There are two voice assistants locked in a tug-of-war over who controls the smart speakers in your house: Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. We prefer Google. Its Assistant answers questions more accurately, it has a simpler setup process, and it connects to a growing number of smart home devices. All the devices below have Google Assistant built-in, so you can ask it anything you’d search for on Google or ask it to control smart home products like robot vacuums, smart plugs, lights, and TVs.
Be sure to check out our handy guide on how to maintain your privacy as much as possible while still enjoying the luxuries of smart assistants. We also have many other buying guides, including the Best Smart Displays, Best Smart Speakers and Best Alexa Speakers.
Updated for June 2020: We’ve replaced older products with new ones, like the Sonos Arc Soundbar, JBL Link Portable, and Lenovo Smart Display 7.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
-
Photograph: Google
Best for Basics
Google Nest Mini
The Nest Mini is the successor to the original Google Home Mini, though you’ll be hard-pressed to find any visual changes. You do get improved audio quality, specifically stronger bass and better voice recognition, and the device is wall-mountable so you can save some space on the credenza. The volume controls light up as y