Best smart speaker for 2021 – CNET [CNET]

Apple, Amazon and Google all sell good smart speakers, and the competition between these tech giants leads to continually improved products. Amazon gets the credit for the popularization of smart speakers with the original Echo device and the Alexa speaker voice assistant, but now there’s a market of competitors, each with their own pros and cons. 

When shopping for the best smart speaker for your needs, the key differences you’ll encounter largely come down to price, size and audio quality. If you don’t need much oomph from your music and you’re good with a little lower audio quality, you can save money and get the same smarts in a smaller smart speaker.

Pretty much all of your smart device options include multiroom audio and let you turn on the lights, play music, ask a question, set reminders and more with a simple voice command. If that sounds appealing to you, it might be time to give in to the growing hype of this burgeoning category of devices and buy a smart speaker.

Read more: Best Sonos speakers from $100 and up

If you have an affinity for one of those brands in particular, picking a speaker is easy. Head here for help picking an Amazon smart speaker model. Here’s a guide if you want a Google-equipped smart speaker.

If you’re platform-agnostic, and don’t need to choose between an Amazon Alexa or Google speaker, the range of choices might seem intimidating at first. Luckily, we’ve been testing the voice control devices on the smart speaker market since they first hit the scene. We considered all of the important smart device features, from the inclusion of a smart display to the ease of installing multiple speakers. Here are our thoughts.

Best portable smart speaker

JBL Link 20

Sarah Tew/CNET

Given the wide array of smart speakers, it’s surprising how few are portable. Fortunately, the JBL Link 20 checks all of the right boxes to qualify as a good smart speaker, and it’s battery-powered. It has decent battery life and solid sound quality, and it has Google Assistant built in, like the Google Nest Mini.

Even better, the wireless speaker is fully waterproof, so you can play music outside, and can connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network or you can stream audio with it through your phone’s Bluetooth. $200 is a little pricey. It’s often on sale for $150 and it’s sold out at the moment, but JBL representatives reassured us it’ll be back in stock soon. 

In the meantime, the similar JBL Link 10 is a solid and cheaper, if slightly less impressive, alternative.

Read the JBL Link 20 review.

 

Other options

Those smart speakers are our favorites, but you still have lots of other options if you’re looking for something specific in audio performance. Read our breakdown of Alexa versus Google Assistant versus Siri if you’d like to learn each one’s pros and cons and decide on a smart home device by platform.

Note that neither the original Amazon Echo nor the Nest Audio made an appearance above because you can get the same capabilities for less with the smaller (Dot and Mini) versions. That said, if you want a smart speaker that splits the difference between affordability and premium sound, both are still solid options.

If you like the idea of always-listening help but want something more visual, check out our smart display best list. Smart displays essentially combine a smart speaker with a touchscreen so you can watch videos on YouTube, make video calls, scroll through pictures and control your smart home gadgets with a touch. Amazon and Google both have several options in this booming smart display category of smart home tech.

Read more: Best Wi-Fi speakers and music systems of 2021

There are also lots of third-party devices with an Alexa speaker built in, and a growing number of third-party speakers with Google Assistant. Check out the Amazon Tap or the UE Megablast if you want Alexa in a portable body. The TicHome Mini is another, more compact choice if you want a portable smart speaker with Google Assistant. You can also buy add-ons from a company called Ninety7 if you want to make your Google or Amazon smart speaker portable. 

Finally, the Harman Kardon Invoke uses Microsoft’s assistant Cortana. It’s audio performance is competent enough if you’re a Windows fan but otherwise doesn’t have enough going for it to stand out from the crowd. Samsung even has a much-delayed smart speaker, the Galaxy Home with Samsung’s assistant Bixby. 

Figure out what platform or features you’d like, and you should be able to quickly narrow down your options and find the best smart speaker for you and your family.