Echo (2nd Generation), $69.99, available at Amazon
Last year, the Echo was a big hit. The smart speaker comes with Amazon's perennially popular smart assistant, Alexa, built right into the hardware. That means you can call on Alexa to play music, make calls, set alarms, ask questions, control connected devices, and just about anything else.
It features a speaker powered by Dolby and is currently available in six styles, including fabrics and wood veneers — for the holidays, Amazon partnered with (RED) on a limited-edition red Echo to support the fight against AIDS.
It's worth noting that its siblings, the Echo Dot and Echo Show, are currently backordered until December 15 and December 16, respectively.