Best Amazon Black Friday Smart Speaker Deals

Holiday savings on Echo models from the budget-priced Dot to the high-performing Show

Allen St. John, Consumer Reports Senior Home & Tech Writer.

By Allen St. John
Senior Home & Tech Writer

November 28, 2019

If you're, um, primed to do a bunch of your Black Friday shopping at Amazon, the online shopping giant has a collection of solid deals on smart speakers. Of course, Amazon doesn't just sell smart speakers, it's also one of the biggest makers of smart speakers with its Alexa-powered Echo models.

But which model should you buy? We analyze the deals below, and then evaluate the products based on our rigorous lab testing that evaluate each speaker based on ease-of-use, versatility, and especially sound quality.

Note that the deals below are limited time offers, so put the turkey in the oven, get out your laptop or your smartphone, and start your holiday shopping before it's time to make the gravy.

Go to Consumer Reports’ 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for updates on deals, expert product reviews, insider shopping tips, and much more.

Amazon Echo Dot Smart Speaker
The deal: $22 at Amazon
CR’s test results: Echo Dot (3rd generation)
This price is much lower than the $50 list. Our testers give this latest Echo Dot Alexa-powered smart speaker high marks for ease of use and versatility. The sound quality, however, falls far below that of the best-sounding smart speakers. But then again, it's priced like a stocking stuffer.

Amazon Echo Dot Smart Speaker With LED Clock
The deal: $35 at Amazon
CR’s test results: Echo Dot (3rd generation)
If you want the convenience of a clock for your bedside table, this spin-off of the Dot can tell time for just a few dollars more than the normal model. Our testers give the latest Echo Dot, which is said to be otherwise identical to the model with the clock, high marks for ease of use and versatility, but it fares less well in our sound quality tests.

Amazon Echo Smart Speaker (3rd Generation)
The deal: $60 at Amazon
This price represents a significant discount from the Echo’s regular $100 price. Consumer Reports hasn’t tested the latest version of this device, but our testers like the ease of use and versatility of the previous generation model, although its sonic quality ranks behind that of the best-sounding smart speakers.

Amazon Echo Show 5 Smart Speaker
The deal: $50 at Amazon
CR's test results: Amazon Echo Show 5
The Black Friday price represents a significant drop from the Show 5's $90 list price. Consumer Reports testers find the Echo Show 5 to be something of a mixed bag. They give the speaker with the small 5-inch touchscreen high marks for versatility and also find it very easy to use, However they report that the Show 5's sound quality to be seriously lacking with little bass and a midrange that's "hazy, dark and grainy."

Amazon Echo Show
The deal: $150 at Amazon with a free Phillips Hue smart bulb
CR's test results: Amazon Echo Show
This deal represents $80 off the usual price of $230 for the Echo Show and includes a free Phillips Hue smart bulb. The Show, which features a 10-inch HD touch screen and a Zigbee smart-home hub, sits near the top of our smart-speaker rankings. The sound quality features robust bass, smooth trebles, and a real sense that the instruments are in the room with you. Our testers also find the Echo Show very easy to set up.

When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.

Allen St. John

Allen St. John has been a senior product editor at CR since 2016, focusing on digital privacy, audio devices, printers, and home products. He was a senior editor at Condé Nast and a contributing editor at publications including Road & Track and The Village Voice. A New York Times bestselling author, he's also written for The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and Rolling Stone. He lives in Montclair, N.J., with his wife, their two children, and their dog, Rugby.