Amazon has got a new clicker for its Fire TV devices, the Alexa Voice Remote Pro, which features handy "Find Remote" Alexa commands, a backlit button for streaming in the dark, and other cool tricks that make Amazon is the right way to upgrade your streaming experience.

However, Amazon does not bundle this remote with any of its Fire TV devices, so you'll always pay a little extra to get Amazon's best. Currently, this price is $5 more than the price of Roku's high-end remote, the Roku Voice Remote Pro. So, in this Alexa Voice Remote Pro review, we'll show you how the two clickers are similar and different, as well as the features found in the remotes that come with the best streaming devices.

Is the Alexa Voice Remote Pro right for you? Or would a month-long 4K ad-free version of Netflix and HBO Max be worth the price? Let's find out.

The Alexa Voice Remote Pro is priced at $34.99 (opens in new tab), $5 more than the $29.99 Roku Voice Remote Pro. [It is available to anyone with a Fire TV Stick 4K, 2nd generation (2016) or later Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick Max, or Fire TV Stick Lite.

Amazon's Fire TV 4 series, Fire TV Omni series, Fire TV Omni QLED series, and select Toshiba and Insignia brand Fire TVs are also supported. If you need more information, see Amazon's support guide (opens in new tab).

The Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro is similar enough to previous Amazon remotes, but it has longer front and back edges and is not curved. Besides, its buttons are backlit, unlike the buttons on most streaming device remotes (the Nvidia Shield TV remote is the other exception).

On the front are a power button, an Alexa button, and a wireless headphone button, with the third button being a first for Amazon. Clicking it opens a headphone pairing screen on the Fire TV; I wish the Alexa Voice Remote Pro had a headphone jack, but the Roku Voice Remote Pro does.

Then there is a basic navigation dial, with an unmarked select button in the middle. Below that are a row of buttons for system navigation, including Back, Home, and Menu. The next row is content navigation, with rewind, play/pause, and fast forward. The next section is the tricky part. There is volume navigation on the left, Live TV and settings in the center, and navigation (used for the cable box and selected apps) on the right. I would probably get rid of this up/down button only because I prefer the Recents button (for app switching) introduced on the Amazon Fire TV Cube (2022).

Then there is a Mute button (recessed, no-look, easy to use) and two programmable buttons (also found on the Roku Voice Remote Pro). These buttons can be paired with apps and Alexa commands. If you're a smart home type of person, you can open your favorite app and dim all the lights with two clicks. Neat. Personally, I use this button to open YouTube and Sling TV. These two apps do not have dedicated remote control buttons (the remote I am reviewing has buttons for Prime Video, Netflix, Disney Plus, and Hulu).

This is a much more capable set of buttons than the minimal Apple TV Siri remote control, but I find it odd that there is no input switching button (which only the Chromecast with Google TV 4K and HD offers).

Amazon has added a small speaker to Voice Remote Pro that can beep to help you find it. For those who have an Alexa speaker nearby or use a Fire TV Cube, this is an easy and great feature: just say "Find my remote" and a little 8-bit ringtone will ring from the remote. All you have to do is say, "Find my remote control," and a little 8-bit ringtone will ring from the remote control.

It works as advertised, but I must point out a problem. You have to touch it to talk to it. This creates a problem in how to activate the remote finder. When I tried it in this situation, I opened the Alexa app on my phone and tapped the Alexa button and said "Find my remote."

Anyone paying $35 for an Amazon Fire TV remote probably has Amazon speakers around, but I can imagine situations where there are no speakers or compatible ones nearby. in our review of the Roku Voice Remote Pro, we discuss how hands-free voice activation is explains why it is useful.

When I think of "high-end remotes for the money," I don't think of those that require you to buy batteries; the best remotes, like Apple's Siri remote and the Roku Voice Remote Pro, are rechargeable.

This means not only less waste and extra expense, but also no need to leave the house to buy them or wait for delivery. However, Amazon is making us spend $35 for a remote control that requires us to buy more batteries.

The first AAA batteries are thankfully free.

The Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro is a step in the right direction, but a bit pricey ($5 more than Roku's, but $25 less than Apple's expensive Siri remote). Nevertheless, the trick of finding a lost remote is something the $129 Apple TV 4K can't do, and the backlit buttons are better than any streaming device's remote (except Nvidia Shield's).

A more affordable way to upgrade your Fire TV experience without buying the new $139 Fire TV Cube (2022) is the new Alexa Voice Remote Pro for those already in this ecosystem. That said, I think Roku handles this high-end remote control war better due to its reliance on batteries and lack of touch-free voice commands if you lose your remote.