The 3 Best Mesh Wi-Fi Systems - Summer 2024

The best mesh Wi-Fi system we've tested is the eero Pro 6E. It's a tri-band Wi-Fi 6E router with a sleek design and a conveniently small footprint, so it won't clash with the decor in your living space. Performance-wise, it has great range, and since the manufacturer designed it to be easily expandable, you can buy additional units for better range if you have a huge home. It also delivers impressive speeds that can take advantage of a gigabit internet connection no matter where you are in your home, making it a great pick if you're downloading lots of large files in an office far from where your internet cable comes into your house.

With eero routers, ease of use is the name of the game. Using the eero app, getting your mesh network up and running is incredibly straightforward. You can configure and monitor your network, see how many devices are connected, and even manage smart home devices since it has a built-in Zigbee hub and support for Thread and Matter. That said, the app is limited in what settings you can change and has many features like parental controls and historical data behind an annoying monthly paywall.

Note that a 2-pack often goes on sale for $300 or less, and that's when it's at its best value. However, when it's at its full price of $400, the TP-Link Deco XE5300 offers a better value, especially since it comes in a 3-pack. While it performs similarly to the eero, its top speed isn't quite as fast, and it doesn't have any multi-gigabit network ports, so you can't achieve the same blisteringly fast local file transfer speeds as the eero.

The TP-Link Deco X5000 is the best mesh router we've tested at a mid-range price point. It's a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 system with surprisingly small access points, making it easy to place discretely in your living space. It offers impressive range and speed, providing strong coverage throughout multi-story homes with speeds reaching up to 800 Mbps, making it great for a house full of devices simultaneously streaming content or taking video calls. Its compatibility with other TP-Link Deco models allows for easy expansion if needed.

Setting up this router using the Deco app is straightforward, which makes managing and monitoring your network simple. The app lets you see connected devices and configure settings, ensuring a user-friendly experience. However, the system has only two networking ports, so you may need an external switch for multiple wired devices. Also, it's only Wi-Fi 6, so your devices capable of Wi-Fi 6E or higher can't take advantage of a 6GHz band, which can have significant performance benefits, especially if you live in a congested wireless environment.

The eero 6 is our recommendation if you're looking for the best budget mesh Wi-Fi system. It features dual-band Wi-Fi 6 technology and delivers solid coverage and speeds suitable for an internet connection of up to ~700 Mbps. It can easily handle high-bandwidth activities, like 4k video streaming and high-speed downloads. Like our top pick, the more expensive eero Pro 6E, it has a compact and sleek design and is easily expandable, allowing you to add more units to cover larger homes. Despite its budget price, it still includes smart home integration with built-in Zigbee support and Amazon Alexa compatibility.

Setting up this router is straightforward using the eero app, which provides a user-friendly interface for managing and monitoring your network. The app lets you see connected devices and configure basic settings, although advanced features like ad blocking and content filters require a subscription. With all that in mind, this router has only decent range, meaning you might not reach your internet plan's top speeds if you're far away and connected to a satellite unit.