A smart display combines a voice assistant with a touchscreen, which is handy for following recipes hands-free in the kitchen, checking a video doorbell feed, or glancing at the weather and calendar from bed. Here are four current models worth considering.
What to look for
Screen size matters more by room than you might expect: a 5-inch screen is fine for a nightstand but cramped for recipes, while an 8 to 10-inch screen works better propped on a kitchen counter. Also check whether the camera (if present) has a physical shutter, which matters for bedroom placement.
1. Amazon Echo Show 8
The Echo Show 8 is a strong middle-ground pick, with an 8-inch HD screen, a 13MP camera with auto-framing for video calls, and improved speakers over the smaller Show 5. It works well propped on a kitchen counter for recipes or video calls while cooking.
2. Amazon Echo Show 5
The Echo Show 5 is the compact, budget option, with a 5.5-inch screen that is sized well for a nightstand rather than a kitchen counter. It includes a physical camera shutter, which is a meaningful privacy feature for bedroom use.
3. Amazon Echo Show 10
The Echo Show 10 has a motorized base that rotates the 10.1-inch screen to follow you around the room during video calls or while you move around the kitchen, which is a genuinely useful feature if you tend to multitask while on a video call.
4. Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)
The Nest Hub notably has no camera at all, which some buyers specifically prefer for a bedroom, and it adds sleep-tracking via Soli radar sensors that can monitor sleep disturbances without wearing a device. It runs Google Assistant rather than Alexa.
Check Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) on Amazon
5. Amazon Echo Show 15
The Echo Show 15 breaks from the countertop smart display format entirely — it’s designed to be wall-mounted like a picture frame, at 15.6 inches, making it better suited to a kitchen wall or hallway than a counter. It handles the usual smart display duties (video calls, recipes, calendars, visual ID for personalized widgets) but its larger size and always-visible widget dashboard make it genuinely useful as a family command center for schedules, to-do lists, and smart home status at a glance, rather than just a bigger version of a countertop display.
Buying considerations
Smart display sizing should match where it’ll actually live: the Echo Show 5 fits a nightstand or small kitchen counter without dominating the space, the Echo Show 8 and Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) suit a kitchen island or desk, and larger options like the Echo Show 10 (which physically rotates to follow you) or the wall-mounted Echo Show 15 fit bigger, more communal spaces. Also weigh camera presence versus privacy: most smart displays include a camera for video calls, which some households prefer to physically cover or avoid in bedrooms — the Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is notable for skipping a camera entirely in favor of radar-based sleep sensing.
FAQ
Do smart displays work as security cameras too?
Not directly — their built-in camera is meant for video calling, not continuous security monitoring, though some models can display feeds from separate compatible security cameras as part of their smart home dashboard.
Can I mount these on a wall instead of using a stand?
The Echo Show 15 is purpose-built for wall mounting; other models like the Show 8 and Nest Hub are designed as freestanding countertop devices, though some aftermarket mounts exist for most models.
Is video call quality similar across brands?
Resolution varies by model, but both Amazon (via Alexa video calling or Zoom on some models) and Google (via Google Meet integration) support solid video calling; actual quality depends more on your Wi-Fi connection than the specific device.
Smart displays as a genuine kitchen tool, not just a gadget
Beyond voice assistant novelty, smart displays earn their kitchen counter space mainly through recipe walkthroughs (step-by-step with hands-free voice navigation between steps), timers you can glance at from across the room, and video calls while cooking — uses that a phone or regular speaker handles more awkwardly. Screen size matters here more than most buyers initially assume: a 5-inch display works for glancing at a timer, but a recipe with photos or a video call benefits noticeably from the larger 8-10 inch options. Splash and grease exposure near a stove is also worth considering — most smart displays aren’t rated for direct splash exposure, so placement a few feet from active cooking surfaces extends the device’s working life.
FAQ
Are smart displays splash-proof near a stove?
Generally not rated for direct splash exposure, so placing one a reasonable distance from active cooking areas (rather than immediately adjacent to a stovetop) is the safer long-term placement.
Can smart displays replace a dedicated kitchen timer?
Yes, voice-activated multiple simultaneous timers are one of the most commonly used features, and the screen makes it easy to glance at remaining time without needing to ask out loud every time.
Privacy settings worth checking after setup
After initial setup, it’s worth a few minutes reviewing each smart display’s privacy settings directly — most let you disable the camera entirely via a physical shutter or software toggle, turn off voice history recording, and review or delete past voice recordings through the companion app. These settings are usually off-by-default-safe but buried a few menus deep, so a quick post-setup privacy check is a reasonable habit, especially for displays placed in bedrooms or other more private spaces.
Final thoughts
For a kitchen, the Echo Show 8 or the rotating Echo Show 10 are the most practical sizes. For a bedroom where privacy is a bigger concern, the camera-free Google Nest Hub or the Echo Show 5 with its physical shutter are the safer picks.
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