The best Amazon Echo smart speakers and smart displays you can buy

It's ok if you want to keep your love of technology out of eye shot. Subtlety is an art, but if you have an Echo Dot, it's not that hard.

Though it didn't receive a hardware update, the Dot is still the best entry-level smart-home hub on the market. For $50 you get a hockey puck-sized gadget that can help you control your lights with your voice, answer questions about the universe, and connect to external speakers through a Bluetooth signal.

The Echo Dot's best feature is definitely its small size. You can stick it just about anywhere, and because it has the same microphone array as its bigger siblings, it won't have a problem hearing your requests. Whether you're going for subtlety, or want the best way to dip your toe into the smart-home ocean, this is your best choice.

Pros: Small, smart, affordable, works just as well as all the others

Cons: Audio quality isn't as great

The Show is one of the newer members of the Echo family and the first one to have a display. To put it simply, this is an Echo with a screen. It can do anything a standard Echo can, but it shows the information visually, in addition, to audibly.

For instance, if you set a timer you'll be able to watch it countdown, you'll be able to see your calendar when you ask Alexa about your upcoming events, and until recently you could even watch YouTube videos. Google put a stop to that, sadly.

How useful the Echo Show will be to you ultimately depends on how you use your Echo. If it'd help to see a measurement conversion instead of just hearing it said out loud (there are 16 tablespoons in a cup, by the way), the Echo Show is a really good option.

Its speakers are also better than the ones found in the original Echo, although it's still to be seen whether or not they compare well to newer models. Still, if you love the idea of seeing Alexa's responses to your questions and requests, the Echo Show is your best option.

Pros: 10.1-inch screen, the ability to see Alexa's responses to you

Cons: No audio out, a higher price than the screenless options

If you've packed your place to the limit with smart home accessories, you might want to consider the Echo Plus.

It looks like the first generation Echo, but has an improved speaker system, and more importantly, a Zigbee antenna built in. Zigbee is one of the standards smart home accessories use to communicate with one another. Traditionally, an Echo would have to talk to a third-party smart home hub to access and adjust accessories like light bulbs. The Echo Plus lets you ditch that hub and creates a direct link between itself and some of your favorite smart home tech.

You can find a full list of Zigbee-compatible smart-home accessories here, but I'm happy to see that Philips' Hue bulbs are on the list. As someone who uses those bulbs every single day, it'll be nice to save myself an outlet and some additional space.

Because of its antenna, the Echo Plus still looks like a big piece of tech, but if you're the type (like me) who has smart home accessories around your home, you probably don't care. The Plus also received the auxiliary out port so you can connect it to speakers if you'd like.

Pros: Improved audio quality over the original Echo, direct communication with smart-home accessories, decent price

Cons: Pricier than standard Echo

The Show 5 is a smaller version of the original Echo Show. It has a 5-inch screen, so it can display video content, the time, and visual representations of Alexa's answers.

Just like the original Echo Show, you can watch Prime Video, view security camera footage, and other video content on the Show 5.

It can also display the time and you can use it to set alarms to wake you up in the morning, making it a great smart alarm clock for your bedside table.

If you love the idea of seeing Alexa's responses to your questions and requests, but you want a smaller device, the Echo Show is a great option. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: 5-inch screen, the ability to see Alexa's responses to you

Cons: No audio out, a higher price than the screenless options

• Echo Spot ($129.99): The Spot is a cross between the Echo Show and the Echo Dot. Like the Show, it has a screen to display data and a camera for video conferencing. Like the Dot, it's small and out of the way. It's made to look like a "smart" alarm clock with its small body and rounded back, and that's basically what it is. Through Alexa, you can use the Echo Spot to control your smart home accessories — including the ability to watch a smart security camera's feed on the Spot's screen — ask questions and see the answers, or set an alarm to wake you up. We didn't include it in our guide because it's a bit too pricey for what it offers and the screen is a tad too small. You can find a full Echo Spot review here.
• Echo Look ($199.99): Amazon's Echo Look is basically the objective personal style assistant you don't have space for in your budget. It's hands-free, normally $200, and helps you decide what to wear in the morning. It compares photos of two different outfits and tells you which one looks better. It also keeps a photo archive or catalog of your looks for your future perusal. You can separate them by season, color, type of event, or any other category you choose. Since it's such a niche product and it's expensive, we don't include it in this guide's top picks. You can find a full review of the Echo Look here.