5 Best Mesh Wi-Fi Systems in 2023: How to Choose the Best Mesh Router For You
If you want to step up your Wi-Fi game at home, having a mesh network is worth considering. Streaming videos, playing online games, and working online is surely faster and more efficient. But among the many products in the market, which is the best mesh Wi-Fi system for you?
Mesh Wi-Fi systems perform better than traditional routers or regular routers. Mesh setups remove dead spots, improve the Wi-Fi network, and expand Wi-Fi coverage. They’re ideal for big homes and large buildings, so you need to carefully decide which one to get.
Whether you’re on a budget or not, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we created a list of our top picks from the best performance to the best budget. We’ll also look at the wireless standards, speed, coverage, performance, security features, and cost.
Ready? Let’s get straight to it.
Table of Contents
Best Overall: Netgear Orbi AX6000 (RBK853)
The Netgear Orbi AX6000 (RBK853) is a killer beast. It ticks all the boxes on our checklist. It has incredibly fast speeds, wide wireless coverage, excellent performance, tight security features, and reasonable costs.
It’s a tri-band mesh Wi-Fi that supports up to 100 Wi-Fi devices. If you’re in a home with plenty of smart devices, you’ll never worry about buffering or slow internet speeds.
The Orbi RBK853 has 8 high-power antennas that allow it to cover up to 7,500 square feet. So whether you’re in your room, kitchen, or basement, you’d get to enjoy uninterrupted browsing, gaming, or streaming. Plus, the 6000 Mbps speed is incredibly fast enough to support all your online activities.
On top of those, the RBK853 also comes with heightened security features and parental controls. Netgear Armor comes with the following features that you can customize on the app:
- Advanced System Scanning
- Personalized Protection Score and Recommendations
- Threat Analysis and Notifications
- Computer and Mobile Device protection
- Real-time device protection
- Bitdefender VPN
- Complete device protection
- Auto-blocking cyber attacks
We love the Orbi RBK853 for its solid performance, especially in office setups. Although it’s on the expensive side, we think it’s reasonable for a 3-pack mesh kit. When you purchase an Orbi, you can get 1 router and 2 satellites. With the specs it comes with, that’s a catch!
You can read our Orbi AX4200 vs AX6000 comparison if you want more info on this amazing router.
Best Performance: TP-Link Deco X68
The TP-Link Deco X68 is a tri-band mesh WiFi. The 2-pack mesh system supports Wi-Fi 6 and is backward compatible. It offers lightning speeds to up to 150 mobile devices at home.
What we love about this mesh system are the built-in technologies. The Deco X68 has 7 streams, 3×3 MU-MIMO, OFDMA, and beamforming. These technologies allow Deco X68 to manage multiple devices at once.
MU-MIMO and OFDMA allow the mesh system to transmit data to all connected devices faster and smoother. Then the unit’s 5 high-powered built-in antennas and beamforming provide a wider signal coverage. The 2-pack kit already covers up to 5,500 square feet. So if you buy additional nodes, you’d get broader and stronger Wi-Fi coverage.
If you’re using smart home devices, gaming consoles, or video streaming devices at home, you’re good to go. You’d get to enjoy uninterrupted browsing and streaming all day.
Additionally, the TP-Link Deco X68’s security features and parental controls are also recommendable. With HomeShield, you’ll get to enjoy the following:
- Real-time protection from IoT (Internet of Things)
- Malicious site blocker
- Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
- Home Network Scanner
- Parental Controls
- Content filter
- Bedtime settings
- Time rewards feature
- Comprehensive reports and summaries
- Customizable QoS (Quality of Service)
All these and other extra features are accessible on the Deco App. From setting up to customizing the settings to access the reports, it’s all in one place.
Read our full review of the TP-Link Deco X68 for more info.
Best Budget: TP-Link Deco S4
The TP-Link Deco S4 is a 3-pack dual-band mesh Wi-Fi that supports Wi-Fi 5 and MU-MIMO. It’s a great mesh system if you’re on a tight budget or a beginner.
The Deco S4 supports decent speeds up to 1200 Mbps maximum speeds. The 2.4 GHz band goes up to 300 Mbps, and the 5GHz goes up to 867 Mbps. The MU-MIMO allows the mesh system to handle up to 100 devices simultaneously.
