There is little doubt that the Amazon Echo Show 8 is a very versatile smart speaker that is worth every penny it may cost you. It is just the right size to work well around your home—equally comfortable on the bedside, in the living room, in the kitchen, the dining table or even the kids’ room.

The Echo Show 8 is the best bet for people wanting an Alexa-controlled smart screen, but the Nest Hub is better overall

Good sound and image quality for the price; Well sized for a smart screen; Stylish design;

The screen isn’t used that much; Videos are hard to navigate; Prime Video is the only option;

The Echo Show 8 is the best bet for people wanting an Alexa-controlled smart screen, but the Nest Hub is better overall

Good sound and image quality for the price; Well sized for a smart screen; Stylish design;

The screen isn’t used that much; Videos are hard to navigate; Prime Video is the only option;

This is Amazon making sure you have more smart display size options

Good price; Big sound; Works as a Bluetooth speaker;

Display style can be distracting; No Netflix, YouTube only via a workaround; A bit too vibration-happy;

Good price; Big sound; Works as a Bluetooth speaker;

Display style can be distracting; No Netflix, YouTube only via a workaround; A bit too vibration-happy;

In just two short years, Amazon’s line of Alexa-powered smart displays has expanded from one oddly shaped device to three sleek units. They all share similar designs and features but with three different sizes and price points.

Great room-filling sound; Bright; sharp display; Access to all of the same Alexa abilities as other Echo devices; Camera can be blocked with built-in privacy shutter

Works best with Amazon’s services for photos; music; and video; Watching YouTube on it is a pain; and you can’t access Netflix at all; Recipe functions are still not very useful

The Amazon Alexa home invasion continues apace with another capable smart display hard to complain about at the price

Good price; Big sound; Works as a Bluetooth speaker

Display style can be distracting; No Netflix; YouTube only via a workaround; A bit too vibration-happy

The Amazon Echo Show 8 is the smart display sweet spot for many people. It’s big enough for comfortable video chatting, and to fit in drivers powerful enough to fill rooms with music. Its display may not look as refined as the Google Nest Hub Max’s, and the sound won’t worry Sonos. But it is easily good enough in every area to justify its price, either at £120 or the eye-opening £60 promo price Amazon treated us to before Christmas. As ever, Amazon promo periods are the best time to tool yourself up with Echos. We just wish Amazon could find a way to iron out the politics that mean we don’t get such important video staples as YouTube and Netflix.

Good price; Big sound; Works as a Bluetooth speaker;

Display style can be distracting; No Netflix, YouTube only via a workaround; A bit too vibration-happy;

If you want a smart display from Amazon, the Echo Show 8 is the Goldilocks model: not too expensive, not too small, with just right sound. Here’s our review