Credit:
Reviewed / Rachel Murphy
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Credit:
Reviewed / Rachel Murphy
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The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) combines entertainment, smart home controls, and security features into one perfectly-sized smart display. Read More
The Echo Show 10 is the biggest and most impressive Amazon smart display yet, with a motorized touchscreen and 13MP motion-tracking camera. Read More
The Google Nest Hub Max is a large smart display that is great for video calls, streaming shows and music, and managing your Google smart home. Read More
The third-gen Show 5 has noticeably better sound and is faster than the previous model. It comes slightly redesigned and is ideal for small spaces. Read More
With a powerful camera and app support, Amazon's Echo Show 8 focuses on communication and entertainment, seamlessly nailing both. Read More
Smart display devices are among the most versatile and useful smart gadgets out there. From controlling your smart home devices with Alexa and Google Assistant to making video calls, watching videos, and even using it as a digital photo frame, smart displays are an excellent way to futurize your home.
We tested some of the best smart displays on the market and tried out their individual features to help you find the very best option for your setup. As with a lot of smart devices, which is right for you may depend highly on which voice assistant you prefer. The Alexa-enabled Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) (available at Amazon for $84.99) is our top choice as the best smart display you can buy, while the Google Nest Hub Max (available at Best Buy) is the best smart display for Google Assistant. However, there are other great smart displays in our guide, each tailored to match your lifestyle and smart home needs.
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is the best smart display you can buy.
The Amazon Echo Show 10 is the best smart display you can buy for video calls.
The Google Nest Hub Max is the best smart display for Google Assistant.
The third-gen Amazon Echo Show 5 is the best smart display for small spaces.
Great tool for communication
Appropriately focused on security
Supports Matter
Web browser can be buggy
Modern design
Great for entertainment
Compact
Works as a Matter hub
Sleep Sensing works best for singles
No mic mute button on exterior
We test all aspects of smart displays, including the quality of video calls.
Because every smart display has its strengths and features, our testing could not be standardized across each device. Instead, we tested smart displays in an actual smart home for several weeks with popular smart home gadgets like smart plugs, smart locks, security cameras, and appliances. We also tested smart displays for privacy settings, streaming services, video calling experiences, and individual features.
Smart displays, like the Echo Show 10, are handy recipe finders and kitchen helpers.
The features vary by hub and ecosystem, but smart displays are more than just a pretty video portal for your countertop. The devices can show you who is at the front door as soon as someone rings the bell. They can also listen for breaking glass and barking dogs (potentially alerting you to home security threats), as well as provide visual reminders (like that late afternoon Zoom meeting you keep forgetting about).
Smart displays from Amazon and Google also function as Matter hubs, so you can connect your Matter-enabled smart home devices to them.
Smart displays work with a variety of video and music streaming platforms. While the streaming lineup varies by ecosystem, popular services like Spotify, Apple Music, Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube are available.
Smart displays can also serve as digital keypads to disarm your home security system and to manually adjust the brightness and color of your smart bulbs and light strips. Some smart displays can also track your sleep, giving you detailed statistics about your nightly slumber habits.
Most smart displays come with adaptive audio controls, so your assistant can hear you from across the room or over loud noises.
Smart displays like the Amazon Echo Show 10 (left) and Google Nest Hub Max (left) can stream the live view from your home security cameras.
Choosing the best smart display for you and your household often comes down to which smart assistant you rely on to control your smart home—Alexa or Google Assistant. If you already have an Amazon Echo or Google Nest smart speaker in your home, for instance, you’ll want to choose a device that best incorporates it (i.e. one from Amazon or Google). Alexa is the world’s most popular voice assistant and can control thousands of smart home devices similar to Google Assistant. At the time of publication, Apple does not have a Siri-enabled smart display for HomeKit.
Another thing to consider when choosing the best smart display is how it will integrate into your daily life. Do you primarily want a hands-free way to video call with friends and family or to stream videos mindlessly during your workday? Do you want help tracking your sleep or controlling your smart home gadgets? Every smart display offers a little something different in terms of features and usability. Our guide can help you determine which smart display to buy for your home.
Smart displays come in all shapes and sizes. Consider your living quarters and what size smart display would work best in your space. A large, motion-tracking display might not be the best choice for a nightstand or desk because it needs plenty of room to move around. That’s what smaller smart displays are for. However, the bigger display is going to be better for making video calls and following around with recipes when cooking in the kitchen.
Smart displays, like the Echo Show 5 devices, feature physical privacy controls to disable the camera and microphone.
Privacy might seem like a thing of the past, as everywhere you go, it feels like there's some machine watching or listening. But in your own home, you can do a few things to protect yourself, even from naturally invasive smart home devices.
First, make sure to enable two-factor authentication for your smart display account, which sends a code to your mobile device to verify it’s you. That way, if someone tries to hack into your account, you will receive an alert and can quickly take care of the problem. Many devices also allow you to activate email or other push notifications in the settings to alert you if someone has logged on.
Additionally, make sure to use a unique, strong password composed of multiple characters, numbers, and letters. Data breaches can happen, making it all the more important to use different passwords across multiple websites and apps.
Smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant are built into smart displays, and you can protect your privacy by regularly deleting your voice recordings and disabling the device's mic and camera when it’s not in use.
All Echo Show displays feature integrated privacy controls like a physical sliding shutter for the camera and a mic mute button on the top of the device. Google Nest displays lack the physical slider, but you can easily access privacy controls for the camera and mic by swiping up from the bottom of the display's screen.
One thing to note is that Echo displays come with Amazon Sidewalk automatically enabled. The goal of Amazon Sidewalk is to create one large, low-bandwidth wireless network that extends the range of certain devices (like Echo devices, Ring cameras, and Tile trackers) that only work when connected to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The more neighbors who opt-in, the larger and stronger the Amazon Sidewalk network will be. The program only applies to Echo devices and you can opt-out any time.
Looking for more privacy tips? Read our guide to securing your smart home.
Rachel Murphy is Reviewed's home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.
Originally from Australia, de Looper has long had a passion for gadgets and consumer electronics. He has reviewed products in all areas of the consumer tech world, and is dedicated to helping people find the best products for their lifestyle.
Nick Woodard is a tech journalist specializing in all things related to home theater and A/V. His background includes a solid foundation as a sports writer for multiple daily newspapers, and he enjoys hiking and mountain biking in his spare time.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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