Amazon Echo Reviews and Buying Guide

Our Pick

Echo 2nd Generation Smart Speaker

Allows for multi-room music playing
Convenient hands-free calling and
Multiple microphones with noise cancellation
High-quality speaker with crisp sound and dynamic bass
360-degree omnidirectional audio
Controls other compatible devices like smart lights and thermostats
Easy to set up and use
Many colors and texture choices

Sound does not seem loud enough for certain applications such as listening to audio books.

This is a great device that delivers great sound quality, is easy to set up and will allow you to control almost any smart home device.

Echo Dot 2nd Generation Smart Speaker

Unable to play music from a variety of sources
Hands-free calling and messaging
Far-field microphones never miss anything
Built-in speakers will deliver bigger and clearer sound
Controls most smart devices in the house
Highly affordable

Loading and remembering skills names can be tedious.

This Echo is the perfect choice for those shopping for a smart speaker but don’t want to spend a lot of cash.

Echo Spot with a Screen

Compact design fits anywhere
Far-field voice recognition
Connects easily with speakers via Bluetooth
Convenient hands-free calling and texting
Includes tens of thousands of skills
Controls various devices conveniently
Easy setup and use

Font size not very good for people with problematic eyesight.

If you prefer something with a screen, this compact and stylish Echo will impress you.

Best Sound

Amazon 2nd Generation Echo Plus

Quick and simple set up and use
Dolby powered speakers with 360-degree audio
Easily pairs with a second Echo Plus device
Built-in temperature sensor
It will hear you from any direction
Superior sound quality

A little pricier when compared to other models.

Although all the Echo Dot’s produce great sound quality, what you get from this one seems to be a notch higher.

Best for Kids

Echo Dot Kids Edition

Great for storytelling and comedy
Easy to use controls for parents
Allows kids to control compatible devices easily
Automatic filtration of explicit songs
Relatively more affordable

A little too restrictive for calls when in child settings.

If you want your kids to also enjoy the services or the fun that comes with a smart speaker, this is what you need to buy them.

There is always something cool to buy on Amazon, but if you are working towards making your home smarter or enhancing your entertainment system, there are some particular gadgets that you will need to buy.

For starters, an Amazon Echo will be a great buy as there is a lot that you can use it for in the house thanks to its wide compatibility.

These devices will pair with everything from smart bulbs and smart plugs to motion sensors and many other things.

But like with everything else good from Amazon, there are many models of the Echo to choose from, and they are always bringing new ones into the market. And while this is a good thing because it means you will have many options to choose from, it can also make things a little confusing.

If you are shopping for your first Echo and are not sure which one to buy, we have you covered as we review 5 of the most popular ones and also explain a few points to consider when making up your mind.

Echo 2nd Generation Smart Speaker by Amazon

Our Pick

Pros

Allows for multi-room music playing
Convenient hands-free calling and
Multiple microphones with noise cancellation
High-quality speaker with crisp sound and dynamic bass
360-degree omnidirectional audio
Controls other compatible devices like smart lights and thermostats
Easy to set up and use
Many colors and texture choices

Cons

Sound does not seem loud enough for certain applications such as listening to audio books.

Loading and remembering skills names can be tedious.

Echo 2nd Gen makes our top choice as it is just a great device that will make your home smarter and even easier to run.

It is designed to be compatible with Alexa so that you can easily control it with your voice, and it uses 7 top notch quality microphones with noise cancellation to ensure it never misses anything. Also, the bilt-in speakers are designed to also offer crisp sound quality and with a dynamic bass, and they are also loud enough for most applications and will deliver 360-degree omnidirectional sound.

Another impressive aspect of this device is that you can use it to play music in multiple rooms. And it is an easy Echo to set up and use, and you get to chose from different color and texture options.

This is a great device that delivers great sound quality, is easy to set up and will allow you to control almost any smart home device.

You know what’s the most important feature of Echo 2nd Generation Smart Speaker? One customer wrote details about this on Amazon. If this is what you're looking, Check current price and Buy Now on Amazon

Echo Dot 2nd Generation Smart Speaker by Amazon

Pros

Unable to play music from a variety of sources
Hands-free calling and messaging
Far-field microphones never miss anything
Built-in speakers will deliver bigger and clearer sound
Controls most smart devices in the house
Highly affordable

Cons

Font size not very good for people with problematic eyesight.

You do not have to buy the priciest Echo Dot to get impressive features because this highly affordable 2nd generation model is also as good as they can get.

It is a compact device that is designed for ease of use and convenience. And you can use it to play music from several sources which makes it quite flexible.

Also, it has 7 far-field microphones that will hardly ever miss anything even when in a noisy room, and the built-in speakers are also designed to deliver louder and clearer sound.

Also, besides giving this speaker simple Alexa commands, you can also use it to control various smart devices like lights, thermostats, and locks.

This Echo is the perfect choice for those shopping for a smart speaker but don’t want to spend a lot of cash.

If you’re interested in reading customer reviews of Echo Dot 2nd Generation Smart Speaker, you should check from Amazon Now. If this is what you're looking, Check current price and Buy Now on Amazon

Echo Spot with a Screen by Amazon

Pros

Compact design fits anywhere
Far-field voice recognition
Connects easily with speakers via Bluetooth
Convenient hands-free calling and texting
Includes tens of thousands of skills
Controls various devices conveniently
Easy setup and use

Cons

A little pricier when compared to other models.

The addition of a screen takes the performance of this Echo to a whole new level as it will make it more interactive and convenient to use.

Besides the screen, this is also easy to set up and use speaker that comes in a compact size that will work for any room. And like most other Echo devices, you can use it to control almost any smart home device from electric switches to thermostats.

With the far-field voice recognition, it will also not miss any command, and it also has a good built-in speaker that you can pair with other speakers via Bluetooth, and it includes tens of thousands of skills.

If you prefer something with a screen, this compact and stylish Echo will impress you.

For more about Echo Spot with a Screen, check out customer reviews on Amazon. If this is what you're looking, Check current price and Buy Now on Amazon

Amazon 2nd Generation Echo Plus by Amazon

Best Sound

Pros

Quick and simple set up and use
Dolby powered speakers with 360-degree audio
Easily pairs with a second Echo Plus device
Built-in temperature sensor
It will hear you from any direction
Superior sound quality

Cons

A little too restrictive for calls when in child settings.

If you do not mind spending a few extra dollars on your Echo Dot, this will be a perfect buy for you.

Like most others, it is designed to be quick and easy to set up and use, and you can use it to control almost any smart home device. Although the sound quality is superior to what you get from many others, you can also pair it with a second Echo Plus to make it even better.

The Dolby powered speakers that deliver 360-degree audio are responsible for the great sound and they will ensure that you enjoy music and anything else you listen to. Also, it has 7 top notch quality microphones that are designed to hear you from any direction, and they have noise cancellation an beam forming technology.

Although all the Echo Dot’s produce great sound quality, what you get from this one seems to be a notch higher.

If you’re interested in reading customer reviews of Amazon 2nd Generation Echo Plus, you should check from Amazon Now. If this is what you're looking, Check current price and Buy Now on Amazon

Echo Dot Kids Edition by Amazon

Best for Kids

Pros

Great for storytelling and comedy
Easy to use controls for parents
Allows kids to control compatible devices easily
Automatic filtration of explicit songs
Relatively more affordable

Cons