Nothing in life is certain except death, taxes and Amazon Prime Day. And one more certainty: that on Amazon Prime Day, the company will cut the prices on its own-brand Echo devices, as well as lots of other stuff.
So, it’s a good idea to know which are the best, whether that’s to replace a conventional alarm clock, act as a family calendar, work best in the kitchen or offer premium-quality audio.
Here, I’ve highlighted the most effective models, and they all come with early access to Alexa+ – the new, souped-up personal assistant who can do much more than set boiled-egg timers or make surreptitious and highly varied noises that mimic breaking wind (though she can do both of those, too).
It can also help you with recipes, so if you’ve run out of one ingredient while you’re cooking, just tell Alexa and she’ll recommend what to replace it with. One of the big differences is you can now chat naturally with Alexa and she will remember what you tell her. So, if you’re asking it to recommend a restaurant, say, Alexa knows who in your family has particular dietary needs and can reply accordingly.
One key thing about Alexa+ is that once activated on one compatible device, all your other devices that can support the advanced version are upgraded automatically.
Alexa+ is included until at least the middle of September, though eventually this will become a part of the Prime subscription – which you may be splashing out on for Prime Day. If you don’t have Prime, Alexa+ will cost £19.99 a month after September, which is more than Prime, meaning a Prime subscription is better value.
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The best Amazon Alexa devices for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Amazon Echo Show 8: £179, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for value – Amazon Echo Spot: £79.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best family home hub – Amazon Echo Show 15: £299.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for kids – Amazon Echo Dot Kids: £64.99, Amazon.co.uk
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Amazon Echo Show 8
Best: Amazon Alexa device overall
Why we love it
- Great all-rounder
- Useful display
Take note
- No physical camera shutter
The Show in the product name means this model comes with a screen, in this case an 8in one (8.7in, to be exact). That may make it a bit big for a bedside table but suits a desk or kitchen counter. The display is slim and sits on a spherical base with strong sound quality. Having the screen is useful, whether you use it for video calls or to monitor what your Ring video doorbell is seeing, for instance. It also means that asking Alexa what the weather will be like tomorrow matches the spoken forecast with attractive onscreen graphics. It’s also excellent for the kitchen counter because the screen is big enough to show recipes, for instance, especially with the benefits Alexa+ adds.
This model was released late in 2025 and has a more elegant design – a slim display that appears to float by sitting on a round-edged base that sits below. But there’s one change that not everyone will like: where the previous-gen model had a physical camera shutter cover, this one turns the microphone and camera off with software only.
If you like the design but want more screen real estate, there’s a similar-looking model with an 11in display, for about £40 more. Both of them have fast performance and an appealing design.
Key specifications
Buy now £179, Amazon.co.uk
Amazon Echo Spot
Best: value Amazon Alexa device
Why we love it
- Great price
Take note
- No camera
- Average audio
Though the Echo Show 5 makes a great bedroom alarm, for smaller nightstands or those who emphatically don’t want camera in the bedroom, the lens-free Echo Spot is a great choice. There is a screen but, because the design of the speaker is a ball that’s been cut in half and the display is only around half of the flat surface, this saves even more space.
Mostly the screen is used to show the time (analogue or digital), though this can be accompanied by an illustration of the weather, for instance, or to show album art if you’re using it for music playback.
Audio quality is easily enough for an alarm clock, but lacks the oomph of other Echo devices here. As a simple device with a useful if basic screen and no camera, this is a good-value option.
Key specifications
Buy now £79.99, Amazon.co.uk
Amazon Echo Studio
Best: Amazon Alexa device for hi-fi
Why we love it
- Good sound quality
- Improved design
Take note
- Not cheap (especially if you're buying two)
The Studio is Amazon’s top-flight audio speaker, heavily redesigned and smaller than the previous version and Amazon says the bass is improved – which fits with my experience. Even with the volume turned up high, there’s no distortion and s faithful tone. It has the same spherical look as other audio Echo models. Features include spatial audio and Dolby Atmos to improve the sound and you can set the Echo Studio up as part of a home theatre. Audio playback is impressive and can work as a hi-fi speaker. The sound is a noticeable step up from the other speakers and devices here with greater clarity, and rich detail, for instance. This is easily the best-sounding Echo, though it comes at a price.
As with the other models here, it has a straightforward button to disable the microphone. You can connect two Echo Studio speakers as a stereo pair to swell the sound further, which is where it really becomes a hi-fi option. It’s the sound quality you’d choose this Echo for: the smart capabilities are the same as other Echo speakers. Choose between graphite and glacier white colours.
