Wi-Fi 6 and its upcoming version i.e., Wi-Fi 7 is quite a buzz of the world. People are anxiously waiting for Wi-Fi 7 to get functional on all the devices though it has began working on smart phones.  But what could be of it any use if you haven’t installed their specific routers. Since the market has so many options to offer, so choosing one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers is none other than a deal itself. We have enlisted some top notch Wi-Fi 6 routers for you with their specification. 

Although Wi-Fi 5 routers have been available for some time and most American households probably won’t reach their maximum speed with these routers, upgrading to a Wi-Fi 6 router has numerous appealing advantages. If your home internet plan can handle it, you’ll be able to enjoy faster speeds (up to 9.6Gbps), better security, and more management by being able to connect more devices to one access point.

So, that means you need a wireless router installed in your smart home in order to get advantage of uninterrupted speed and range. There are certain factors which are necessary to consider while choosing best routers for your Wi-Fi technology. It includes speed, range, design, bandwidth, and its mesh system. If you are new to this technology and aren’t fully aware of Wifi-6, Read our article on “Wi-Fi 7 Vs 6: Difference, Compatibility and Speed” as it entails all the features of each of them and will be of great source of knowledge for you. 

Coming back to the routers, lets get started with best Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers you can get installed to run your smart homes. 

Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers

A new generation of high-end routers built to benefit from increased speeds and bandwidth has been introduced with Wi-Fi 6. Is it time to modernize and secure your network for the future? To assist you in making a decision, we tested all the most recent entries. We have tested the best alternatives for it and have came up with the following recommendations: 

TP-Link Archer AX50 (AX3000): Best Price 

You will soon find that why TP-Link Archer AX50 has won Editors’ Choice award for affordable Wi-Fi 6 routers. 

The rare modestly priced router that strikes the ideal balance between high-end and entry-level versions is the TP-Link Archer AX50 ($149.99). In our throughput tests, the Archer AX50 not only provided reliable speeds, but also strong 5GHz coverage in our signal strength tests. The majority of Wi-Fi 6 technologies, including 160MHz channels, are supported, but WPA3 encryption is not. The Archer AX50 can affordably accommodate basic streaming and gaming, business and personal conversations, and Internet browsing. In addition, it has a ton of features, such as four Ethernet ports on the back, four external antennas supporting two Wi-Fi bands, and support for more sophisticated features like beamforming, link aggregation, MU-MIMO, and QoS, making it ideal for homes with both basic and advanced users.

The TP-Link Tether mobile app for Android and iOS smartphones, as well as the web console, are both available for controlling the AX50. Despite the fact that both are simple to use, the online console has a few more sophisticated choices, including DHCP Server, NAT Forwarding, Firewall, and IPv6 settings.

Key features

  • Coverage: Our throughput testing revealed a good performance from the AX50. Its 109Mbps speed was more than that of the Linksys MR 7350 (78Mbps), D-Link DIR-X1560 (100Mbps), and D-Link DIR-LX1870 (80Mbps). The AX50, at a speed of 42Mbps, was the fastest at a distance of 30 feet.
  • Parental Control: This router Comes with The Parental Controls in Homecare. This features provide presets for Children, Pre-Teens, Teens, and Adults that block websites that contain gambling, social networking, gaming, chat rooms, and other adult content. Additionally, you may look up surfing data and give every client access restrictions and time limits.
  • Easy Setup and Management:  The TP-Link Tether mobile app for Android and iOS smartphones, as well as the web console, are both available for controlling the AX50. Despite the fact that both are simple to use, the online console has a few more sophisticated choices, including DHCP Server, NAT Forwarding, Firewall, and IPv6 settings.
  • Security: The TP-Link HomeCare anti-malware, parental control, and QoS software is preinstalled on the Archer X50. The anti-malware programme enables you to quarantine infected clients, implement Malicious Content Filters, and receive security alerts.
  • USB Port: AX50 has a USB 3.0 port.
  • Pricing: For a $150 router, the TP-Link Archer AX50 provides some nice high-end features, such as USB connectivity and numerous LAN ports with link aggregation.

What we find the best in Archer AX50?

If you are short of budget, then Archer AX50 definitely your thing.  In addition to this, The best thing about buying a TP-Link router is that you receive lifelong access to more sophisticated security features that would have required a separate subscription on routers from competing brands. This makes upgrading to a powerful Wi-Fi 6 router for your house simple and economical.

What we done like about Archer AX50?

Anything that comes with exciting features does also have certain limitations. Its file-transfer efficiency is merely adequate, and WPA3 encryption is not supported. In addition to this, it is also prone to overheating and also lacks OneMesh support. 

Asus RT-AX86U: Best Gaming Router 

Either you are a gamer or not, Your wireless networking wish list should include this Editors’ Choice-winning router at the top.

Asus is one of the leading brands in the gaming router market, offering the best selection of quick, flashy routers that guarantee top performance, low latency, and sophisticated connection controls. It has three rotating antennae with a striking red and black appearance. Additionally, it features many connectors, including two USB 3.2 connections and a 2.5 Gbps port that may be configured as WAN or LAN. It includes a complete set of tools for streamlining your gaming connection, such as an Open NAT database of platform- and game-specific port forwarding rules and an adaptive quality-of-service engine. There is even a mobile game mode that prioritizes traffic to your phone right away.

