Alexa, the digital assistant from Amazon, has ben around for many years now, and it’s the go-to option for a lot of people. It is also one of the more capable smart assistants out there, and works with a ton of smart home accessories and gadgets. In fact, there are over 200 voice commands for all sorts of things, like controlling your lights, adjusting the thermostat or seeing who’s at the front door. Alexa can even assist in the kitchen with timers and measurement conversions or give your family game night a digital twist.. Amazon’s third-gen Echo Dot with Clock was our previous favorite Alexa speaker, but since the 2020 product line, the flagship fourth-generation Echo speaker has got the nod. At $100, the spheroidal speaker is more expensive than the $50 fourth-generation Amazon Echo Dot, although the improvements in sound quality and some intriguing smart home features justify the additional cost.. Read full review Jump to details. Pros. Improved sound quality and powerful bass. Better smart home connectivity. Easy and quality stereo pairing. Cons. A bulky design. No revolutionary upgrades from competition. The Ring Stick Up Cam Battery is a great camera for a lot of reasons, but thanks to its reasonable price and tight integration with Amazon Echo devices — it’s an easy pick here. Plus, because a rechargeable battery powers it, you can place it anywhere you want — inside or out — and not have to worry about a power outlet.. Read full review Jump to details. Pros. Affordable. Works indoors and outside. Uses rechargeable battery. Cons. Does not support Apple HomeKit. Some features require a subscription. In Amazon’s Echo Show 8, you get an 8-inch screen with the best resolution of any Echo Show yet, a camera shutter and all the smarts of previous Amazon smart displays. The Echo Show 8 has a built-in Alexa speaker. That means you can use this smart display to ask your Alexa digital assistant to do your bidding, whether that be asking it to play music, relay the weather or just tell you a joke.. Read full review Jump to details. Pros. Solid sound quality, good screen resolution. Price tag makes it one of the best midrange smart displays on the market. Physical camera shutter. Cons. The interface isn’t as smooth or easy to use as on Google’s Nest Hubs. You can’t call up YouTube videos by voice. August’s Wi-Fi Smart Lock is a great smart lock. It retrofits to most standard deadbolts, so you don’t have to deal with a complicated installation. The built-in Wi-Fi makes it possible to access and control your smart lock remotely via the Android or iOS app without needing an August Connect module. As its spot on this list indicates, it’s an Alexa-compatible device, too — that means you can lock and unlock your door from an Alexa-enabled smart speaker using your voice.. Read full review Jump to details. Pros. Small, sleek design. Built-in Wi-Fi. Cons. Expensive price. Shorter battery life. Amazon’s $80 Smart Thermostat is hard to beat in terms of val
