Amazon's Echo devices rank among the best smart speakers and displays we've tested. They're easy to use with fast voice command processing and offer best-in-class sound performance. I find them to be the best value for money as all-in-one smart home hubs, as they have versatile sensors and controls built into every Echo.
Right now, the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) smart speaker with Sengled Smart Color bulb is on sale for $64.99 , down $55 from its usual price of $120. That’s a 37% savings on not only one of the best Alexa speakers, but also one of the best smart home hubs (with Matter and Zigbee protocol) you can buy. It even comes with built-in temperature and motion-sensing triggers, making it one of the best smart home devices if you’re looking to start one or expand your existing setup.
The latest generation of Echo brings the knowledge of the Alexa assistant into any room so you can get information or play music using your voice. It's packed with features so you can connect to other Echo speakers or Echo Shows in other rooms as an intercom or link them all together for a whole-home listening experience. This Echo (4th generation) is a particularly powerful speaker with a 3.0-inch neodymium woofer and two 0.8-inch front-firing tweeters, which outperform the Dot and Spot front-firing speakers.
Even more interesting, its built-in Matter and Zigbee radios also act as a smart home hub that connects local smart home devices like smart locks, lights, and sensors to your Alexa smart home without the need for an additional hub. This reduces bandwidth consumption and is faster than Wi-Fi. Its built-in sensors can detect changes in motion or temperature that can be used to automatically launch routines. For example, when it detects someone entering the room, it instantly turns on the smart lights.
It just so happens that this deal gets you one of the best smart bulbs for free, so you have something to control with your new smart home hub right out of the box. Whether you want to turn on the lights, switch between 133 Alexa smart lighting colors, or create a complex automation, this bulb has you covered. You can set a routine to turn it on when presence is detected or turn it off when no one is in a room to save energy. The Alexa app lets you schedule the bulb and its brightness to create a DIY sunrise and sunset alarm. Simply program it to gradually increase from zero percent in the morning and slowly dim after sunset to initiate a sleep routine.
This affordable bundle lays a solid foundation for a smart home, but you can expand your options even further. Add one of the best smart plugs to your existing plug-powered devices, like your lamp or coffee maker, to control or schedule them even when you're away. And if you have a camera, here are five ways to use your home security camera to automate your smart home.