Congratulations! It’s not every day that you land yourself a new smart speaker, so do revel in your long-researched purchase. Oh, and it seems you’ve chosen wisely by going with an Amazon Echo. We’re major fans of the Alexa platform’s near-limitless capabilities, and the Echo lineup is one of our favorite smart hub families.
With Alexa as the brains of the Echo operation, you can stream music, ask questions, play games, set timers and reminders, check the weather, order takeout, phone your friends, and more. Plus, with Alexa Routines and “if this then that” programming, there are plenty more abilities to add to your all-new voice assistant. But the fanfare doesn’t have to stop here.
Like any good piece of hardware, there are countless accessories you can buy for your Echo product. While some of these add-ons may not make the grade, there are plenty of great third-party offerings that do. For your consideration, here’s a roundup of the best Amazon Echo accessories you can buy right now.
Amazon Echo (4th Gen) Battery Base
Amazon’s signature smart speaker is the spherical Echo. Currently in its fourth generation, the latest iteration features improved audio, a built-in Amazon Sidewalk Bridge, and more. In fact, one of the speaker’s only drawbacks we can think of is you can’t take it on the go. Well, not anymore, thanks to this handy Echo battery base from the Mission Cables Store.
Normally, your Echo speaker needs to be connected to an outlet to use it. With the battery base, all you need to do is plug the speaker’s power connection into the pinned input of the dock. This connection sends a charge to the battery. At a full charge, the base will get you about five hours of mobile get-go. A set of three front-facing LEDs is your guide to how much juice the base has left.
Overall, the Echo (4th Gen) Battery Base is reliable, durable for outdoor usage, and available in both black and white finishes. The only drawback here is that the base is exclusive to the standard Echo (4th Gen). Not to worry though, as there are other third-party battery bases available for Echo Dots, Echo Shows, and older versions of the Echo lineup.
Echo Dot (4th Gen) Wall Mount Holder
Looking to get back some of that much-needed bedside table real estate? Typically, an Echo Dot needs to sit on a flat surface, which often leads to end tables and countertops getting hogged by the smart device’s footprint. If you’d like to elevate your Echo Dot out of the way, look no further than this wall mount holder from Maxonar.
Getting your Dot integrated with the mount is as easy as inserting the speaker, connecting the power cable, wrapping up the excess power wire, and plugging the speaker into a wall outlet. The final look is clean and polished, although some may find the jutting-out nature a little difficult to look at. Available in white and black, the Maxonar wall mount holder is made exclusively for the fourth-gen Echo Dot, so do make sure you don’t try and connect an Echo Dot with Clock. Also, you’ll want to be mindful of what outlets you connect the mount to, as the design may end up blocking top or bottom plugs depending on the outlet type you’re connecting to.
Echo Wall Clock
An official Amazon release, this minimalist wall clock is an ideal kitchen companion. Packaged with mounting hardware and requiring four AA batteries, this wall clock can not only tell you the time of day but also be synced to your Echo hardware using Bluetooth.
Say you set a timer on your kitchen Echo Dot for the food that’s boiling on the stove. With the Dot and wall clock synced, once you say “Alexa, set a timer for 10 minutes,” 10 of the 60 LEDs circling the clock-face will illuminate and begin dimming as the timer runs. Additionally, if you receive a package delivery or other Amazon notification, a small yellow LED above the numeral six will pulsate, letting you know your goods have arrived.
While there are no speakers or other Alexa/Wi-Fi integrations for the Amazon Wall Clock, it’s a sleek add-on for any room of your home that plays nicely with Echo products that are within 30 feet of the device.
Fire TV Stick 4K
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K is a leading streaming device that unlocks the full potential of your Netflix subscription, music streaming services, and more. Powered by a quad-core processor, the Fire Stick delivers incredible 4K picture with support for both HDR and Dolby Atmos formats. Best of all, you can pair this bad boy with one of your Echo devices and kiss the remote control goodbye.
Once your speaker or display is paired to the Fire Stick, you’ll be able to tell Alexa to play your favorite shows and movies, play/pause, stop, rewind, fast-forward, and switch from one source (Netflix) to another (Amazon Video). You’ll also be able to power cycle the Fire Stick and control the volume.
While some voice commands can take some getting used to, overall, the Fire TV Stick 4K is an excellent companion for your Echo product, especially if you’re looking to add smart features to a TV without apps.
Echo Link
Want to take your hi-fi system to the next level? With the Echo Link, you’ll be able to bring all your favorite music-streaming services to your existing audio setup. The process also works in reverse, allowing you to connect audio components directly to the Link, letting you share tunes across your home’s entire Echo ecosystem.
Setup is as simple as powering the Link, connecting to your hi-fi gear, and using your Echo speaker to tell the Link what music to play. While you can always use the 3.5mm audio output on your Echo speaker to wire the speaker directly to your audio system, the Link features digital audio inputs and outputs to take advantage of the premium DACs found in many top-tier amplifiers and receivers.
The hefty $199 price point may not sit well with everyone, but if you’re looking to maximize the music capabilities of your Echo hub, the Echo Link is one of the best ways to do so.
Echo Glow
Care to add a little luminance to your Echo experience? Want a great accessory for the kids? Consider the reasonably priced Echo Glow. Once linked to your Alexa app and compatible Echo devices, the Echo Glow can be controlled with simple voice commands.
You can customize the Echo Glow to change colors in a pinch, adjust brightness, and integrate with new and existing Alexa Routines. The Glow’s wake-up lighting gradually raises the luminance of the speaker in the minutes leading up to an alarm going off, making it easier to wake in the morning. Additionally, kids can ask the Glow to start a dance party to their favorite tunes, create a campfire glow, and set the mood for different holidays.
While you won’t require an Echo hub to use the Echo Glow (you can simply control it using the Alexa app), the light companion is best paired with an Alexa device for a full experience.
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