Best smart speaker 2024: Which? Best Buys and expert advice

Our expert lab tests find the smart speakers and smart displays with easy-to-use voice commands and superb sound quality.
Oliver TrebilcockResearcher & writer
Smart speakers

A smart speaker is a speaker you can talk to. It has a voice assistant built in, which means you can tell it what to do with your voice. There is similar technology built into most smartphones – on iPhones this is Siri.

Smart speakers have a challenging brief – they need to be both great wireless speakers and fantastic voice assistants. You’ll want to find something with exceptional sound quality, that’s easy to use, has great features and build quality, and be a fantastic voice assistant as well.

Our expert lab tests and discerning professional listening panel cut through hype to expose models that simply don’t live up to the competition.  Plus we also conduct technical penetration tests on all wi-fi-connected speakers, so you can be sure they’re safe and secure to use.

Read on for our recommendations, or head straight to our smart speaker reviews to get our full test results.

Best Alexa speakers

The two most popular types of smart speaker are the Amazon Echo range - better known by its voice assistant 'Alexa', and Google Nest. See our pick of the best of each below. Or if you're undecided, scroll down to find out how they compare.

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Pricing and recommendations correct as of March 2024.

Best Google speakers

Google Assistant-powered speakers aren't quite as popular as Alexa, but they certainly have their advantages, including the power of Google Search behind them for more complex queries, and we've certainly revealed other key plus points in our testing of the best models as well. Find out which are best in the table below.

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Alexa vs Google smart speakers – which voice assistant should you choose?

Generally speaking you'll find you can issue the same sorts of voice commands, ask similar questions, and control your smart home in similar ways with both Amazon and Google's smart speakers. 

There are nuances that might sway you one way or the other: for example, if you do lots of online shopping on Amazon, Alexa can link your Amazon shopping account to your speaker and place orders using your voice alone.

Android phone owners and those that use Google services such as Gmail or Google Calendar may find Google Assistant a better choice, as it integrates well with Google services. You also get the power of Google Search for more depth to the more complex queries you make.

Most will base their decision on the design and performance of the speaker in question – plus, of course, the price. However, some smart speakers, including those from popular brands like Bose and Sonos, are giving you the option of choosing between multiple voice assistants. These models tend to be more expensive, but if this is attractive for you, see our separate Bose vs Sonos guide.


Our complete guide to Alexa includes plenty of commands, skills and activities you can learn to do with your Alexa smart speaker.


What about Apple Siri smart speakers?

Those that own a number of Apple products will find that Siri integrates best with their devices and services. 

Apple makes two smart speakers: the small spherical Apple HomePod Mini (£89), suitable for small-to-medium sized rooms, and the Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) (£299) for a fuller home entertainment-style experience. This means Siri smart speakers have a higher entry price than the cheapest Alexa and Google Assistant models, and you're limited on models and what's available for a multi-room or wider smart home products setup.

Siri remains not quite as fully-featured as Alexa and Google Assistant, but it's just as great at the basics, and offers plenty of elegant integrations with Apple devices that can make for a great experience for Apple users.

How do voice assistants work?

Each voice assistant has a 'wake word' you use to wake the speaker up so it listens to you. You need to say this word before each voice command you make, otherwise the voice assistant won’t be listening to you. 

Voice assistants allow you to control your speaker hands-free from across the room, without even getting out your smartphone. They offer a much wider range of functionality than traditional speakers. For example, you can:

  • Play and control music and radio ('Hey Google, play BBC Radio 4')
  • Ask for weather, news, directions, traffic updates and other simple, trivia-like questions
  • Set alarms, calendar events, alerts and reminders (''Alexa, set the alarm for 7am’)
  • Initiate calls and messaging on select devices ('Hey Siri, send a text message to Ralph')
  • Create shopping lists, ask for cooking and recipe instructions, egg timers, plus buy and book things online ('Alexa, add milk to my shopping list')
  • Control smart home devices – smart speakers and smart displays can act as a hub to control smart lights, smart thermostats, smart doorbells and more, helping you to manage your home. ('Alexa, dim the living room lights')

To find out the top-performing models in our rigorous lab tests, see our speaker reviews. For other types of speaker, see our guide to buying the best wireless and Bluetooth speakers.

Smart speaker routines

If you find yourself repeating the same set of voice commands every day, Routines makes this simple. Just say one command and it will trigger all your regular commands in one go.

To set up a Routine, open the Alexa or Google Assistant app and find Routines in the settings menu. For Siri, Routines are called Shortcuts – begin by downloading the Shortcuts app (compatible with iOS 12 and later).

