Best Router 2023: Top options for upgrading your Wi-Fi speeds

The Netgear Orbi RBKE963 Wi-Fi 6E is the best all-round mesh system you can buy today. It comes with two satellites so you can ensure you get great coverage throughout your home, while our tests showed it to be the fastest mesh system we’ve ever reviewed, seeing unprecedented scores at a 10-metre range. 

Support for Wi-Fi 6E means it’s compatible with the latest Wi-Fi standard, while the 6GHz band delivers faster-than-wired speeds. This is also a quad-band system, allowing you to have multiple devices connected to the router simultaneously without seeing a significant slowdown in download speeds. 

We were also impressed by the number of features on this router, including built-in parental controls, as well as optional cyber security software if you pay for a subscription. 

It’s hard to find any flaws with this mesh system, although it is frightfully expensive. At launch, it was priced at $1499.99/£1499.99, making it even more pricey than a laptop or desktop PC. But if you want the absolute best Wi-Fi speeds, this is the best router or mesh system you can buy.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: Netgear Orbi RBKE963 Wi-Fi 6E Mesh System Review

The Linksys Atlas Pro 6 is the best value mesh system we’ve tested so far, capable of spreading Wi-Fi coverage throughout your entire home. It’s available in packs of one, two or three, allowing you to scale up or down depending on the size of your house.

The dual-band router achieved very impressive speeds in our performance tests, even when 10 metres away from your device. It bested the Eero 6 Plus, which was our previous ‘best value mesh system’ champ, and even rivalled some tri-band routers that had a far steeper price point.

Wi-Fi 6 is supported, which isn’t quite the latest standard (Wi-Fi 6E) but still ensures you’re making the most of modern devices such as the PS5, Xbox Series X and smartphones/laptops launched in 2022.

The main weak point of the Atlas Pro 6 router is the lack of features and custom settings, with even the likes of parental controls being limited. If you do like to tinker, then we’d recommend the Eero 6 Plus instead. But the Atlas Pro 6 will certainly still appeal to those who just want a simple, hassle-free mesh system with blazing fast speeds.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: Linksys Atlas Pro 6 Review

If you live in a small home, such as a flat, where there’s no need for a mesh system to maximise coverage, then we recommend the Asus RT-AX59U Extendable Router.

With Wi-Fi 6 support, our test results showed it to offer a superb performance, leapfrogging those that cost twice as much. But with just two bands, the router can struggle with homes that have dozens of devices trying to connect to the internet at once.

Those with small homes should see a big improvement on their default router though. And if you already own an Asus router with AIMesh upgrade, the Asus RT-AX59U can alternatively be used to extend an existing mesh system.

Best of all, the Asus RT-AX59U is very affordable compared to the competition, and so is a no-brainer option for those in small homes that was a serious speed boost for their Wi-Fi connection.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: Asus RT-AX59U Extendable Router Review

The TP-Link Archer AX90 is a standalone router rather than a mesh system, which means it’s best suited for those in a smallish home where fast and consistent internet speeds are more important than coverage. 

This is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router, which means it’s ideal for homes with many devices that require access to the internet. Our tests showed the 5GHz channel to be particularly speedy, offering comparable results to dedicated gaming routers such as the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000. 

The accompanying 2.4GHz bands weren’t as impressive due to the level of neighbouring interference, but are at least decent options for devices where rapid Wi-Fi speeds aren’t quite as important, leaving more bandwidth for the likes of consoles and PCs. 

It also supports TP-Links’ OneMesh technology, allowing you to build a mesh network via compatible range extenders. That’s a decent option to consider, but the TP-Link Archer AX90 arguably represents better value for those who just need a standalone router with a solid Wi-Fi connection for multiple devices. 

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: TP-Link Archer AX90 Review

It can be an absolute nightmare when the Wi-Fi goes down unexpectedly, especially if you’re working from home and have an important business meeting. The Netgear Orbi 5G Tri-Band WiFi 6 Mesh System (NBK752) looks to free us from such pain by featuring support for 5G.

By slipping in a 5G (or 4G) Sim card into the router, it will revert to the cellular network as a backup if the Wi-Fi ever goes down. This ensures peace of mind that you’ll stay connected to the internet, even if BT or Virgin lets you down unexpectedly. 

This Orbi can be purchased with either one or two satellites while offering tri-band Wi-Fi 6 that our performance tests showed to be both speedy and reliable. 5G speeds will of course depend on the signal available in your area.

We thought the parental controls and security features were excellent too, while the smartphone app can be used like a remote control for hassle-free tweaks. 

However, you can find faster Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems elsewhere, such as the Netgear Orbi RBKE963 Wi-Fi 6E, so this is only worth considering if you reckon the 5G backup network will be an invaluable feature. 

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: Netgear Orbi 5G Tri-Band WiFi 6 Mesh System (NBK752) Review

If you want a router primarily for online gaming, then there are a number of bespoke options. Our current favourite is the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE1600, which offers a blazing fast performance while also supporting the 6GHz band via the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard.

It’s important to note that this is a standalone router, and so doesn’t come with additional satellites to help spread coverage throughout large homes. But this is still one of the fastest routers we’ve ever tested, and could still manage breakneck speeds when 10 metres away from wireless devices.

We were really impressed with the various gaming-centric features when testing the Rapture GT-AXE1600. A Game Radar shows the user the current ping times of popular multiplayer games, while there are also parental controls that can help you prevent children from playing online past bedtime.

There are few better routers available for gaming, although given the high price, it’s worth checking out a mesh system if you care more about improving coverage for your home than high-speed gaming.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full Review: Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE1600 Review