Nothing in life is certain except death, taxes and Amazon Prime Day. And one more certainty: that on Amazon Prime Day, the company will cut the prices on its own-brand Echo devices, as well as lots of other stuff. So, it’s a good idea to know which are the best, whether that’s to replace a conventional alarm clock, act as a family calendar, work best in the kitchen or offer premium-quality audio. Here, I’ve highlighted the most effective models, and they all come with early access to Alexa+ – the new, souped-up personal assistant who can do much more than set boiled-egg timers or make surreptitious and highly varied noises that mimic breaking wind (though she can do both of those, too).It can also help you with recipes, so if you’ve run out of one ingredient while you’re cooking, just tell Alexa and she’ll recommend what to replace it with. One of the big differences is you can now chat naturally with Alexa and she will remember what you tell her. So, if you’re asking it to recommend a restaurant, say, Alexa knows who in your family has particular dietary needs and can reply accordingly.One key thing about Alexa+ is that once activated on one compatible device, all your other devices that can support the advanced version are upgraded automatically. Alexa+ is included until at least the middle of September, though eventually this will become a part of the Prime subscription – which you may be splashing out on for Prime Day. If you don’t have Prime, Alexa+ will cost £19.99 a month after September, which is more than Prime, meaning a Prime subscription is better value.Read more: Best surround sound systems, tested by a tech expertI tested Amazon's range of Alexa devices, to find out which ones are worth buying (David Phelan/The Independent)The best Amazon Alexa devices for 2026 are:Best overall – Amazon Echo Show 8: £179, Amazon.co.ukBest for value – Amazon Echo Spot: £79.99, Amazon.co.ukBest family home hub – Amazon Echo Show 15: £299.99, Amazon.co.ukBest for kids – Amazon Echo Dot Kids: £64.99, Amazon.co.ukRead more: Best Bluetooth speakers for crisp audio