We've bought and tested four Google home speakers, and below we recommend the best two you can buy. Google produce wired smart speakers designed around their smart-home ecosystem, with built-in voice control, Chromecast, and Google Home app support. Read on to learn what we think are the best Google Assistant speakers.
Updates
- 08/27/2026Google Home Speaker reviewed
- 01/03/2023Google Nest Audio updated
- 01/06/2021Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) reviewed
- 12/14/2020Google Home Max reviewed
All of our recommendations start with the products we've tested. And, they're backed by in-house experts who ensure unbiased, objective data to help you choose the right speaker.
Want to see how we've tested more than 200 speakers? Our How We Test Speakers article walks you through the entire process: from selecting and purchasing products to testing, reviewing, and publishing our results.
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Best Google Speaker
MusicVideos/MoviesPodcastsVoice AssistantOutdoorsBattery Powered:NoSpeakerphone:YesVoice Assistant:YesBluetooth:YesSee all our test resultsWi-Fi:YesThe Google Nest Audio is the best Google home speaker we've tested. It's a versatile choice for listening to music at home, with useful smart features and several connectivity options. You can activate the speaker using only your voice, so you can enjoy hands-free control right from the comfort of your couch. Thanks to the companion app, you can pair compatible speakers to spread audio throughout your home. Plus, the app offers bass and treble adjustments to customize the speaker's sound to your tastes.
That said, you may find that you don't need those customization features at all: this speaker's sound quality is well-suited to vocal-driven content right out of the box. With a flat, accurate mid-range, you can expect your favorite podcast hosts to sound true-to-life. That said, this small speaker can't reproduce much low bass, so it's less suitable for bass-heavy genres like techno. Still, the speaker has a sleek design, so it blends into most living room setups. You can even choose between different colored options based on your preferences.
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Best Cheap Google Speaker
MusicVideos/MoviesPodcastsVoice AssistantOutdoorsBattery Powered:NoSpeakerphone:YesVoice Assistant:YesBluetooth:YesSee all our test resultsWi-Fi:YesIf you're shopping on a budget, the Google Home Speaker is worth considering. It's a compact smart speaker with a spherical, mesh-covered design and comes in several colors. The voice assistant makes it easy to control the speaker with your voice alone, and its mic does an excellent job picking up commands, even if you're far away or in a noisy room. You can mute the mic when you don't want it listening, too.
Through the companion app, you can configure multiple Google speakers throughout your home to play audio across a larger space. Plus, you can use its bass and treble adjustments to switch up its sound. With built-in Chromecast, you can also stream audio over Wi-Fi. Of course, its compact size limits its low-bass output, and some treble content is rolled off. Its sound is less balanced than the Google Nest Audio speaker above, and it doesn't get as loud as our top pick, either, making the Google Home Speaker better suited to quieter listening in smaller rooms. Still, it's a good option if you're looking for an affordable Google speaker.
Compared To Other Brands
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Built-in voice assistant capabilities.
Google's speakers have built-in voice assistants, including Google Assistant and Gemini, which you can activate using your voice. You can also mute the speaker's microphone when you don't want the voice assistant listening.
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Pair together for party mode and multi-room features.
You can wirelessly pair multiple Google speakers in the app to play the same audio across a larger space or different audio in different rooms.
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Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatible.
Google speakers support Chromecast, which lets you wirelessly stream audio from other Chromecast-enabled devices when connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Their speakers also offer Bluetooth compatibility for those who prefer to stream their audio without an Internet connection.
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Wired design isn't very portable.
The Google speakers we've tested are for home use, and their wired-only design means you can't use them to listen to audio on the go.
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No advertised dust or water resistance.
The Google speakers we've tested don't advertise any dust or water resistance, so take care when using them near sinks or other water sources.
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Some speakers lack low bass.
Google's smaller speakers may struggle to reproduce the deep, thumpy low bass found in bass-heavy music and action-packed movie scenes.
Google vs Apple
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 don't offer as many sound customization features as Google.
Google vs Amazon
Amazon and Google both manufacture wired smart speakers designed for in-home use. Their 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 a built-in Zigbee hub, which lets you control other smart home devices from their speakers.
Overall, Google make a small range of wired smart speakers with multiple wireless connectivity options. They're compatible with other technologies in the Google ecosystem, including Gemini and Chromecast. But their home-focused designs mean they aren't suitable for listening on the go.
Lineup
Like competitors Amazon and Apple, Google have a limited smart speaker lineup:
- Nest Series: Wired smart speakers with sleek mesh-fabric designs; no built-in displays.
- Home Series: Wired smart speakers designed around Google's smart-home ecosystem. The current Google Home Speaker is a compact Gemini-equipped model, while the discontinued Google Home Max was a larger, more powerful speaker.
Recent Updates
Sep 04, 2026:
The Google Home Speaker is our new pick for 'Best Cheap Google Speaker' because it offers native support for the Gemini voice assistant and its built-in mic picks up voice commands better than the Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen).
Aug 11, 2026:
We've updated some sound and feature comparisons between our picks after our recent Test Bench 1.0 update. We also refreshed parts of the lineup and brand comparison text.
Apr 15, 2026:
Our picks are still accurate and in stock, so we just edited this text for accuracy.
Jan 12, 2026:
We haven't tested any more Google speakers since our last update. We've verified this article's picks, but there hasn't been a change in our recommendations.
Apr 24, 2025:
We haven't reviewed any new Google speakers lately, but we've checked that our current picks are still accurate and in stock.
Conclusion
Google makes smart speakers for home use with built-in support for Google Assistant and/or Gemini. You can pair multiple Google speakers to play audio throughout your home and stream over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. However, their wired designs aren't suited to listening on the go, and the smaller models struggle to reproduce thumpy low bass.