Most importantly, it uses Wi-Fi 6 effectively enough that even members of your household who don’t play games will find it useful. It achieved astounding top speeds in our testing facility, clocking in at local transfer rates on the 5GHz band as high as 1.8 Gbps at wireless ranges of up to 37.5 feet.

Key Features

  • Coverage: Asus RT-AX86U offers an impressive coverage for Wi-Fi 6 up to 2500 sq. ft. Around wireless distances of up to 37.5 feet in our experiment, it recorded remarkable peak speeds, clocking in with local transfer rates on the 5GHz band as high as 1.8 Gbps (at 75 feet, speeds only decreased to about 1.4 Gbps).
  • Parental Control: From thorough parental controls to traffic prioritization and network security, everything is covered. This features Trend Micro-powered AiProtection Pro, which scans your network for harmful activity without requiring a membership.
  • Easy Setup and Management: With a WAN connector that supports incoming speeds up to 2.5 Gbps, it feels suitably future-proof even without Wi-Fi 6E. It is quick, fully featured, and simple to use. It is simpler for the router to manage many devices at once or to aggregate multiple lines of data to devices that use multiple antennas if your home has capability for 4×4 MU-MIMO connections on the 5GHz band.
  • Security: It has AiProtection PRO, which prevents any malicious interventions and manage the network traffic. In addition to that, it supports WPA3 network security.  
  • USB Port: It offers USB 3.2 Gen 1 x 2. 
  • Pricing: It is a full-featured complete package in just $251 on Amazon which makes it a top pick among gamers. 

What we like about Asus RT-AX86U?

As per our testing, if effectively carries the traffic use of Wi-Fi 6 ensuring uniform speed and uninterrupted performance. Multi-gig WAN port and best in class latency management are some other features which makes it a definite eye catching design.

What we don’t like about it? 

One thing in its design is its bulky infrastructure which makes it less handy. In addition to this, Smart Connect” band steering slows down average speeds and its also does not offer additional 5GHz band for dedicated gamers. 

Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500: Best Wi-Fi 6E

It stands no doubt that Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 is a an immensely powerful router for Wi-Fi 6 and 6E. It looks like a powerhouse. A 1.8 GHz quad-core processor, 512MB of NAND flash memory, and 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM are all found inside the RAXE500. This 1.8GHz AX optimised CPU-powered AXE1000 router is built to handle 8K video streaming and high traffic loads. The router has some outstanding speed specifications thanks to its powerful technology and compatibility for Wi-Fi 6E. With a combined theoretical bandwidth of 10.8 Gbps, the three frequencies in question are 2.4 GHz up to 1.2 Gbps, 5 GHz up to 4.8 Gbps, and 6 GHz up to 4.8 Mbps. As a result, it has three unique frequencies, making it a tri-band router.

Although not the largest we’ve seen, the router’s size is by no means modest. The Netgear RAXE500 weighs 3.2 lb (1.45 kg) and measures 11.7 x 3.07 x 8.3 in (298 x 78 x 211 mm) but doesn’t feel overly large. Although not the largest we’ve seen, the router’s size is by no means modest. The Netgear RAXE500 weighs 3.2 lb (1.45 kg) and measures 11.7 x 3.07 x 8.3 in (298 x 78 x 211 mm) but doesn’t feel overly large.

For even faster speeds, it also supports Gigabit port link aggregation. There are also two USB 3.0 connections available for adding network-accessible storage.

Key Features

  • Coverage: With a close-proximity test speed of 924Mbps, it outperformed the Netgear RAX120, TP-Link, and Linksys routers by almost 100Mbps. It achieved 301Mbps over a distance of 30 feet, outperforming the Linksys MR9600 AX6000 and only falling behind the TP-Link Archer AX11000.
  • Parental controls: Parental controls are limited; you can set access schedules and block access to certain websites but not the comprehensive age-based parental controls.
  • Easy setup and management: Because there are no antennas to screw onto the body of the Netgear RAXE500, the body is made of solid black plastic and is straightforward to deploy. The design certainly saves time and effort because the hardware setup is as easy as unfolding the two wings. The Netgear Nighthawk mobile app for Android and iOS and the web console may both be used to control the RAXE500, however the web console is required to access advanced options like Port Forwarding, Link Aggregation, Static Routing, NTP settings, and Readyshare  settings.
  • Security: Although it is stated that security is “built in” to the router, we were disappointed to learn that the RAXE500 requires an additional fee. Netgear Armor, a Bitdefender-powered cyber security programme that shields the network and its users from viruses, phishing scams, spyware, hackers, and other malware, comes with a free 30-day trial subscription. After a 30-day trial, the price is $69.99 per year. In addition to that, it supports both WPA2 and WPA3.
  • USB Port: It has a pair of USB 3.0 ports.
  • Pricing: It is one of the most costly and fastest consumer routers available, costing $600

What we like about Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500?

As per our test, it is the only Wi-Fi 6 router that supports 6GHz radio spectrum. The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 has the Wi-Fi 6E technology you need to future-proof your network.

What we don’t like about it?

For people with low budget, $600 won’t be a good deal. Its Netgear Armor Protection also requires subscription. Another thing which limits its performance and make the competitors to take the lead is its limited parental control and no QoS setting.