This smart display has earned a permanent spot on my desk — and it’s 50% off right now

If you’re thinking about adding one of the best smart displays to your smart home, chances are you might be considering putting one in your kitchen or even on your bedside table. From my own experience working from home though, one of the best places to have a smart display is on your desk and the Echo Show 5 is the perfect size for any desk.

Right now, you can pick up the latest model of the Echo Show 5 for just $45 on Amazon. This is half off its original price and in addition to the charcoal model pictured above, both the glacier white and cloud blue versions are also on sale. This way, you can have your smart display match the rest of your desk setup or stand out if you want something a bit more colorful.

At 5.8 x 3.6 x 3.2-inches, the Echo Show 5 is small enough that you can put it under any monitor if you don’t have room on either side of your desk. Along with a 5.5-inch touchscreen, this tiny smart display also has a 2MP front-facing camera which you can use for video calls, though I personally like to use it to check in on my home office in the Alexa app when I’m out and about.

Even with just a single, 1.75-inch speaker, the Echo Show 5 still gets quite loud in case you want to listen to some tunes using Amazon Music Unlimited while you work. With Alexa right there on your desk, it’s also great for getting answers to quick questions, setting timers and of course, checking the weather.

For those times when you don’t want to be disturbed, it has a physical camera shutter on the top along with a button to turn off its microphone and camera. Unlike the Echo Spot which also has a small screen, you get full access to the complete Echo Show experience with the Echo Show 5. This means you can control all of the best smart home devices in your home using its touchscreen as well as use Amazon’s Photo Frame feature to have it cycle through your favorite pics.

A small but mighty smart display

Even if you don’t want to go all out with a multi-monitor setup, having another screen on your desk can be really helpful while you’re working. A few years ago, I added a smart display under my monitor and it turned out to be a literal game changer for my productivity as I could get quick answers to questions while writing without having to take my hands off my keyboard.

Although I eventually decided to swap out my Google Nest Hub Max with a portable touchscreen monitor, I really missed having a virtual assistant at my beck and call. Sure, I had one of the best smart speakers in my office but it just wasn’t the same as having a smart display right there. It was then that I realized the Echo Show 5 was small enough that I could put it on the corner of my desk.

Besides the usual things you’d use a smart display for, one of my favorite ways to use the Echo Show 5 is to check in on the best home security cameras throughout my house and the best outdoor security cameras in my driveway and backyard. Whether I’m working late and want to make sure my toddler is actually in bed or I’m trying to finish up a story before the family gets home, it’s great having a quick way to look around my house without having to get up from my desk.

If you have one of the best Ring doorbells, you can also see when someone’s at the door or if a package has been delivered. With security cameras though, you’re not limited to just using ones from Ring. For instance, I have the Eufy Edge Security System with two solar-powered cameras set up outside as well as both outdoor and indoor cameras from TP-Link Kasa throughout my house and I can view all of them right from my Echo Show 5.

The Echo Show 5 has proved to be the perfect smart display for my desk but if you have some extra room and want to be able to watch videos and more, you might want to consider the Echo Show 8 instead. Not only does it have dual speakers with spatial audio support and an upgraded 13MP camera, but it also has some of the Fire TV features from the Echo Show 15 built-in. Likewise, it works with all of the best streaming services for when you want to catch up on your favorite TV shows when you have some downtime.

At half off and under $50, you really can’t go wrong with the Echo Show 5 though. Whether you put it on your desk like I did or have it on your bedside table, this tiny smart display doesn’t skimp on features.