If your router doesn’t provide the speeds you paid for, or if you find yourself losing connection a few rooms away, it might be time to upgrade. There are so many routers on the market with different features, performance promises and jargon-filled names that the buying process can be intimidating, but we’re here to help.
The most important things to consider when choosing the best router for home use are the maximum speed of your internet plan, what you do on the internet, where you live, how many people you live with, and the size and layout of your home. Nearly all of the routers we tested can saturate your internet connection at up to about 450 Mbps over a short distance. A faster router can help you download large files like game updates or if multiple users are streaming video at the same time, but only if your internet connection isn’t a bottleneck. If you have a large home or obstructions like concrete or drywalls, a router with a longer range or a mesh system can help you get a faster and more stable connection. However, please note that while our test results are comparable to each other, every home is different, so you will likely not get the same results as us.
Check out our R&D article to learn more about how we tested the mesh system and when it might be useful.
We tested 30 of the most popular Wi-Fi routers on the market and present our picks below.
