Which Echo speakers have eero built-in?
Amazon's latest Echo Pop, 5th generation Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock have eero built-in. The 4th generation Echo and 4th generation Echo Dots have received over-the-air (OTA) updates to add the eero functionality. Each eero adds up to 1,000 square feet of coverage and support for 10 devices.
Expand your eero mesh with Amazon Echo
Amazon owns eero so it's only natural that the company would work to make its product lines work together more closely. The Fifth generation Echo Dot speakers arrived with eero ready to go, with the fourth generation Echo getting an update on October 30, 2022. Fourth-generation Echo Dots were updated on December 15, 2022, with eero built-in. The new Echo Pop is also ready to go with eero built-in.
If you've already got a compatible Echo device and eero router, you can add the Echos to your mesh using the eero app. One thing to keep in mind is that the Echos aren't really designed for this job and, as a result, aren't that fast. Echos with eero built-in support speeds up to 100Mbps with 10 connected devices. While it's not blazing fast, it's still plenty of speed for browsing and some light streaming. Outside of a speed test, you may never even notice the difference compared to a full eero router.
Each eero built-in device can cover up to 1,000 square feet, according to Amazon, which can be great for helping out with coverage in a far corner of the house. It's also worth noting that your device should connect to the best available eero so you don't need to worry about overlap or accidentally connecting to a slower node.
Amazon wasn't the first to combine a smart speaker and mesh extender but there's a good chance that many eero users already have an Echo at home. Amazon's Echo Dots are a great candidate for eero expansion, considering how many people have already integrated Alexa into their daily lives.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | eero built-in availability | Coverage | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echo (4th generation) | 10/30/2022 | Up to 1,000 square feet | 10 devices, up to 100Mbps |
| Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock (5th generation) | 10/20/2022 | Up to 1,000 square feet | 10 devices, up to 100Mbps |
| Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock (4th generation) | 12/15/2022 | Up to 1,000 square feet | 10 devices, up to 100Mbps |
| Echo Pop | 5/31/2023 | Up to 1,000 square feet | 10 devices, up to 100Mbps |
Amazon announced some updates to its Eero and Echo lineup for 2023 with the new Echo Show 8, Echo Hub, and Eero Max 7. While Eero Max 7 will work with older Eero systems as expected, the Echo Show 8 and Echo Hub did not get Eero Built-in support.
There are some limitations to be aware of with eero built-in devices, however. First thing first, the first generation eero router does not support eero built-in. Eero built-in is supported on all currently available eero routers: eero (3rd gen), eero Pro, eero 6, eero Pro 6, eero 6+, and eero Pro 6E. You also can't use eero built-in with DFS channels enabled.
Another consideration is the newer eeros with 160MHz support. As we saw in our eero 6+ review, connecting older eeros to the newer router caused the system to revert back to 80MHz at 5GHz. Expanding with an Echo makes the most sense for those using a base eero or eero Pro. Eero 6 and eero Pro 6 could also be good companions. These are still nice mesh routers and the cheapest model is still one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems you can buy.
Better sound than Echo Dot
If you've already got an eero router, the Echo Pop is with eero built-in to extend your coverage. With a larger 1.95-inch speaker, compared to 1.73 inches, the Echo Pop is a better smart speaker for music.
