The best smart home devices for Alexa, and the Echo that runs them

A kitchen counter or a hallway where the screen will actually be read: recipes, a camera feed, the family calendar.

Screen

8.7 inch HD touchscreen

Assistant

Alexa

Camera

Auto-framing, mic/camera off button

Hub

Built-in hub (radios not listed)

• The 8.7-inch screen is the size where a recipe can be followed from across the counter, which is the job the 5.5-inch Show 5 struggles with.
• Amazon lists a built-in smart home hub, so Alexa devices can be set up and controlled from the screen. The listing does not say which radios it carries, so do not count on it as a Zigbee or Thread hub until you have checked.
• Camera and microphones have an off button on the device, and the camera auto-frames on video calls, which is what makes a hallway placement work.

Skip this ifIt is an Alexa device first. Google Home and Apple Home cannot use it as a controller, so a mixed household gets a nice screen and nothing else.

A front door with no existing doorbell wiring and a package problem.

Video

Head-to-toe view

Motion

3D motion detection

Power

Battery or wired

Storage

Subscription for history

• The head-to-toe aspect ratio is the one that shows the parcel on the doorstep rather than the top of the delivery driver's head.
• 3D motion detection cuts down the 'a car drove past' notifications that make people turn alerts off entirely.
• Battery means no electrician, which is the actual barrier for most renters and flats.

Skip this ifVideo history needs a Ring subscription. If recurring fees are a dealbreaker, look at a doorbell with local storage.