We've bought and tested three Google speakers, two of which are still available on the market. Google produces a wide variety of Internet-related products, including smart speakers that offer compatibility with other technologies in the Google ecosystem. They're designed for home use with built-in support for Chromecast and other manufacturer-specific tech.
The Google Nest Audio is the best Google home speaker we've tested. It's a versatile choice suitable for listening to music at home, and it offers many cool features to make the most of the experience. With built-in Google Assistant, you can activate the speaker using only your voice, so you enjoy hands-free control right from the comfort of your couch. Thanks to the Google Home app, you can pair compatible speakers to spread audio throughout your home. Plus, the app has bass and treble adjustments to customize the speaker's sound.
That said, you may find that you don't need those customization features at all—after all, this speaker's sound quality is great right out of the box. With a clear and accurate reproduction of your favorite tunes, it's suitable for listening to various music genres, podcasts, and audiobooks. This speaker has a sleek design, too, so it blends right into your living room decor, and you can even choose between different color variants based on your preferences. It's a solid choice that ranks as the best Google home speaker we've tested.
If you're shopping on a budget, the best Google speaker we've tested is the Google Nest Mini. It's a smaller, more compact version of the Google Nest Audio, with a similar mesh-fabric wrapping for a matching look. Available in several different colors, you can also mount this wired speaker to your wall, which is handy. Built-in Google Assistant makes it easy to control the speaker with only your voice, and this model performs just as well as its larger counterpart when it comes to picking up your commands. You can mute it when you don't want it to hear you, which is nice.
Through the Google Home app, you can configure multiple Google speakers throughout your home, which is a great way to amplify audio across a larger space. Plus, you can use its bass and treble adjustments to switch up its sound. With built-in Chromecast, it's easy to stream your favorite music and podcasts from other Google devices. Of course, given its smaller size, this speaker doesn't bring as much rumble in the low-bass as its larger counterpart, and it doesn't get quite as loud, but it's still a great alternative if you're looking to save space and money with your home speaker.
Google's speakers are designed for easy integration with other tools in their ecosystem; naturally, Apple's speakers take a similar approach. You'll find Siri voice assistant instead of Google Assistant and Apple AirPlay capabilities instead of Chromecast built-in. However, Apple doesn't offer as many sound customization features as Google.
Amazon and Google both manufacture wired smart speakers designed for in-home use. Built-in voice assistants (Alexa and Google Assistant) allow you to control their devices hands-free. However, unlike Google, Amazon's more premium lineup includes support for their built-in Zigbee hub, which lets you control other smart home devices from their speakers.
Overall, Google makes wired-only smart speakers with lots of wireless connectivity options. They're compatible with other technologies in the Google ecosystem, including Google Assistant and Google Chromecast. Unlike other Bluetooth speakers on the market, they're for home use, and their wired-only design means they aren't suitable to bring with you on the go. However, since the Google Home Max was discontinued, the manufacturer has only two speakers on the market, both lacking the Max's built-in display.
Like their competitors Amazon and Apple, Google's smart speaker lineup is limited to only a few products.
Jan 22, 2024: We haven't tested any new Google speakers since our last update, and both speakers on our list are still available on the market. We verified the text but made no changes.
May 31, 2023: No new Google speakers tested since the last update. Minor text updates for clarity.
Feb 10, 2023: Ensured that the product picks are accurate, and made minor updates to the text for clarity.
Oct 14, 2022: Removed the Google Home Max from the Notable Mentions and made minor changes to the overall text for accuracy.
Google makes smart speakers for home use that support Google Assistant. You can easily pair multiple Google speakers together to enhance your listening experience and stream audio over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections. They aren't for outdoor use and may struggle to reproduce a thumpy low-bass.