Best smart speaker: 8 tried and tested

If you’re looking for a smart speaker with superior sound quality, the Sonos Era 100 is a great option. While it is more expensive than some other speakers on the market, it delivers excellent sound and can be part of a larger home sound setup. 

Aside from the superior sound quality, the Sonos Era 100 is a really attractive smart speaker. It was also a breeze to set up and we loved that you could control all your favourite streaming services via the Sonos app, which saves the faff of swapping between apps. You can connect easily via Bluetooth, AirPlay and a line-in port – although you do need a separate adaptor for this. 

While our reviewer thought the speaker had amazing sound quality, our tester, Sowels, said that although the sound was loud and the bass adequate, he felt it was somewhat lacking. 

“There was a feeling that vocals were sometimes a bit lost in the wall of sound,” he said. 

The price is also a negative, since you can pick up great-quality Bluetooth speakers with an identical sound for a lot less money.  

Proof that a smart speaker needn’t cost the earth, the Google Nest Mini is a great option if you’re watching the pennies or need a second smart speaker for a bedroom or kitchen. For £49, you get a speaker with reasonable sound and everything that Google Assistant offers. 

We know that looks aren’t everything, but the Nest Mini is available in a range of very chic colours that, with its minimal styling, won’t look out of place in any room. Google Assistant also allows you access to lots of different features – from telling jokes to reading out the football scores – and also connects with smart technology around the home. 

If you’re not a big Google user then this might not be up your street, as it mostly supports Google products such as Google Calendar and Google Maps. And while it has a better sound quality than you might expect from such a small speaker, it’s not the best. Fine for a casual listener or the spoken word, but not ideal for music enthusiasts. 

The original Amazon Echo speaker still packs a punch when it comes to playing music. Unlike other Echo devices, it has three speakers, which gives it a richer and more immersive sound. This makes it a great choice for anyone who loves listening to music at home.

For the price, this smart speaker was a definite all-rounder, providing the expected capability of Alexa alongside a decent sound quality. 

“The Amazon Echo was, for me, the highlight of all the smart speakers we tested in the centre,” says Sowels, who rated it the best Amazon Echo of all the ones we tested.  

“While I expected more due to its increased size, I was pleasantly surprised by how balanced this speaker sounded.” 

It also doubles up as a smart home hub, allowing you to connect devices such as smart bulbs without having to buy a dedicated hub. All great for the price of £110 (although it’s often found discounted on Amazon, so keep your eyes peeled). 

At roughly the size of a volleyball, it’s not the smallest smart speaker available. So if space is at a premium, you may be better off going for something like the Echo Pop or Google Nest Mini.  

The Google Nest Audio is another great option for a smart speaker. It has clear, balanced sound quality and is easy to use. 

If you are already heavily invested in the Google ecosystem, this smart speaker is a great choice. It’s simple to set up, looks good and the sound is clear and crisp – perfect for casual music listeners. 

The absence of a 3.5mm audio jack in the Google Nest Audio is a disappointment, as it would have greatly contributed to its versatility. The presence of such a jack allows for seamless connectivity with other devices, making it a valuable feature that enhances the overall usability of the smart speaker. 

The second–generation HomePod is a pricey option for a smart speaker. While the sound quality is great, Siri is a bit restricted and – as our reviewer found – can also be a bit temperamental. 

The sound is pretty good – especially if you buy a pair of HomePod smart speakers. However, this does double–up the cost, making it an expensive smart speaker option at £598. If you have an Apple TV, you can also use it as a soundbar, which we tested out on some of our favourite TV shows and found they were loud, bright and easy to hear. 

The HomePod doesn’t have any Bluetooth connectivity – a simple thing, but one that really adds to the smart speaker experience and would allow Android users an easy way to connect. It’s also one to avoid if you’re a Spotify user. While you can stream from the service using AirPlay, it’s not the simplest of experiences. Siri has its limitations too, so if you want the full virtual assistant aspect of a smart speaker, you’d be better off choosing one from Google or Amazon. 

If you’re after a reasonably priced smart speaker to listen to the radio or podcasts, this is a good choice. It also serves as a cost-effective smart home controller. 

The Echo Dot is a great smart speaker, and the LED display on the “with clock” model is a worthwhile addition, especially if you’re looking for a bedside speaker. The built-in LED display costs an extra £10, but it’s an effective feature that adds something extra. We love the scrolling display of song titles, and it’s also helpful for checking the time at a glance. 

This is not the best smart speaker if you want to hear music at its very best. The Echo Dot is best suited to speech and low-volume or background music. It’s more of a bedside or bookshelf speaker than a sound system.   

The HomePod Mini is the budget smart speaker choice for those who don’t want to go outside the Apple ecosystem.

As with most Apple products, the HomePod Mini is a super-stylish bit of kit. For its size, it also has good audio quality, although it’s still best for casual music-listening, such as the radio or podcasts. 

If you don’t own an iPhone or iPad, the HomePod Mini is not the right choice for you. It’s essential to note that the setup process requires an iPhone or iPad, making it inaccessible to those without these devices.

Additionally, if you wish to use popular apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, or access BBC radio, you have to do so through your phone rather than directly from the smart speaker. This means that you need to keep your phone nearby at all times while using these apps. 

Don’t expect anything too amazing. At £44.99, this smart speaker is a great choice if you’re looking for a bargain or a second smart speaker, but it won’t blow your socks off. 

Aside from the price – which is often discounted by Amazon – the Echo Pop is very simple to use. It’s also a nice small size, perfect for bedrooms, and comes in an array of fashionable colours. You can buy additional covers for it to coordinate with your room. Alexa is also great – especially if you enable its extra skills – and allows you to interact with the Echo Pop in a huge variety of ways. 

This smart speaker is not the best option for music enthusiasts. While it performs adequately for spoken word and radio content, it falls short when it comes to delivering an enjoyable music experience. For listening to your favourite tunes, we recommend opting for the larger model in the range, the Echo Dot. According to our reviewer, certain music tracks tended to sound harsh when played at higher volumes, and some users found it lacking in bass, as reported by Sowels.