The Alexa ecosystem is large and confusing, so here’s a quick rundown of the best Alexa devices to buy right now.

It’s simple: Alexa always has the upper hand when it comes to smart home connectivity. Amazon’s voice assistant now supports even more amazing integrations, ranging from smart thermostats to smart lighting, according to recent advancements.

Amazon unveiled a number of new Alexa products and features last year, including our favourite new smart speaker, the Amazon Echo. However, other companies have also come up with: Last year the big camera company Wyze produced the Wyze Cam v3, Wyze Cam Outdoor, Wyze Thermostat, Wyze Video Doorbell, Wyze Robot Vacuum, Wyze Sprinkler Controller and, we believe it or not, even more.

Amazon also unveiled a new wave of smart home items at its fall product event on September 28, 2021, following up on last year’s launch. Ring Always Home Cam, AZ2 processing chip, Astro robot, and Echo Show 15 were some of the latest Ring and Echo products we first reviewed. We’ll update this list once we’ve rated these items, so check back often for the most recent recommendations.

Amazon Echo is the best Alexa device overall (as well as the best smart speaker) (4th gen)

Our previous favourite Alexa speaker was the Echo Dot with a 3rd gen clock from Amazon, but with this year’s new product line, the flagship fourth-gen Echo speaker deserves the green light. The spheroid speaker costs $ 100, which is more than the $ 50 fourth-gen Echo Dot, but the best sound quality and some fascinating smart home features are well worth it.

The shape of this smart gadget sets it apart from Amazon’s new Echo speaker. The fourth-generation ball-shaped Echo offers significantly improved audio output, including reasonable bass for a speaker in its price class, compared to the third-generation Echo, which produced barely any improvement. noticeable sound quality compared to its predecessor.

On the smart home front, the fourth-generation Echo includes a built-in Zigbee receiver, a feature that was previously only available on the Amazon Echo Plus. The Zigbee Receiver allows the new Echo to serve as a smart home hub for compatibility with Zigbee-enabled bulbs, sockets and other devices. As a result, you can use your Echo as a hub without needing a separate hardware component to connect these devices.

The new Echo Dot has the same shape as the new Echo speaker, but there isn’t much of a difference between this one and the third-gen Echo Dot. It also costs $ 50, but the third-gen Echo Dot is still available for $ 30 or less on a regular basis.

Wyze Cam v3 is the best smart camera (2020)

Despite its modest price, the third generation Wyze Cam, like its predecessors, is one of our favourite smart home cameras. It features waterproof housing, a wider field of view, a powerful siren and more, including 14-day video clip storage and a built-in microSD card slot for local storage.

With a simple voice command, you can even broadcast the Wyze Cam feed to the screen if you have an Echo Show smart screen.

Ring Peephole Cam is the largest doorbell with video (and security camera)

Amazon’s $ 150 Peephole Cam is a unique gadget. The peephole camera replaces a typical peephole by installing it on a door frame or any other side of your door.

That means this Amazon Alexa compatible gadget is ideal for apartment dwellers who want a smart doorbell but don’t want to worry about wiring or damaging the door frame during installation. None of Ring’s major competitors offers such a simple solution for apartment residents, which makes this doorbell stand out from other devices on the market today.

Not only that, but Peephole Cam is the easiest doorbell I have ever tested to install. It also integrates Alexa in a more advanced way. Yes, you can use an Amazon smart screen to view the live stream, but you can also use the built-in speaker on the smart screen to communicate with anyone at your door by saying “Alexa, answer your door. Entrance”.

Only Ring devices have two-way talk functionality through an Alexa smart display.

The ring has been punished in the United States for its cooperation with local law enforcement, prompting privacy activists to be concerned about Ring data being exchanged with law enforcement. the order and their use. We have ceased to suggest ringtones after thousands of personal information from Ring users have been disclosed in December 2019.

The Ring recently changed its security practices, including requiring two-factor access and providing users with a control centre interface for faster access to privacy and security options. We have resumed promoting Ring products with the following caveat.