These are the best Echo devices to gain hands-free control of your smart home, and more

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. It is, and its straight-to-the-point functionality is the main reason why. 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, for example. And, last but not least, it has a built-in "mic off" button and in-app privacy controls, too.

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 or home office setup. We especially like this version with the LED clock display (which can also show weather, song titles, etc. when asked — or be turned off completely), but you can opt for a Dot without it, too.

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. You can also simply tap the Echo Dot to pause music or snooze alarms, which is not unique to the Dot, but does make it even more useful for bedside use.

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 to make 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).

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 (and an Echo Sub(opens in a new tab) 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.

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(opens in a new tab) is an equally nice choice. You can find SaVanna’s in-depth comparison of the two here. 

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.

Read our full review of the Echo Show 15 here.

Part Echo Show, part Fire TV, the Echo Show 15 really blurs the line between productivity and entertainment. You can mount it on the wall just like a small television and stream content from your favorite streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. However, you can also display a customizable roster of widgets front and center to help keep your family organized and up-to-date on important events, announcements, and reminders. Or, with the Photo Frame feature, you can turn it into a stylish piece of artwork by displaying photos from your albums. The choices are really endless.

But despite the fact that it looks (and sometimes acts) more like a TV, it still has all of the same functionality and Alexa capabilities as any other Echo Show. It functions excellently as a central hub in a busy home with lots of smart home technology, and it has the same privacy controls of other Amazon Echo devices. However, as our reviewer RJ Andersen found, it's not without its flaws, including the fact that the audio isn't amazing and the camera is only 5 megapixels.

While other Echo devices are designed mostly around the idea of being a hub for smart home devices, the Echo Auto brings that intelligence to your vehicle. While you likely don't have a ton of smart tech to control while in your car, 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.

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

If you love Alexa and simply want to take her epic skills with you wherever you go, Amazon has created wireless earbuds to help you do just that. They're designed to be compact and comfortable, though they are a bit larger than some competitors' earbuds. Their fit is customizable, however, and they're IPX4 sweat-resistant so you can use them during intense workouts without worry. They also have active noise cancellation to limit background sounds, and a "passthrough" mode that allows you to safely hear what's going on around you.

Like other Echo devices, you can use voice commands to make calls, set reminders, and utilize tons of other Alexa skills as well. You can also tap to pause, skip, and rewind your music, and you'll enjoy up to five hours of music playback per charge (or 15 hours with the charging case). Also, you can mute the earbuds' mic from within the Alexa app, but as our reviewer Alex Perry notes, she will keep reminding you to unmute them, which can get annoying.