We've bought and tested three Google home speakers, two of which are still on the market. Google produces a wide variety of 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 Google-specific tech. Read on to learn what we think are the best Google Assistant speakers.
Updates
- 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 150 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.
-
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. 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 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 bass at all, so it's less good for listening to 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.
-
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 Nest Mini (2nd Gen) is worth considering. It's a smaller version of the Google Nest Audio with a similar mesh-fabric design. It comes in several colors and can also be mounted on a wall. The built-in Google Assistant makes it easy to control the speaker with your voice alone, and this model performs just as well as its larger counterpart at picking up your commands. You can mute it when you don't want it to hear you, too.
Through the Google Home 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, it's easy to stream your favorite music and podcasts from other Google devices. Of course, given its smaller size, this speaker produces even less bass than its larger counterpart, but it's still a great alternative if you're looking to save space and money for your home speaker setup.
Compared To Other Brands
-
Built-in Google Assistant capabilities.
Google's speakers have Google Assistant built in, which you can activate using your voice. You can also mute the speaker's microphone if you don't want Google Assistant to hear you.
-
Pair together for Party Mode and Multi-Room features.
You can wirelessly pair multiple Google speakers in the Google Home app to play the same audio across a larger space or different audio in different rooms.
-
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.
-
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.
-
No advertised dust or water resistance.The Google speakers we've tested don't advertise an IP rating for dust or water resistance. As a result, be very careful if you plan to use them in a room with running water, like a kitchen.
-
Some speakers lack low-bass.
Due to their size, smaller Google 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 doesn'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 support for the built-in Zigbee hub, which lets you control other smart home devices from its speakers.
Overall, Google makes wired smart speakers with multiple wireless connectivity options. They're compatible with other technologies in the Google ecosystem, including Google Assistant and Chromecast. Their home-focused designs mean they aren't suitable for listening on the go. Since the Google Home Max was discontinued, the manufacturer has only two speakers on the market.
Lineup
Like competitors Amazon and Apple, Google has a limited smart speaker lineup:
- Nest Series: Wired smart speakers with sleek mesh-fabric designs; no built-in displays.
- Home Series: While the Google Home Max has been discontinued, this wired smart speaker stood out from the Nest series thanks to its larger size and more powerful sound.
Recent Updates
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.
Jan 27, 2025:
Our picks are the same, but we've made minor text changes for clarity.
Conclusion
Google makes smart speakers for home use that support Google Assistant. You can easily pair multiple Google speakers to enhance your listening experience and stream audio over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections. However, the speakers aren't suited for outdoor use, and the smaller models struggle to produce a thumpy low bass.