stable multiroom audio, and smart-home utility. Plus, it’s probably compatible with whatever ecosystem you prefer—it comes with Alexa enabled but also supports Apple Airplay 2 and Google Assistant.
On the audio front, the Sonos One is virtually unrivaled. Apple’s HomePod is the only voice-enabled speaker we’ve heard that may best it in sound, but not by much. It connects to about 100 streaming audio services around the world, which is most of them. It’s also one of the best smart speakers to buy if you plan to build a home theater setup—it connects to Sonos’ larger speakers and its TV soundbar.
