The 5 Best Alexa Speakers - Winter 2022 Reviews

The best speaker for Alexa that we've tested is the Sonos Move. This portable Bluetooth speaker comes with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, which you can use while connected to a Wi-Fi network. They can understand your commands when you're far from the speaker and when you're in noisier environments. There's even a mic mute button you can use when you no longer want the speaker to listen to you.

This speaker has a balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, making it suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content. Its well-balanced mid-range ensures voices and lead instruments are clearly and accurately reproduced in the mix. There are also bass and treble adjustments featured on its companion app to customize its sound to your liking. This very well-built speaker is rated IP56 for dust and water resistance, making it suitable for use outdoors. Also, its battery life can last over 10 hours from a single charge, though this can depend on your usage.

Unfortunately, it has high latency with iOS and Android devices via Bluetooth, so it isn't very suitable for watching movies and videos. However, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience may differ. If you're looking for a good speaker that supports Alexa, this versatile speaker is a solid choice.

The Bose Home Speaker 500 is the best home speaker for Alexa that we've tested. It comes with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in and is excellent at understanding you when you're far away and in noisier settings. You can use its mic mute button when you no longer want your assistant to listen to you. You can even use Alexa to command any Bose smart products or Amazon Echo products you own.

Out-of-the-box, it has a fairly neutral sound profile suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content. Its balanced mid-range ensures vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix, though higher-pitched voices and instruments can sound dark at times. That said, it lacks some low-bass, so you can't feel the deep thump and rumble typically present in bass-heavy music. Fortunately, you can tweak its sound thanks to the bass and treble adjustments featured in its companion app. You can even pair it to compatible Bose speakers to play different audio in different rooms across your home at once.

Unfortunately, while it can get pretty loud, there are some compression artifacts present at max volume that can affect the clarity of your audio during louder listening sessions. Due to its wired design, it isn't very portable since it needs to remain connected to a power outlet to work. That said, if you're looking for an Alexa-enabled speaker to add to your home, it's the best Alexa speaker for music that we've tested.

The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is the best portable speaker for Alexa that we've tested. This battery-powered smart speaker comes with a built-in carrying handle to help transport it, so you can easily carry it with you when you're on the move. It's even rated IPX4 for water resistance, meaning it's certified to be able to withstand small splashes of water.

It comes with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in and has little trouble understanding your commands from far away and in noisier settings. You can use Alexa to make commands to Bose smart products, Amazon Echo products, or anyone in your contacts list. There's even a mic mute button you can use when you no longer want your assistant to hear you. Out-of-the-box, it has a slightly boomy sound profile with a balanced mid-range that ensures vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it has incredible directivity, so its soundstage is perceived as wide and open, and your audio sounds clear from all angles.

Unfortunately, it has to downmix stereo content to mono to play it. Its battery life only lasts a little over five hours, so it isn't suitable for long listening sessions. That said, battery performance can vary depending on your usage, and your real-world experience may differ. If you're looking for a portable speaker that offers outstanding Alexa support, it's a solid choice.

The Amazon Echo Gen 4 is the best Alexa speaker for music that we've tested in the budget category. It has Alexa built-in and has no trouble understanding your commands from far away and in noisy environments. You can also mute the mic when you no longer want your assistant to hear you.

It has a slightly boomy sound profile, with a balanced mid-range reproduces vocals and lead instruments clearly and with detail. That said, higher-pitched voices and instruments may sound a bit dull and dark at times. Fortunately, you can tweak its sound using the bass and treble adjustments featured in its Amazon Alexa app. You can also pair it to other compatible speakers when you want to amplify your favorite tunes across a large space.

Unfortunately, it isn't very portable due to its wired design and needs to remain wired to a power outlet to work. Also, it doesn't get very loud, and it lacks thump and rumble in the low-bass range, which may disappoint some fans of bass-heavy music like EDM or hip-hop. That said, it's still a great choice if you're looking for an Alexa-enabled speaker at a more affordable price.

The best cheap Alexa speaker we've tested is the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4. This small wired speaker has a design similar to the Amazon Echo Gen 4, though it's a bit smaller in size. Alexa is built into this speaker, and it's excellent at registering your commands from far and in noisy rooms. You can activate Alexa using your voice, and there's a mic mute button you can use when you no longer want it to listen to you.

It has a balanced mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix, though they may also sound dark and veiled at times. Fortunately, there are bass and treble adjustments to customize its sound profile to your liking. Thanks to its spherical design, it has amazing directivity, resulting in a wide and spacious-sounding soundstage. You can also connect this speaker to other Echo speakers when you want to play different audio in different rooms across your home.

Unfortunately, like most speakers its size, it lacks low-bass, so you can't feel the thump and rumble in bass-heavy music like EDM or hip-hop. It also doesn't get very loud, and there's some compression present at max volume that can affect the quality of your audio at louder volumes. That said, if you're looking for a speaker that offers outstanding Alexa support without breaking the bank, it's still a solid choice.