Just to close this out, I ended up getting a Google Home Mini. It will be in our bathroom so my wife can use it to listen to music while getting ready for work, get traffic to the airports, and get the weather for any locations she might be flying to. Seem perfect for that. She can also use it to make (echo-y) calls while getting ready.
As a little bonus, we have a big tub in that bathroom and, embarrassingly, a television hooked up with a Chromecast, so being able to use the Mini to control Netflix (play/pause, next episode, different show) is pretty cool. Or, to play Youtube videos, or even show pictures, all soapy-hands free.
Echo, well 4 of them, controlling lights, music, fire TV stick (including fire tv pandora app which sounds better from the soundbar then the echo), time, weather, date, unit conversions/math, definitions, perhaps I think spelling too, timer/alarm, checking on Amazon order, adding things to shopping list, ordering stuff, cat litter box, sometimes have used the calling function, and also the find my iphone skill.
It turns on the device to scoop the litter via a TP link timer switch. Out of the ‘box’ the device runs continuously, this greatly shortens the life of the 2 motors (replacement is about every 6 months). So it’s on a timer only to run at designated times which normally coincide with my cat’s routine (she normally uses the litter box right after eating). But on occasion she is off schedule so with a voice command I can turn it on.
