The Best Smart Devices That Work With Amazon Alexa and Alexa Plus in 2026

The Echo Studio line roared back in 2025 with a new, compact design that more closely resembles the standard line of Echo speakers, and can take up a spot anywhere you want to put it.

This Echo can act as a hub for various smart sensors, supports Dolby Atmos audio and offers one 3.75-inch high excursion woofer plus three full-range drivers. In addition to all the voice commands, the speaker can connect with music services such as Apple Music, Pandora and Spotify.

The speaker also works well with the more advanced Alexa Plus AI, which I'll talk more about below. I've been impressed with Amazon's straightforward upgrades to the Echo line in the past year, and this speaker is one of the best examples.

If you want to save money -- over $200 is a lot to spend on a speaker -- the newest Echo Dot Max is a similar option with less far-reaching audio, but only $100.

The Echo Show 11 is bigger and brighter than ever, taking some of my favorite aspects of past Echo Shows while leaving clunkier features in the past. I prefer this one in my kitchen, but you can put it anywhere you need a second screen.

That touchscreen can answer questions, show guides or videos, play your favorite shows from streaming services, act as a digital picture album, show timers or reminders of to-do lists and much more.

The latest display also works especially well with Alexa Plus, as you can see and adjust your choices for more complex setups such as ordering food delivery. And like Echo smart speakers, it's no slouch in the music department (although it won't reach the heights of the Echo Studio).

This model includes a cam for video calls with friends and family, but you can shutter it if you ever feel like that's a privacy risk.

Echo speakers have long been able to work as alarm clocks, but this latest Echo Spot is one of the first specifically designed for waking you up.

The Echo Spot has a small screen to display the time, weather, alarms, the music you're currently playing and more, making it an ideal snooze gadget. It's also nice to be able to mumble commands to turn off or extend wake-up timers and other morning prep.

This speaker can do almost everything a standard Echo speaker can, including control your smart home devices, and includes a manual off switch to turn off the mic if you prefer. All in all, it's a very fun upgrade if you're looking for a new alarm.

Smart thermostats are an incredible upgrade for a home, automatically adjusting temperatures to help save you time and money while displaying extra info on a sleek screen. The Ecobee Premium is one of the best, and even comes with a satellite sensor so the thermostat can make decisions based on the temperature in the room where you put it.

This is also one of the very few smart thermostats that has a built-in speaker, allowing you to use Alexa voice commands without needing a separate speaker. It also has sensors to monitor air quality and detect breezes from open windows. Add an Ecobee security camera and the thermostat can even show you a live view with two-way audio.

Since this thermostat does everything, it's one of the more expensive items on this list, but it's also a worthwhile home upgrade if you're invested in Alexa.

Amazon's $80 Smart Thermostat is the least expensive smart thermostat I've seen, which makes it all the more impressive that it does a great job. It has a simple design and Alexa interface that make it easy to set up automatic controls, too.

As you'd expect, this thermostat works as well with Alexa given that it's an Amazon product. If you have another compatible Echo device, it can even use it as a presence or temperature sensor to automate thermostat behavior.

Even for those who don't, the thermostat offers a simple, straightforward design that looks great on a wall and feels great to use. It could save you as much as $50 or more in annual energy bills, too.

Security systems don't always need voice assistants, but the Amazon-owned Ring Alarm system has a fun trick: With a Ring subscription, you can use Alexa to arm or disarm the security system without needing to punch in a code or bring up the app, saving you some time.

This solid starter kit includes a base station, keypad, contact sensor, motion detector and range extender, all of which performed well in our tests. I also like the Ring Alarm Pro kit, but it adds a Wi-Fi router that's an unnecessary cost for most people, so this five-piece option remains my favorite.

The TP-Link Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini is a big name for a tiny smart plug that costs about $13. A smart plug like this one connects via your Wi-Fi connection directly to a wall outlet and converts your non-smart lamps, fans and other gadgets into smart devices.

Use the Tapo app to connect and control devices -- or enlist Amazon Alexa and use voice control. Say, “Alexa, turn on the reading lamp” to get the Plug Mini to control your favorite light, or use it to quickly reboot your Wi-Fi router.

Smart bulbs with voice assistant support let you control color, brightness and other supported features with a quick command, and can work in concert for an entire room.

This Wiz bulb is one of my favorites because it’s very affordable at around $10, offers full-color customization for various lighting moods and supports automatic sunrise-to-sunset activation when used with Alexa.

These bulbs don't require any hubs to connect to Wi-Fi, so setup is as easy screwing the bulb in and opening the Alexa app.

Yale's lock is an excellent all-purpose smart lock with a few different looks and a solid, impressive design. It works with all major home platforms including Alexa, with options for remote locking/unlocking, autolock, guest passes and other handy capabilities.

This lock is also BHMA Grade 2, higher than the common Grade 3 locks, and highly weather resistant. The only thing it doesn't have is a fingerprint reader option, which is too bad but not a dealbreaker.

I've long enjoyed the performance of Blink's compact outdoor security cameras, with batteries that last well over a year and a simple app that's great for newcomers. Blink recently upgraded the model with a new version that offers 2K resolution that's still around the same price -- and as an Amazon-owned brand, Alexa compatibility is built in.

That means you can view live feeds through an Echo Show and get other tricks included. This model also has two-way audio, color night vision and zooming capabilities. It needs a plug-in hub, but comes with one at no extra charge (although you'll have to upgrade it if you want local video storage).

Blink has recently upgraded its subscriptions with a new tier that adds AI capabilities, too, including text descriptions of what the camera captures when it notices a person, starting at $20 per month.

Not everyone needs a full security system, but a little security is still a good idea, and Ikea's 2026 access sensor is one of my favorite places to start. It's under $10, uses AAA batteries and you can set it up in a couple of minutes with adhesive stickers.

Once it's attached, it can send alerts to your phone through the app of your choice thanks to Matter support. It's an especially good pairing with an Echo speaker, since you'll need a Matter hub to control it and create home automations.