Amazon’s Alexa is an essential addition to any home! She’s a little bit Siri, a lotta Amazon. You can access Alexa through Amazon’s family of devices including Echo, Dot, and Tap (for the full selection, click here). You can learn more about Alexa and her devices here, but I will post a summary for you. So, first, let’s go over what Alexa can do for you…Amazon describes it well here, so I will quote them!

“Using Alexa is as simple as asking a question. Just ask to play music, read the news, control your smart home, tell a joke, and more—Alexa will respond instantly. Whether you are at home or on the go, Alexa is designed to make your life easier by letting you voice-control your world. Alexa lives in the cloud so she’s always getting smarter, and updates are delivered automatically. The more you talk to Alexa, the more it adapts to your speech patterns, vocabulary, and personal preferences. Alexa comes included with Echo and other Alexa devices.”

So you can ask her the weather. She can read you the news. She can purchase items via Amazon for you (there are even special Alexa sales!)! She can play your music, set a timer, or read you a recipe. She can even control your lights and thermostat with the right accessories!

Now, what are the different devices??

  1. Echo: The original! Speaker and one smart cookie all in one! Buy here $179.99
    • Plays all your music from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more using just your voice
    • Fills the room with immersive, 360º omni-directional audio
    • Allows hands-free convenience with voice-control
    • Hears you from across the room with far-field voice recognition, even while music is playing
    • Answers questions, reads audiobooks and the news, reports traffic and weather, gives info on local businesses, provides sports scores and schedules, and more using the Alexa Voice Service
    • Controls lights, switches, and thermostats with compatible WeMo, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, Wink, Insteon, Nest, and ecobee smart home devices
    • Always getting smarter and adding new features, plus thousands of skills like Uber, Domino’s, and more
  2. Dot: The Dot is a smaller version of the Echo. Buy here $49.99. It is nice because it can connect with ANY bluetooth or AUX input speaker you already own! We connect ours to our Bose SoundTouch 20 for the BEST sound!
    • Echo Dot (2nd Generation) is a hands-free, voice-controlled device that uses Alexa to play music, control smart home devices, provide information, read the news, set alarms, and more
    • Connects to speakers or headphones through Bluetooth or 3.5 mm stereo cable to play music from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn
    • Controls lights, fans, switches, thermostats, garage doors, sprinklers, and more with compatible connected devices from WeMo, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, Nest, ecobee, and others
    • Hears you from across the room with 7 far-field microphones for hands-free control, even in noisy environments or while playing music
    • Includes a built-in speaker so it can work on its own as a smart alarm clock in the bedroom, an assistant in the kitchen, or anywhere you might want a voice-controlled computer
    • Always getting smarter and adding new features, plus thousands of skills like Uber, Domino’s, and more
    • Amazon Echo is not required to use Echo Dot . ** This is important! You can use Dot by itself, but the speaker isn’t very powerful. You can also scatter Dots around your house, and they will all connect to each other so Alexa can hear you wherever you are!
  3. Tap: This is a portable bluetooth speaker that connects directly to Alexa with the tap of a button! Bring Alexa (and your music!) everywhere you go! Buy here $129.99
    • Just tap and ask for music from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn ** This is important! You must “tap” the top of the Tap (hence the name!) to wake Alexa. The other devices “wake” when spoken to and do NOT require a “tap.”
    • Uses the Alexa Voice Service when connected to Wi-Fi or a mobile hotspot to play music, read the news, provide weather reports, and even order a pizza
    • Streams all your music via Bluetooth from your phone or tablet
    • Delivers crisp sound powered by Dolby, with dual stereo speakers that provide 360º omni-directional audio
    • Provides up to 9 hours of playback
    • Always getting smarter and adding new features and skills
    • Includes Charging Cradle

No matter which device you choose, I know you’re going to love Alexa and the Echo family!