Investing in the best mesh Wi-Fi networks that 2022 has to offer will ensure your Wi-Fi connectivity is the fastest it’s ever been. This means no blind spots in your home (or even beyond, garden office workers), so you can have an uninterrupted connection whenever and wherever you need it.
Why get a mesh network? Well, mesh Wi-Fi systems are a great solution for larger homes where standard Wi-Fi may not reach all areas. They are also ideal for offices or homes where a lot of devices are connected online at the same time, allowing you to evenly spread the bandwidth so no one's connection gets interrupted.
It can feel like a bit of a minefield when looking for what you need, which is why we’ve broken it down to help you easily understand which products are going to best support you with superfast broadband speeds. There's also some added information at the bottom of the page to help you understand some jargon and how to find the best option for you.
While you’re here, if you’re kitting out your set-up, check out our guides to the best webcams, best office chairs and best NAS drives so that your office is fully equipped for best performance.
The best mesh Wi-Fy systems you can buy 2022
So whether you're looking for the latest and greatest Wi-Fi 6E compatibility, or seeking out something more affordable that's still fast, there are mesh Wi-Fi network options for all. Here are our top picks:
The best premium mesh Wi-Fi system is the Asus ZenWiFi Pro ET12. It's fairly pricey, but with Wi-Fi 6E connectivity it's future-proofed for the very fastest of speeds.
The best mesh Wi-Fi system for most people is the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6. It looks the part and it performs the part, so while it'll still cost more than some it's a super all-round system.
The best cheap mesh Wi-Fi system is the Amazon Eero 6. Just because it costs less doesn't mean it's not capable: Amazon's acquisition of Eero
Looking for something extra magic? The Asus ZenWiFi Pro ET12 is a high-level Wi-Fi 6E mesh system, which is the latest and greatest standard of Wi-Fi, capable of the fastest speeds. That means you'll future-proof your setup when more 6E-capable products come to market.
As we said in our review: "The Asus ZenWifi Pro ET12 is clearly one of the better systems out there – both in terms of the performance and features of the units – making it a real future-proof winner in the world of mesh routers".
Sure, it'll cost you a fair whack of change, and if you don't really need the Wi-Fi 6E capability then you can avoid it for one of the more affordable and better suited options below. But if money is no object then Asus' system is mighty impressive.
The Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 offers full Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, so it's able to reach blazing fast speeds, and uses a dedicated backhaul channel to make sure the connection between the router and its satellites is always rock solid.
Yes, it's on the pricey side, but with a total of 6Gbps of bandwidth available to up to 100 devices, whether you want your Wi-Fi to reach right into the attic, or you need to connect up a slew of new smart home devices, the Orbi WiFi 6 can certainly help.
Add in a straightforward setup process, an intuitive and easy-to-use app, plus support for Google Assistant and Alexa voice commands, and you've got a super-fast mesh system that we think is the best all-round system going – both visually and on a performance front. So it's no surprise this won the Best Home Networking Tech at the T3 Awards 2021.
The Eero 6 isn't quite the fastest option out there, nor does it offer the most advanced features, but it's a compelling blend of performance and features at the right price.
As we said in our review: "the Eero 6 is going to be more than enough for the needs of most users – and its value-for-money, stable performance and simplicity make it stand out."
It's also really easy to set up and has one of the most intuitive and polished apps that we've come across in all our years of mesh Wi-Fi network testing. You can pause internet access, set up a guest network for your friends, and much more besides, all with a few taps on your phone.
If you're looking for something that can be configured in minutes and that 'just works' – and we expect that most of you are – then you can't do very much better than Amazon's Eero 6 system.
Best mesh Wi-Fi networks 2022: The best of the rest
In many ways this model would be our number one pick, because it's so very advanced that you cannot call it the best mesh Wi-Fi system in the world. But that comes with an inevitable steep price tag.
As we note in our Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6E (RBKE963) review, this system delivers awesome performance across the board as it was the world's first quad-band mesh Wi-Fi 6E system. In layman's terms this means that you get next-gen speeds, connectivity, range and device capacity.
In terms of speed, this system delivers a maximum of 10.8Gbps (incredible!) and a simply monstrous 700 square metres coverage area (you can buy more satellites, too, up to 6 and extend this coverage up to a mind-blowing 1,625 square metres!). You can hook up 250 devices to the RBKE963's network, which is more devices than even the most die-hard technophile will own.
The price, of course, is a serious blocker to an instant purchase. But if you can afford it and want the best, then you're looking at the emperor of mesh networking products.
As you can tell from our Google Nest Wifi review, we're quite taken by Google's Wi-Fi networking kit – it's fast, reliable, offers decent coverage, and the satellite nodes come with Google Assistant built-in (so they're effectively mini smart speakers).
The app is as polished as you would expect from Google, enabling you to do everything from measuring signal strength to stopping the kids from staying on the internet for too long. Setup is very easy too, which is always something we like to see.
While you might get faster speeds from other kit, and there's no Wi-Fi 6 support here, there's no doubt this is one of the best mesh networking kits in the business – especially if you're already heavily invested in the Google ecosystem.
