When it comes to the best smart speakers on the market, there is really only a choice between two voice assistants. In one corner, you have Amazon Alexa, and in the other, Google Assistant. While very similar in many regards, Google Assistant has one key advantage when it comes to implanting itself into your daily routine: If you use an Android phone, you've probably already been using Google Assistant, perhaps without giving it much thought. But it's there on your phone as a voice assistant, and it's a great tool to add some smart features to your everyday life. A compatible smart speaker will take that very assistant from your phone and insert it into every room in your home.

It's also an incredible platform for smart home integration, too. Just as with Alexa, there is a big selection of smart home tech that integrates with Google Assistant. And this will only continue to grow thanks to Matter, the new universal smart home standard that promises better interoperability. Therefore, backing Google Assistant isn't a bad play. So, if you're looking for the right smart speaker to go along with that, these speakers are the best ones to pick up.

Our favorite Google Assistant speakers in 2023

The Google Nest Audio is the best all-around smart speaker that Google has ever released. It costs about the same as an Amazon Echo, and it looks pretty fashionable, too. Google smart speakers have had strong designs for as long as they've been around, and the Nest Audio follows the same tradition with a striking fabric-fronted design.

The Nest Audio supports all the major music streaming services, including Apple Music, and once set as the default, all you need to do is trigger the speaker and ask for your songs. Google also included Chromecast integration, which makes it a breeze to send audio from your mobile device. Inside is a 75mm (2.95-inch) woofer and a 19mm (0.74-inch) tweeter that combine to produce balanced sound with good performances across the spectrum, including with vocals. Despite its fairly compact size, the sound is room-filling. The Nest Audio also packs in smart features such as Ambient IQ, which can adapt to background noise to ensure your audio always sounds good.

There isn't much in the way of physical controls, just a microphone mute switch joined by touch points to turn the volume up and down. It's a shame that you can only use wireless audio, though, and you can't hook a Nest Audio into an existing sound system. There's no 3.5mm audio jack on the speaker, which is another shortcoming. The key to the Nest Audio is balance. There are cheaper Google Assistant speakers, and there are better-sounding ones, but Google nailed it by producing a speaker that sits at the junction between different specialties.

If you're in the market for a smart speaker with a built-in display that also supports Google Assistant, the Nest Hub is worth a look. It's affordable, has a fantastic-looking display, and produces good-quality sound. But the best part is that it can act as a dashboard for your smart home and even track your sleep if you put it beside your bed.

The smaller Nest Hub doesn't have a camera, so it's not so good for video calls, if that's something you want. The sleep sensing feature is based on motion and sound detection rather than video for those concerned with privacy. It can analyze your sleep quality by learning when you go to bed and how you rest based on what it detects. Right now, it's free while in the preview stages, but eventually will become part of the paid Fitbit+ subscription.

As a smart speaker, it's fairly standard. You trigger with the 'Hey Google' command, ask Google Assistant for something, and get your answer back. Like all Google Assistant speakers, the Nest Hub supports all the major music streaming services, including Apple Music. The microphones have an excellent range, so you won't have trouble being heard.

The bonus of having a display means the Nest Hub can be used to enjoy video content, and Disney+, Netflix, and Hulu are just some of the third-party supported services available. There are a couple of negatives, though: Like the Nest Audio, there's no 3.5mm jack for input or output, and while the sound on the Nest Hub is good, considering its size and design, there's no simple way to integrate it into an existing sound system.

Sonos is probably the most famous brand in multiroom audio. The company offers its own voice assistant platform, dubbed Voice Control, but it also has full integration with Google Assistant. Sonos isn't the only way you can get both Google Assistant and high-quality music in every room, but as good as groups of speakers like the Nest Audio may be, Sonos is still better at it. It's built first and foremost for music, and it always has been.

It truly is designed to be used in any room, even the bathroom. The Sonos One is humidity resistant, so it can easily live in areas of the home that you would otherwise keep electronics away from. The audio hardware consists of a pair of digital amplifiers, one tweeter, and one mid-woofer that maximizes bass output and ensures faithful recreation of mid-range frequencies.

Sonos has its own companion app for those who aren’t interested in AI voice assistants, so you can use it without your voice. But if you're here, you're likely interested in its Google Assistant integration. Google Assistant integration means simple, wireless streaming from all supported music services. The Sonos One is also capable of playing back hi-res audio, but only from supported services, like Amazon Music.

Are there any downsides? As it seems to be a common theme, there is no 3.5mm input, so you're limited to using the Sonos One with wireless music. It is also one of the more expensive choices, especially if you're trying to build a multiroom system. You wouldn't necessarily say it's overpriced, but depending on your needs, there are cheaper ways to build a comparable system.

The Google Nest Mini, along with the almost identical Google Home Mini that came before it, has been a staple in the company's hardware lineup for several years. It's remained largely unchanged in that time as well. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you're new to smart speakers or are trying to stick to a tight budget, the Google Nest Mini is unquestionably the right choice.

This is Google's answer to the Amazon Echo Dot, and it approaches things similarly. It's a compact speaker with minimal controls that's designed to be operated entirely with your voice, just as with the larger Nest Audio. It does have hardware controls, with two touch points on the top to increase and decrease volume alongside a microphone mute switch. It would have been nice to have a 3.5mm jack, especially since the comparably priced Echo Dot has one, but you're out of luck.

