Best Smart Speakers of 2025

These top-rated models from Amazon, Apple, Google, and Sonos are easy to use, and some of them sound great, too

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

By Allen St. John
Senior Home & Tech Writer

Updated January 1, 2025

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.

white Sonos Move 2 on counter with plants and stack of cookbooks behind it — Smart speakers come in a variety of sizes, and some, like models in the Sonos line, are portable.

Shopping for a smart speaker becomes a lot easier once you know this simple secret: Today’s models are not only plenty smart but also just about equally smart.

From a $50 entry-level model to a high-end speaker that would make a substantial dent in your credit card, most smart speakers function just about the same when summoning Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. And that holds true whether you’re setting a simple kitchen timer or controlling an elaborate smart home setup.

In this article

Best Smart Speakers: Best-Sounding Most Portable With a Screen
Best Smart Speakers from: Apple Google
Best Budget Smart Speakers

Which leads to another important truth. Despite the wide array of capabilities, most consumers use their smart speakers primarily to listen to music.

Become a member to read the full article and get access to digital ratings.

We investigate, research, and test so you can choose with confidence.

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.