To achieve a smart home, you need a voice assistant to run it. A smart home assistant, usually folded into a smart speaker, will let you command your smart home with your voice and run your various routines. It also acts as a center for every gadget you want to add to your home. And you can add almost anything these days, from smart garage control to even voice-commanding your blinds.
But which assistant should you choose? Each of the big players comes with its own pros and cons, but I recommend choosing based on what you already use day-to-day. Your smartphone is the easiest entry point to pick from Apple or Google, or if you want a huge suite of smart speakers to choose from and have a Prime subscription, you may want to consider Amazon.
Take a look around what’s already in your home to see what works with which ecosystem before deciding. The best system for you will be the path of least resistance, whether that’s using your smartphone’s dedicated assistant or sticking with a platform that best integrates with the devices you already have.
Amazon Alexa
Courtesy of Amazon
WIRED: Huge selection of smart speakers and device compatibility.
TIRED: Paywalls, a meh new assistant, and Ring’s problematic policy.
It all began with Alexa, to some extent. It was the first Amazon Echo speaker back in 2012 that kicked off the smart home in an accessible way, letting anyone voice-command smart bulbs and ask for the weather without needing a custom installer or costing a fortune. Today, Amazon still has the widest range of options. The brand has the most smart speakers by a long shot, with 11 main models of smart speakers and displays currently available, plus several older versions of those same devices also available on Amazon’s website or at other retailers. It’s a huge suite with something for everyone, whether you want a screen, something made for kids, or fantastic sound with Alexa built in.
I do really like Amazon’s speakers and how easy the devices are to use, so this is a great entry point if voice control is of utmost importance. It can bring voice control into any room and for anyone in the house, and Alexa can create different profiles for different members of the family and attach information like calendars to those profiles. Amazon also owns Ring, so those smart home security devices work seamlessly with an Echo speaker, but we don’t recommend using Ring’s cameras because of its partnership with Axon, which enables local law enforcement to request footage directly from Ring users. My colleagues also have concerns about its data collection (and there have been other privacy issues over the years).
You’re also going to hit some paywalls. Amazon has an updated version of Alexa rolling out, Alexa+, which will cost $20 a month unless you have Amazon Prime. (Right now it’s out on Early Access, so it’s free, but non-Prime users can only demo it for 30 days before needing to upgrade to Prime to keep the demo.) The monthly fee is more expensive than Prime membership, so if you want it, it’s better to just join Prime. But neither I nor other WIRED staffers have been impressed by this updated, more expensive Alexa, so I hesitate to say it’s worth any investment. You’ll also need separate subscriptions for Ring devices if you choose to use them.
Alexa Smart Home Starter Pack
Still looking for an Alexa? Here are my favorite devices to start with.