Although the Deco S4 only has 2 built-in antennas, it can cover up to 5000 square feet. Beamforming technology also boosts wireless signals for a broader and more reliable internet connection.
Although it’s not protected with TP-Link HomeShield, it has a very robust set of security features.
- URL Filter
- Time Limits
- Insights and reports
- Connectivity suspension
What we love about the S4 is that, for its price, it already comes as a 3-pack mesh kit. Plus, it’s suitable for mid-sized homes that need a stable connection at home.
Best Value: TP-Link Deco X20
The TP-Link Deco X20 takes its ‘Best Value’ title for a variety of reasons. For its price, this mesh system can already be a good alternative to a Netgear Orbi. On top of that, it’s only a third of its price!
The Deco X20 is a dual-band mesh that supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard. It offers blazing-fast speeds, superior range, and advanced features like MU-MIMO and OFDMA for better performance and efficiency.
The internal antennas extend the range and boost the wireless network up to 5,800 square feet. This gives you greater flexibility when it comes to placing your wireless router. It also ensures that you’ll be able to enjoy a stronger, more reliable signal throughout your home or office.
The Deco X20 also features 4 data streams for even faster speeds and greater capacity. Whether you’re streaming 4K video, gaming online, or simply browsing the web, the Deco X20 has the power and performance you need.
In terms of security, the Deco x20 comes with TP-Link HomeCare. HomeCare provides a complete kit of features to help you create a personalized, secure network for the whole family. With HomeCare, you can enjoy the following:
- Parental Controls
- Content Filtering
- Time limiting
- Application Priority
- Device Priority
- Malicious Site Blocking
- Intrusion Prevention System
- Infected Device Quarantine
We love the Deco X20 because it’s a versatile and powerful mesh system. It’s great for whole-home coverage, and it’s perfect for small to medium-sized homes. The X20 is also easy to set up and use, and it’s compatible with a variety of devices. Plus, the X20 is affordable, making it a great value for the money.
Best for Gaming: ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8)
The Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) is a tri-band system perfect for gaming, especially in larger homes. It offers the fastest speeds of up to 6,600Mbps. Thus, making it one of the fastest mesh systems on the market.
- 2.4 GHz channel: 574 Mbps
- 5GHz channel: 1201 Mbps
- 5GHz channel: 4804 Mbps
It also has MU-MIMO support for simultaneous streaming to multiple devices and beamforming technology for improved range and performance. With a 2-pack kit, you’d get broad Wi-Fi signals of up to 5500 square feet.
What we love about the XT8 is that it gives your network a new, faster layer of super-high-speed and smoother networking. It’s 3X faster than tri-band AC3000 (WiFi 5) routers.
The built-in Smart Connect automatically shifts devices between bandwidth options giving them ultimate priority based on their current activity. You can also dedicate the 2nd 5GHz band for gaming and streaming purposes.
It’s also great for wired connections. It has 4 ethernet ports with a 2.5G WAN/LAN port which transmits data incredibly fast. So you can connect your game consoles and other wired smart home devices.
Additionally, it’s AiMesh ready, so you can mix and match it with other Asus routers and mesh models.
How to choose the best mesh router
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the best mesh router for your home. First, consider the size of your home and the number of devices that will be connected to the router. A mesh router system with two or three units is typically sufficient for most homes.
Next, take a look at the speed and range of the router. The mesh router should be able to handle the speeds you need for all of your devices. It’s also important to make sure the router has a good range so that it can cover your entire home.
The third is your network speeds and the capacity of your internet provider. If you have a fast internet connection, you’ll need a router that can handle that speed.
Finally, consider the price of the router. Mesh router systems can be expensive, but they don’t have to be. There are a number of good options that are reasonably priced.
By keeping these factors in mind, you can narrow down your choices and find the best mesh router for your home.
The Bottomline
In our opinion, the best mesh routers in 2023 are the Netgear Orbi RBK853, TP-Link Deco X68, TP-Link Deco S4, TP-Link Deco X20, and ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8).
Just remember that in choosing the mesh wifi system for your home, think about the specs, your needs, and your budget. We hope you’d find the best mesh Wi-Fi that suits all your home and office preferences.