According to Google, a two-pack Nest Wifi hub is good for 210 square metres (2,260 square feet) of coverage, and in our testing we found it had very impressive reach as well as very low latency. It can even work alongside your existing Wi-Fi network to add a second network.
To see how this unit stacks up against one of our top picks check out T3's Amazon Eero vs Google Nest Wifi comparison feature.
In terms of gaming-focused routers we've got the king on the throne here. The XR1000 leaves little, if anything, to be desired, with a fantastic mix of powerful hardware, empowering software, and a stylish design. Plus, as we said in our review, it offers "the best router software, in DumaOS."
The 5,400 MB/s throughput is obviously a key selling point, but it's the power and control the software offers to control your network and connection that is the real star, and a reason why we recommend this over other similarly-specced routers.
Overall, if you're a gamer and want to get the most out of your Wi-Fi 6-enabled PS5, Xbox Series X or gaming PC, then the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 is the best dedicated gaming router on the market, offering wireless coverage at AX5400 dual-band speeds. Price aside, it's impossible not to recommend.
It's a little older, so not as advanced as many of the faster systems featured in this guide, but that's one of the great reasons to consider the TP-Link Deco P9: it won't cost you as much.
Another reason we like this mesh networking kit so much is because it gives you the flexibility of using mesh Wi-Fi alongside Powerline networking – so internet signals can travel through the existing wiring in your home, as well as through the air.
The accompanying app is simple and straightforward to use, and lets you prioritise devices as well as cut off the kids' connections to the web when it's bedtime. It's an all-round solid package, and definitely worth a place on your best mesh Wi-Fi shortlist – especially considering the competitive price.
If you live in a large home with lots of people and lots of connected devices, the TP-Link Deco X90 (AX6600) will be one of the best mesh networks for you. It’s a tri-band mesh Wi-Fi 6 system that can reach maximum speeds of a whopping 6600Mbps - and you’ll be able to have up to 200 devices connected to it at once too!
In our testing, it was an absolute marvel at boosting coverage and eliminating Wi-Fi weak spots. You can have someone stream 4K video in one room and play online games in another without any problems at all. So if you have three or more bedrooms then this mesh network option will make a world of difference.
The best part about it is just how easy it is. There’s no finicky set-up you just plug them in, log in to the Deco smartphone app and name your network. That’s literally all you need to do, it takes a matter of minutes.
There are numerous Orbi packages to pick from and this is the most affordable. However, you do miss out on some advanced features (it's dual-band rather than tri-band, for example), but there is support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard.
As we said in our review: the units in this pack are smaller than they are in other Orbi systems, so they're easier to place around the house. As usual with Netgear hardware, everything is very straightforward to set up and configure – basically all you have to do is plug the boxes in, install the app, and follow the instructions.
With total speeds of 1,800 Mbps possible (though your broadband will probably fall far short of that), and coverage for around 488 square metres (with the three-pack option), this is a mesh networking system that you can rely on for getting dozens of devices online.
If you want a reliable mesh network then the TP-Link Deco Voice X20 will provide Wi-Fi 6 coverage across your home, boosting speeds and eliminating weak spots - it may not be the most powerful out there, but for most households it’ll do everything you need it to and more.
That's not all this networking kit can do though. When it comes to smart features, they don’t get much smarter than this because there's Amazon Alexa speakers built-in. You can ask Alexa from anywhere in your home, as well as expand your Wi-Fi network, all in one go. And while saving on space and wall sockets.
To manage and monitor your network from any location, you’ll just need to open up the Deco app, which is very easy to use and gives you loads of control over who or what is connected and when. It's super smart.
What is a mesh network?
Rather than having one router serving up Wi-Fi to your home, these mesh network routers and nodes give you several access points, blanketing all the rooms in your home with the wireless internet connectivity you need – Netflix need never be interrupted by the buffering symbol again.
What's more, now is a great time to be shopping for one of the best mesh networks, as hardware manufacturers continue to introduce price drops and deals, even on newer systems. Before we get to our list though, let's first take a look at what mesh networks are, and how to choose the best mesh network for your home.
Mesh networking helps you eradicate connectivity dead zones in your home.
How to buy the best mesh Wi-Fi system for you
Bear in mind that there are other ways to extend your Wi-Fi and get rid of dead zones around the home, including Wi-Fi extenders and Powerline adapters. Before you start splurging cash on the best mesh Wi-Fi network gear, make sure a mesh networking kit is definitely the right choice for you.
It's easy to see the appeal of mesh networks: they're fast, reliable, and easy to set up (it's almost as if tech companies are waking up to how easy home Wi-Fi should be). Even if you've never had to configure your own wireless network before, the best mesh networking kits make it all very straightforward.
On a technical level, these mesh networks are made up of little Wi-Fi 'nodes' that talk to each other and get as a strong a signal as possible out to all your devices. As far as your devices are concerned, it's just one consistent wireless network.
Look for the speed, often written as something like AC2200 – that's the type of Wi-Fi (AC) and theoretical maximum speed (2,200 Mbps), though you probably won't get that in reality. You'll also need to decide on a number of nodes: two should do most homes, but bigger places might need more.
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