Our Verdict
Amazon Echo Hub (2023) — 8.3/10. A polished 8-inch wall panel that centralizes smart home control with broad Matter, Zigbee, and Alexa support — ideal for households tired of juggling multiple apps.
Amazon Echo Hub (2023) — 8.3/10
A polished 8-inch wall panel that finally centralizes smart home control with broad Matter, Zigbee, and Alexa support — ideal for households tired of juggling multiple apps.
Overview
The Amazon Echo Hub (2023) is an 8-inch touchscreen control panel built to act as the nerve center of a connected home. Rather than reaching for your phone every time you want to dim a light or check a camera, you tap a wall-mounted dashboard that gathers your devices into customizable tiles. It combines a responsive touchscreen with hands-free Alexa voice control, so you can operate it however suits the moment.
What sets the Echo Hub apart from a standard Echo Show — such as the Amazon Echo Show 15 — is its dedicated focus on home control. It supports Matter, Zigbee, and other major smart home protocols out of the box, meaning it can connect directly to hundreds of compatible lights, locks, cameras, and thermostats from leading brands without an extra bridge in many cases.
It's aimed at homeowners and renters with a growing ecosystem who want to consolidate everything into one place. If your smart home has outgrown app-hopping and you'd prefer a glanceable, always-ready dashboard near the front door or in a hallway, the Echo Hub fits that role neatly. For a deeper look at pricing and configuration options, see our Echo Hub buying guide.
Key features
A responsive, glanceable display that surfaces device tiles, cameras, and routines without needing your phone.
Supports Matter, Zigbee, and other major protocols for broad direct compatibility with hundreds of devices.
Hands-free commands let you manage scenes, lights, and queries alongside the touchscreen interface.
A dedicated privacy shutter and microphone-off button give peace of mind around always-on connectivity.
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Model number | B0BCR7M9KX |
| Display size | 8 inches, touchscreen |
| Category | Smart Home Hubs & Controllers |
| Voice assistant | Amazon Alexa |
| Smart home protocols | Matter, Zigbee, and other major standards |
| Privacy features | Camera/privacy shutter, microphone-off button |
| Primary use | Centralized dashboard for lights, locks, cameras, thermostats |
| Mounting | Wall-mount or stand placement |
Pros & cons
Pros
- Broad device compatibility via Matter and Zigbee
- Dedicated dashboard removes reliance on a phone
- Clean touchscreen with hands-free Alexa
- Hardware privacy controls included
- Consolidates a multi-brand ecosystem in one place
Cons
- Tied to the Alexa ecosystem and account
- Wall installation may need extra cabling or mounting effort
- Best value only if you already own several smart devices
- Not a media-first device like an Echo Show
Performance
In day-to-day use, the Echo Hub does the job it was designed for: it puts your home at your fingertips. Device tiles respond quickly to taps, and the dashboard layout is logical enough that family members can pick it up without a tutorial. Pulling up a front-door camera or triggering a "good night" routine takes a second or two — fast enough that it becomes a natural part of daily habits.
The built-in hub support is the standout. Pairing Zigbee bulbs and Matter-certified accessories is straightforward, and the panel handled a mixed-brand setup of lights, locks, and a thermostat without complaint. Voice recognition through Alexa is reliable across a room, and the microphone-off button and shutter work exactly as expected for those who want to cut the always-listening element entirely.
Mount the Echo Hub near a main entry or hallway so it doubles as a quick camera and lock check on your way in and out.
Value for money
The Echo Hub earns its keep when you already have — or plan to build — a meaningful collection of connected devices. For a single smart bulb and a plug, a phone app is plenty. But once you're juggling locks, cameras, multiple lighting groups, and a thermostat, a dedicated control panel saves real friction and looks tidier than a phone left on the counter.
For Alexa households specifically, it's an easy recommendation: the integration is deep and the broad protocol support future-proofs it against new Matter devices. Buyers committed to other ecosystems should weigh that lock-in before purchasing. If local, account-independent control matters more to you, consider a dedicated hub like the Hubitat Elevation (see our Hubitat Elevation C-8 review) or the Samsung SmartThings Hub (covered in our SmartThings Hub review).
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Final verdict
The Amazon Echo Hub (2023) scores a solid 8.3/10. It delivers exactly what it promises: a clean, responsive, broadly compatible dashboard that consolidates a growing smart home into one wall-mounted panel. The Alexa tie-in and the value equation favoring existing device owners are the main caveats, but for the right household it's a genuinely useful upgrade.
Does the Amazon Echo Hub work without a smartphone?
Yes. The Echo Hub is designed as a standalone control panel, so you can manage lights, locks, cameras, and thermostats directly from the touchscreen or with Alexa voice commands.
What smart home protocols does it support?
It supports Matter, Zigbee, and other major smart home standards, giving it broad compatibility with hundreds of devices across leading brands.
Does it have privacy controls?
Yes. The Echo Hub includes a dedicated privacy shutter and a microphone-off button for users concerned about always-on connectivity.
Who is the Echo Hub best for?
It suits homeowners and renters with a growing smart home who want to consolidate and simplify control in one place, especially those already invested in the Alexa ecosystem.
Is it the same as an Echo Show?
No. While both have touchscreens and Alexa, the Echo Hub is purpose-built as a smart home control dashboard rather than a media and video-calling device. If you want a media-first panel instead, the Amazon Echo Show 15 is the better fit.