When you create a new Routine, you first need to decide on a trigger phrase for this routine – for example, you could choose ‘Alexa, good morning.’ Then set up the actions you’d like the trigger phrase to perform, and the order you’d like them in. For example, ‘Alexa, good morning’ could start with the weather forecast, then tell you the latest news, what’s in your calendar for the day, and then begin a music playlist for a great start to your morning.

If you have smart home devices, Routines can get even more powerful. For example, with smart lights you could say ‘Hey Google, goodnight.’ and have all your smart lights turn off at once, without needing


Read our guide on setting up a smart home for more information on adding smart devices seamlessly to the home.


Smart speakers and security updates

Considering security and software support is vital when buying a smart speaker. This determines how long the brand commits to continue updating the device with new features and security fixes, to protect against emerging threats.

We’ve reached out to a range of popular smart speaker brands to find out how long they intend to support their devices with important security updates following their launch. You can search for a speaker of interest in the table below to find out the support policy. You'll also find this information in the tech specs of our smart speaker reviews.

Support expected until at least: Our estimate of the date after which the brand doesn't guarantee further security updates for this model, according to its official update policy confirmed to Which?. Updates are important for keeping your data safe from hackers. Some brands may choose to extend their support beyond these dates. Brand update policy: Based on the brand's official update policy, confirmed to Which?.

  • Apple told us you can expect updates for five years after the device is discontinued.
  • Amazon says that its popular Echo range of smart speakers and smart displays will receive updates for at least four years after the device is last available to purchase from its website.
  • Sonos said in 2022 it offers support for at least five years after last sale, but this year it didn't respond.
  • Google specifies at least five years from launch for its Nest range of smart speakers and smart displays, which in principle could be a shorter timeframe than its rival Amazon. 
  • Pure says it will offer updates for five years from launch when we asked in 2022, but this year it didn't respond.
  • JBL and Harman Kardon promised security and software support for five years from the product’s launch in 2022, but it refused to confirm when we asked again this year.
  • LG only commits to provide software support for two years from launch as a 'general guide', but adds it may ‘possibly’ continue support for up to five years for critical issues.

Conspicuous in their absence are Bose, B&O and Denon. No other smart speaker brands provided us with specific information on minimum update support periods – including Ultimate Ears, Bluesound, Audio Pro and Belkin

While a smart speaker being unsupported doesn’t guarantee you’re at immediate risk, it's certainly highly desirable to buy and use a device with a strong support period. To learn more about other types of smart devices and support, read our guide to smart devices and security.

Which smart home devices are compatible with my smart speaker?

First you need to check whether your smart speaker has full support for its voice assistant built-in – most do.  If the smart speaker says you can do more than control your music with your voice – and doesn’t say you require a separate device – it probably has full support. Smart displays with a screen almost always have full support. Support for calling features often varies, however, but this isn’t a prerequisite for connecting most smart home devices.

For smart speakers with full voice assistants built-in, you need to check for the following wording on the smart home devices (like smart lights) you’re looking to use with them, to make sure they’ll be compatible:

  • For Alexa smart speakers and smart displays, look for smart home products that say ‘Works with Alexa’.
  • For Google Assistant, check for smart home devices that state: ‘Works with Google Assistant.’
  • For Siri, you need smart home products that say they’re compatible with Apple Homekit.
  • For Bixby, you’ll be looking for Bixby-compatible smart home devices, including many made by Samsung.

How much do smart speakers cost?

Smart speakers can cost £50 or less, and some cost £300 or more. You should expect to spend around £90-£200 for a Best Buy or very good model. They don’t tend to cost more than other wireless speakers, although they often cost more than simple portable Bluetooth speakers as they have wi-fi built-in for the voice control functionality.

Great Value Google Nest Audio speaker

Do smart speakers sound good?

The best-sounding smart speakers can rival the very best traditional speakers at similar price points. Many are superb to use simply as speakers in their own right, even if you don’t intend to use voice control all that much.

However, beware that simply paying more or going for a big brand is no guarantee of getting the best sound quality. We’ve found awful-sounding Don’t Buy wireless, smart and Bluetooth speakers costing well over £100, so be sure to check out our reviews to ensure you don’t end up with a dud.

Which music streaming services can I use?

Most smart speakers support music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music (may require subscriptions). However, which music streaming services are supported vary from speaker to speaker, so it’s an important buying decision. To find out which are the best music streaming services to choose, see our dedicated best music streaming services guide.

Can I make my existing speaker smart?

If you already have a great setup of traditional speakers, you don't need to completely replace them to get smart functionality - you can easily turn them into a smart speaker by connecting a small separate device called a streaming DAC. Unfortunately, the two best known of these have now been discontinued, so you would have to source them second hand.

