Smart speakers with a voice assistant keep a small microphone active to catch the wake word, such as Hey Siri. That detection happens on the speaker itself, and audio is sent to the service only after the wake word is heard. Most speakers also have a mute switch and a light that shows when they are listening.

Vaety. gives you the choice. Voice is useful in a kitchen or living area, but speakers without a microphone, or with the microphone turned off, work perfectly well for music controlled from your phone or a wall button. We keep microphones out of private areas such as bedrooms unless you ask for them, and we explain the privacy settings before handing over.

Privacy depends on the brand and its settings, so we pick established brands and review those settings with you.