The Best Speakers To Use With Your Amazon Echo Dot

You may want to add a speaker to that Echo Dot.

Amazon knows that Alexa is more useful when you don't really have to think about where an Echo cylinder is when you call out to ask a question, which is why the Echo Dot exists. It's considerably less expensive than the bigger Amazon Echo, due in no small part to the big speaker missing from the body.

It's a small sacrifice given the significant drop in cost, especially when you consider the addition of a 3.5mm jack on the back of the Echo Dot means you can connect a speaker and have great audio again. Depending on the speaker, possibly even better audio than the larger Amazon Echo.

Best Overall

Bose SoundLink II

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While it's designed to be a Bluetooth speaker to connect your phone, the design and audio quality from this speaker make it perfect for filling most rooms with sound.

You can connect your Amazon Echo Dot to this speaker and leave it forever as a better Amazon Echo, or you can take the Bose Soundlink II with you when leaving the house thanks to its internal battery. It's a great flexible option for just about every occasion, and looks nice enough that it can sit in a room without standing out or taking up too much space.

Bottom line: This speaker will turn your Amazon Echo Dot into something better than an Amazon Echo, and does a whole lot more.

One more thing: You can pick up the Bose SoundLink II in either black or white to match your Echo Dot.

Why the Bose SoundLink II is the best

Plain and simple, this one comes down to style and feature set. Bose made a nice looking speaker with colors that complement the Echo Dot well, offers a quality audio experience over both Bluetooth and through the 3.5mm jack, and can be portable if you want it to be. This can be a poolside speaker as well as a great Amazon Echo speaker, and it will look nice doing both.

This speaker does make your Amazon Echo Dot a little more expensive than a standalone Amazon Echo when you add the two costs together, but what you're getting in exchange is noticeably better audio quality and some features you won't get by just buying an Amazon Echo.

Best for portability

Bliiq Infinite X

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Why bother with buying multiple Amazon Echo Dots when you can buy a speaker that powers your single Echo Dot so it can come with you wherever you are in the house? The Bliiq Ininite X is a Bluetooth speaker designed for rugged outdoor use, but the inclusion of a USB port for charging other things with its internal battery means your Echo Dot is now able to go anywhere there's a WiFi connection.

This speaker will also add enough extra volume to your Echo Dot that you don't need to worry about needing to attach it to your hip. Just connect the Dot to the speaker, turn on the power, and you've got an Amazon Echo that can jump from room to room with no power outlet required.

Bottom line: If portability is your goal, this is a great place to start.

Best Audio Quality

Sonos Play:5

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The speaker on a taller Amazon Echo is ok, but in larger rooms frequently feels a little flat. If your goal is high audio quality so you can stream across an entire house and really rattle the windows, you either want a complete standalone stereo system or you want a Sonos Play:5.

Sonos is the champion of high quality streaming audio through an entire house, but you pay for the privilege. These speakers are not cheap, but the audio difference couldn't be more clear when compared to other standalone speakers. While Sonos does make other, smaller speakers that do a good job filling a room with sound, the Play:5 speakers include a Line In port on the back. This means you can connect an Echo Dot and bring all of your Amazon Echo features to these incredible speakers, sacrificing nothing in the process.

One more thing: At some point in the not-so-distant future, Amazon's Alexa service and Sonos will work together, so you'll be able to control all of your Sonos speakers just by speaking to your Echo.