Among Amazon’s flagship gadgets, such as kindles And Fire TV is the star of the Echoes show. These multitasking smart home devices do a little bit of everything in almost every room of the house. (Plus, with this year’s rollout of Alexa+, they’re now packed with additional AI features.) Whether you need a smart speaker, alarm clock, or hub for your other smart devices, there’s an Echo to help you. Amazon’s list of devices is constantly growing, so we’ve tested them to find the best Echo devices for your smart home.
If you’re ready to invest in an Echo, you don’t have to purchase these devices at full price. They always go on sale during events like Prime Day and Black Friday. Last Prime Day, we saw Echo discounts of up to 73% on devices like the Pop, Dot, and Spot. So, if you are going to buy an Amazon smart home device, it is advisable to hold off until the next sale.
And luckily, the next sale is almost here. Black Friday is coming on November 28, 2025 and we expect the devices to reach their lowest prices ever. Last year, the Echo Dot dropped to $22.99 and the Echo Pop dropped to $17.99.
New Echos in 2025
On September 30, 2025, Amazon launched several new Echo devices. We have not yet tested the new Amazon Echo Dot Max or the refreshed Echo Studio, however, once testing is complete, we will add them to this guide.
Changes to existing Echo devices in 2025
For existing Echo owners, or those looking to become one, there’s a big change in 2025 that affects user privacy. Amazon sent an email to users saying that the “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” feature on devices will no longer be available starting March 28, 2025. But what does it mean?
Previously, the “Do not send voice recordings” setting allowed the device to process requests locally without sending them to Amazon servers. However, that setting is no longer supported, all requests will now go through Amazon servers. Also, if you turned on that setting after the change took effect, you’ll also lose access to the Voice ID feature.
While Amazon promises that all information requests are encrypted and secure, that still means the retailer has access to all that data.
What can an Echo smart speaker do?
Trying out the new Echo Spot smart alarm clock.
Credit: Samantha Mangino/Mashable
All Echo devices use the AI superpowers of Amazon Alexa – it’s just a matter of what form you want your Echo to take. The Echo and Echo Dot are smart speakers that you can use for music, phone calls, calendar reminders, or news alerts. Amazon Echo Show devices, on the other hand, can do all the audio content above, but they also boast color displays for making video calls, streaming entertainment, or just managing your day. Think of the Echo Show as essentially a stabler, more affordable tablet.
Most Echo devices are designed to act as smart hubs within your home, but some Echo devices can also be taken on the road. Echo Auto brings hands-free Alexa functionality to the car, while Echo Buds and Echo Frames can travel with you anywhere.
What can Alexa+ do?
Alexa is to Amazon as Siri is to Apple, and is the driving force behind every Echo. But Alexa just got a major upgrade. Now there’s Alexa+, a new AI-powered version of Alexa introduced for Echo devices in March 2025. For Prime subscribers, Alexa+ will be included in the subscription, and non-subscribers will have to pay $19.99 per month for the service.
Whatever you ask, Alexa has an answer. By simply yelling, you can play music, adjust volume, and set alarms or timers. And that’s just to name a few options. On devices like the Echo Show, you can also ask Alexa to do dishes or answer questions that come up while you’re cooking. With Alexa+, the AI agent not only responds to commands but can actually engage in conversations.
Here’s a short list of what Alexa+ can do:
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Provide a highlight reel of the day’s security footage
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read stories to children
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plan a date night
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Book Restaurant Reservation
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Control your smart home technology from one central hub
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Access your calendar and set reminders
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Get answers to any question you can think of
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Make phone calls (and video calls with the Echo Show)
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Get the latest weather and news
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follow the recipes
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shop on amazon
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Stream Music (and Video) on Amazon Echo Show
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play game
there are Over 100,000 Alexa Skills Which you can use through Echo devices, and Amazon is always adding more.
Alexa becomes supercharged when other smart home technology comes into the picture. If you have a smart thermostat or smart light bulbs, as long as they’re compatible with the Alexa system, you can create routines through your Echo. This could be as simple as asking Alexa to turn on the lights in a room or programming Alexa to turn down the thermostat before you come home.
If you’re ready for an Alexa-powered home, read on for the 10 best Amazon Echo devices of 2025.