Eero Pro 6 vs. Eero 6: Which should you buy?

The main difference between these two routers is the top speed with the Eero Pro 6 delivering speeds in excess of 1Gbps with ease even while connected to a remote node. While a single Eero 6 router supports a gigabit connection on its own, if you add in more nodes, you’ll be sharing your 5GHz band splitting your 1200Mbps speed. This allows for speeds up to 500Mbps with a little headroom, which is more than enough for most people.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Eero 6 Do you need another band?

If you deploy either of these routers alone, the speed you get will be basically identical, with most Wi-Fi 6 devices maxing out at 1200Mbps. If you only need one in an open space less than 1,500 sq ft, there’s very little reason to upgrade to the Eero Pro 6. While an Eero can be a great standalone router in a small space, they’re designed to work together.

If you are deploying two or more Eeros in your home, Eero Pro 6’s extra 5GHz band will keep transmission speeds over 1Gbps with ease. All of the nodes in your mesh will need to communicate with each other to work.

With only a single 5GHz band, Eero 6 must share that connection with both wireless devices and communication to the Eero connected to your modem. This essentially cuts the 1200Mbps best-case scenario speed in half leading to Eero’s recommendation for 500Mbps. This is similar to our testing of the Wi-Fi 5 Eero that had speeds around 400Mbps or right around half of its 867Mbps 5GHz band speed.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Eero 6 Get the right coverage

Eero Pro 6 is extremely compact for the specs it packs, especially considering it still manages to cover up to 2,000 sq ft. That’s not bad, and two or three should be able to cover an entire house with ease. Keep in mind that with wireless routers, you want to overbuy coverage a bit to account for things that will negatively affect signal strength, such as walls. If you have a home with concrete or plaster walls, your signal will decrease very quickly from room to room.

Your mesh will perform at its best when each node has a strong connection to another. Make sure to plan in some overlap to makes sure your speeds stay high. Your fastest speed will only ever be as fast as the slowest connection between your device and the modem.

Eero 6 covers a more modest 1,500 sq ft, so you will need more nodes to cover a house. Still, for many two or three-bedroom homes, two or three Eero 6 nodes should be sufficient. There’s no need to worry too much about getting this right immediately since nodes can be added easily if there’s a need.

If you’re looking for something to cover a studio apartment or similarly small and open space, either router should do a great job. In the case that you only need one router, the Eero 6 will be able to deliver gigabit speeds since it won’t need to share its 5GHz band with the mesh.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Eero 6 Expand your mesh

Eero excels at compatibility. If you have an older Eero mesh in your home, there’s no need to get rid of it. You can build a faster mesh with newer Eeros in the places you need it while keeping your older Eeros in service where speed isn’t really a big issue, such as a detached garage. Just be sure to connect your fastest Eero straight to the modem.

If you’re looking to get the most out of your Eero 6 or Eero Pro 6 mesh, you should stick with a Wi-Fi 6 capable Eero for expansion. Your three best options to expand your Eero Pro 6 mesh are more Eero Pro 6 routers for the best possible speed followed by either an Eero 6 or an Eero 6 Extender. The wireless capabilities for the Eero 6 Extender are identical to the standard Eero 6 but it lacks Ethernet ports. Still, for $40 less, it’s a great option.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Eero 6 Which one should you get?

There’s no doubt that Eero Pro 6 is faster than Eero 6 and both routers are competitive with the best wireless routers you can get. The main question is whether or not you need that sort of speed. More people than ever ask a lot of their home networks due to working from home or even attending school from home. Gigabit connections are great, and if you have one, Eero Pro 6 is right for you.

For most people, 500Mbps is likely faster than the connection you’re paying for, making the Eero 6 the best fit. You can also spend the money you saved on your base Eero to add another Eero 6 or Eero 6 Extender so you can make sure coverage is consistent all over your home. For most people, Eero 6 will be more than enough for quite some time.

Starter Wi-Fi 6

Eero 6

Fast enough for most people with easy expansion

$129 at Amazon

$129 at Amazon

Recommended for speeds up to 500Mbps, Eero 6 brings Wi-Fi 6 support and keeps the great Eero app setup and expansion options.

Gigabit speed mesh

Eero Pro 6

Gigabit speeds and seamless coverage in your house

$229 at Amazon

$229 at Best Buy

Eero Pro 6 adds another Wi-Fi band to easily deliver gigabit wireless speeds with expandable coverage all over your home.