Key specifications
Buy now £219.99, Amazon.co.uk
Amazon Echo Show 15
Best: Amazon Alexa device for a family home hub
Why we love it
- Physical camera shutter
- Big display
Take note
- May be too big for some
Think of this one as the modern equivalent of the kitchen pin board. The 15.6in display can be wall-mounted (screws, wall plugs and template supplied) or you can buy a separate stand. As well as widgets for calendars, to-do lists, news, weather and photos, there’s access to TV shows and even the Fire TV interface which Amazon uses on its TV-specific devices and which gives access to many streaming services, many of which require separate subscriptions.
The Echo Show 15 also comes with a remote control. Audio is decent but not outstanding, though a significant upgrade from the previous version. Once you get used to the things you can do, it proves a useful addition to a kitchen or family room. It has a physical privacy slider to hide the built-in camera. It also uses Visual ID, an Amazon system which, if the camera is on, can tell which family member is standing in front of it and display different content accordingly.
If this isn’t a big enough screen for you, there’s also the 21in Echo Show 21, which does a similar job and costs around £100 more.
Key specifications
Buy now £299.99, Amazon.co.uk
Amazon Echo Show 5
Best: Amazon Alexa device for bedrooms
Why we love it
- Great as an alarm clock
- Physical camera cover
Take note
- Audio not as good as Echo Show 8
Of all the Echo devices with screens, this is the ideal alarm clock, I’d say. The 5.5in display dims according to the ambient light, but is visible if you wake in the night and need to know the time. Perhaps because Amazon knows it will be used in the bedroom, it has a physical privacy shutter that you can swipe across to hide the camera. The audio is strong enough to sound good when it wakes you up (that is, if anything can sound good when what it’s doing is waking you up) but doesn’t have the audio punch of the Echo Show 8, for instance. Even so, its size makes it a convenient all-rounder.
It’s compact enough to suit a nightstand and the screen is detailed and clear. You could watch Amazon Prime Video shows on it in a pinch, but I wouldn’t recommend that. It is, however, good enough for video calls or to see who’s at the door when someone presses a Ring doorbell, for instance. Although this model has been around for a while, it’s capable of Alexa+.
Key specifications
Buy now £89.99, Amazon.co.uk
Amazon Echo Dot Max
Best: Amazon Alexa device for smaller spaces
Why we love it
- Great size
Take note
- Audio beaten by some others here
There’s no longer a device just called Echo in the Amazon range and this seems to be the closest successor, though it’s quite a lot smaller. In terms of size, it’s about the same as the HomePod mini, even if the audio here isn’t as good as Apple’s small speaker. Even so, the audio punches above its weight given the small size.
It has a flat front to it, like someone’s scooped a slice out of a baseball. Rockers to control the volume sit on this flat circle, with a central button to mute the microphone. Thanks to a combination of a small footprint and strong Alexa+ capabilities, this will be the Goldilocks speaker for many. This model works well in small spaces but has audio that can fill bigger ones.
Key specifications
Buy now £99.99, Amazon.co.uk
Amazon Echo Dot Kids
Best: Amazon Alexa device for kids
Why we love it
- Strong child-friendly content included
Take note
- Pricier than the regular Echo Dot
Amazon makes special Echo devices for children, such as this version of the Echo Dot, which comes in four designs: owl, dragon, rainbow swirl and stardust. All look good, but I found the owl the most enchanting. Apart from the look, the hardware is identical to the regular Echo Dot, though the kids’ version costs £10 more. The extra price is because it comes with a year’s access to Amazon Kids+ content, designed for children aged 3 to 12. This includes child-friendly Audible audiobooks, and content from Disney, for instance. It offers music, bedtime stories and allows children to ask questions to help with their homework, for instance.
After the year is up, the subscription to Kids+ costs £4.99 a month. It has all the capabilities of a regular Echo Dot, and this latest model has better audio quality than previous models. Features like Drop In mean parents can call the speaker from downstairs to say dinner’s ready, for instance. The Echo Show 5 is also available in a special kids’ edition. There is a lot for children to like here, especially with the extra content.
Key specifications
Buy now £64.99, Amazon.co.uk
What is the best Amazon Alexa device?
If it’s Alexa+ you’re after, all the models here have it. If it’s music playback you want, then the Echo Studio is head and shoulders above the rest. But if you want a compact, screen-free device, the Echo Dot Max has decent audio in a small package. Among the Echo models with displays, the Echo Show 8 is a great balance of small size and useful screen.
How I tested Amazon Alexa devices
I tested each of the Amazon Alexa devices in my own home. During the testing process, I considered the following criteria.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
David Phelan is The Independent’s technology critic, who covers everything from interviewing major players in the industry to writing IndyBest reviews and other articles. Having worked for the title since 1997, David has an abundance of experience when it comes to bringing you insightful, honest reviews of all the latest gadgets and devices.
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