The best of these is a small hockey puck-sized device called the Amazon Input (when it was available new, it was available for around £35), which adds most of the same functionality possible with the Amazon Echo Dot, just without being a speaker itself. You can connect it to your existing speaker via a standard 3.5mm cable or via Bluetooth. This will give you full access to the functionality of the Alexa voice assistant, including music and radio streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music (may require subscriptions), controlled through the Alexa app on your smartphone.

Google also used to produce a similar device called Chromecast Audio that can still be sourced second hand. It plugs into the 3.5mm aux-in or line-in socket on your speakers. You can then access smart features like music streaming services through the Google Nest app on your smartphone (available for iOS and Android). The only downside is that it doesn’t give you voice control to access these - you need to get out your smartphone to do it. If your hi-fi supports Bluetooth, you can also access this functionality via a Google Nest Mini (£49), which does have Google Assistant voice control and is a small speaker in its own right.

If you like to buy new, a much more expensive option is to buy the Amazon Link (RRP £190), which allows you to stream hi-fi quality music to your stereo system, and then you'd need to use your smartphone or connect a separate Amazon Echo device like the Amazon Echo Dot (£49) small speaker to add Alexa voice control to the setup. If you're speakers aren't powered, there's the even more expensive Amazon Echo Link Amp (RRP £290) instead.

Another alternative is to get a simple Bluetooth adaptor you can plug into your speaker. You can then connect it to your smartphone and stream audio from your phone to the speaker over Bluetooth. However, this will drain battery life from your phone considerably if you do it for long periods throughout the day. If using music streaming services or internet radio, also make sure you’re connected to wi-fi to avoid eating up your phone’s data allowance.

Many newer speakers now have Chromecast Audio built in, which is often just called Chromecast but is different to the Google Chromecast that makes your TV smart. Chromecast in speakers also give you multi-room support to link multiple speakers together into a larger setup, even between Chromecast-enabled speakers from different brands.

Privacy and risks: Is my smart speaker always listening to me?

No, they’re not always listening to your conversations. They are only listening for their ‘wake word’, such as ‘Alexa’.

However, they do record all the commands you give them (available for you to view in your voice search history, which you can delete), and voice commands are also recorded by Amazon and Google to improve their services.

If you don’t want your smart speaker to listen to you at all, you can put them in mute mode - often a red light will make clear when they're in this mode. Often, if you don’t plan to use the voice assistant, you can simply skip setting the voice assistant up when you set up your smart speaker – although keeping them continuously on mute will have the same effect.

Since voice assistants offer powerful functionality, they also come with risks even if you set them up and rarely use them. For example, if you set up your Amazon account on an Alexa-powered speaker with one-click purchasing enabled, it's possible that your kids could buy things using your smart speaker without your knowledge. To remove this risk, you must turn off purchasing when you set up the speaker or set up a password for making voice purchases, which you can configure in the Alexa app.

We conduct full privacy and security testing on all smart speakers and smart displays we review. We will alert you in our reviews – and follow-up with the manufacturer to correct the issue – if we find any concerning security issues during our tests. Manufacturers also frequently release updates to make sure their smart speakers stay secure – so the best way to keep yours secure is to ensure you keep it updated with the latest software if it doesn’t update automatically.

Smart speaker parental controls

Kids often love to use voice assistants. Both Alexa and Google Assistant have various parental controls, which can restrict content your children are able to access. Alexa also has separate Kid Skills you can enable in the Alexa app (select Settings, then Alexa Account), so you can ensure the services they use are suitable to them. For Google Assistant, download the Family Link app, add your child and set up Voice Match for them. Children under 13 are then restricted from some tasks like using non-Google apps and playing songs from Google services. The Alexa app also has an explicit language filter for music – choose Settings, then Music.

Smart speakers with large screens: should I get a smart display?

Smart displays are a bit of a hybrid between a smart speaker and a tablet. They typically have larger speakers than a tablet of similar size, aiming for better sound quality, and their design is optimised for their voice assistant and smart features. For example, you can ask it to play a video on YouTube showing you how to make a recipe while you cook, or use it with a smart baby monitor to check on your child upstairs.

Most smart displays are currently made by Amazon (with their Echo Show range) and Google (with their Nest Hub range), both offering a variation in touchscreen sizes to suit how you want to use it.

While their uses are more diversified, our consumer surveys show music and radio listening still remains a principal use of smart displays. When listening to music or the radio, a smart display adds a new dimension by displaying lyrics or album artwork, and you can see what radio programme or song is currently playing, without needing to ask. You can also browse music streaming services (may require subscriptions) if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for.

To find out which are the best smart displays to consider, check our smart display speaker reviews.