The design here is rather minimal, sporting a fabric-covered top in a variety of colors. The Google Nest Mini is simple, both in design and operation, which makes it very accessible. It also offers up surprisingly good sound for something so small. It has only a single 40mm driver but delivers its sound through a full 360 degrees, so it is capable of filling the room. Input is handled by a trio of far-field microphones, picking up your voice from all directions. And as with other Google speakers, the icing on the cake is support for the Chromecast protocol.

As a speaker, the Nest Mini is great value, and it's also one of the most affordable ways to get into the smart home ecosystem powered by Google Assistant.

The Sonos Roam is no mere portable Bluetooth speaker: It's a truly wireless smart speaker with a built-in battery that lets you leave the house and take the Google Assistant with you. The only requirement is a Wi-Fi connection. While the focus here is its Google Assistant integration, it also supports AirPlay if you're an iPhone user.

The battery inside is good for up to 10 hours of playback, which is impressive given its compact size, but about average compared to other portable speakers. Inside is a pair of digital amplifiers, a tweeter, and a mid-woofer delivering sound quality beyond your average Bluetooth speaker. It even has an optional wireless charging base for those times you have a power outlet handy and don't want the music to stop. The Roam also supports handoff with your in-home Sonos speakers, so when you're done listening outside, you can simply hand the audio over to the speakers indoors.

In keeping with its portable nature, the Sonos Roam is shock-resistant to protect against bumps and drops, and it boasts an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. You won’t be safe standing under any waterfalls, but it can certainly handle a jaunt into the garden or a trip to the beach with ease. It doesn't look very rugged, but rest assured, it can handle itself in the great outdoors.

The Sonos Roam lets you do anything you can do with Google Assistant on your smartphone, whether you're streaming audio or just setting alerts and reminders. At home, the Sonos Roam can be the trigger for any Google Assistant-connected smart home tech, too.

If you thought that getting a smart speaker excluded you from also enjoying high-end audio, that's not the case. Bose has the sublime Smart Speaker 500 for fans of Google Assistant. The Bose brand needs little introduction, too, as it consistently produces excellent gear.

Essentially, what you're getting here is a premium Bose speaker connected to the cloud by Google Assistant. One benefit to that is wireless music streaming, including from services like Apple Music and YouTube Music. But unlike other Google Assistant speakers, you can natively listen to Amazon Music. The Bose Music companion app gives you a lot more freedom and control over where your tunes come from. To complete the set, it also boasts support for Chromecast and AirPlay 2.

This is no average smart speaker. The two custom Bose drivers point in opposite directions and are designed to bounce audio off the walls and create a much wider soundstage. The microphone array lives around the top of the speaker and is made up of eight inputs that pick up from all directions. They're also capable of hearing you over the sound coming from the speaker. When you don't want it to listen, there's a hardware mute switch to turn off the array.

As this is a Bose product, design and construction are also important. The outer casing is made from aluminum and is available in two colors. Aside from the speaker grill, the only visual mark on the front is the display, which is full color and can show album art as you listen.

Bose also makes it relatively simple to group the Smart Speaker 500 with its newer Bluetooth speakers for a little added boost to your audio. A 3.5mm or even optical input would have been nice, though, to enable the Smart Speaker 500 to better integrate with existing home entertainment systems.

Choosing a smart speaker can be a bit of a chore. While designs may differ, they don't generally differ much in terms of features. But the Belkin Soundform Elite is truly unique. It features an integrated wireless charging pad that seamlessly blends into its elegant design, and depending on your phone, you'll be able to charge at up to 10W wirelessly.

As is a bit of a tradition for smart speakers, the SoundForm Elite is designed to both hear you and distribute audio in all directions. Through a partnership with Devialet, it also delivers high-fidelity audio despite its small size. So, it's a great choice for those who prioritize great-sounding music. Its design enables 360 degrees of room-filling, high-quality audio.

Besides Google Assistant, you also get AirPlay support if you're an iPhone owner, though naturally, you can natively stream music from Apple Music and other services. You can also use AirPlay to group the Soundform Elite with other AirPlay-enabled speakers. Through Google Assistant, you can integrate it into existing speaker groups, too, even if they're different brands. As it seems is traditional, though, you don't get any form of wired connection for audio, either for input or output. Everything is wireless, making it difficult to integrate into existing home entertainment systems.

It's a little pricey, so snap it up on a deal, but the Belkin SoundForm Elite certainly stands out from the crowd. And it's one of the most stylish-looking smart speakers you'll find, making it a perfect addition to any room in the home.

The best Google Assistant speakers in 2023: Final Thoughts

There has never been a better time to get into the world of smart speakers with Google Assistant. Whether it's just to stream your music, control your smart home, or help manage your day, the usefulness of these devices has come a long way. It's impressive the choice that you now have if you prefer to use Google over Alexa. Premium audio fans aren't excluded, nor are those on a budget and everyone in between.

The best of the bunch, though, is the Google Nest Audio. It's a perfect balance of an affordable price, a sleek design, and great quality sound. There are some compromises compared to the competition, but as a complete package, it's the best all-rounder for most people.

But the landscape looks great, and if you want something different, there is no shortage of choices. Sonos is one of the biggest names in wireless audio and now integrates Google Assistant into its speakers. The Sonos One is a great, albeit pricey, alternative that offers all the features you get with the Nest Audio but with more impressive audio output. However, if you don't want to spend a ton of money on a smart speaker, the Google Nest Mini is a great affordable pick.