diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api.proto b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
index d202486cfa..104da3037d 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api.proto
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
@@ -1143,7 +1143,7 @@ message ListEntitiesSelectResponse {
   reserved 4; // Deprecated: was string unique_id
 
   string icon = 5 [(field_ifdef) = "USE_ENTITY_ICON"];
-  repeated string options = 6 [(container_pointer) = "std::vector"];
+  repeated string options = 6 [(container_pointer) = "FixedVector"];
   bool disabled_by_default = 7;
   EntityCategory entity_category = 8;
   uint32 device_id = 9 [(field_ifdef) = "USE_DEVICES"];
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
index ed49498176..7213a56a09 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
@@ -1534,7 +1534,7 @@ class ListEntitiesSelectResponse final : public InfoResponseProtoMessage {
 #ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
   const char *message_name() const override { return "list_entities_select_response"; }
 #endif
-  const std::vector<std::string> *options{};
+  const FixedVector<std::string> *options{};
   void encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const override;
   void calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const override;
 #ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
diff --git a/esphome/components/copy/select/copy_select.cpp b/esphome/components/copy/select/copy_select.cpp
index bdcbd0b42c..e412aa9d90 100644
--- a/esphome/components/copy/select/copy_select.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/copy/select/copy_select.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,12 @@ static const char *const TAG = "copy.select";
 void CopySelect::setup() {
   source_->add_on_state_callback([this](const std::string &value, size_t index) { this->publish_state(value); });
 
-  traits.set_options(source_->traits.get_options());
+  // Copy options from source select
+  const auto &source_options = source_->traits.get_options();
+  this->traits.options_.init(source_options.size());
+  for (const auto &option : source_options) {
+    this->traits.options_.push_back(option);
+  }
 
   if (source_->has_state())
     this->publish_state(source_->state);
diff --git a/esphome/components/lvgl/lvgl_esphome.cpp b/esphome/components/lvgl/lvgl_esphome.cpp
index 7a32691b53..94766691b8 100644
--- a/esphome/components/lvgl/lvgl_esphome.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/lvgl/lvgl_esphome.cpp
@@ -300,11 +300,11 @@ void LvSelectable::set_selected_text(const std::string &text, lv_anim_enable_t a
   }
 }
 
-void LvSelectable::set_options(std::vector<std::string> options) {
+void LvSelectable::set_options(std::initializer_list<std::string> options) {
   auto index = this->get_selected_index();
   if (index >= options.size())
     index = options.size() - 1;
-  this->options_ = std::move(options);
+  this->options_ = options;
   this->set_option_string(join_string(this->options_).c_str());
   lv_event_send(this->obj, LV_EVENT_REFRESH, nullptr);
   this->set_selected_index(index, LV_ANIM_OFF);
diff --git a/esphome/components/lvgl/lvgl_esphome.h b/esphome/components/lvgl/lvgl_esphome.h
index 3ae67e8a0b..d18d954400 100644
--- a/esphome/components/lvgl/lvgl_esphome.h
+++ b/esphome/components/lvgl/lvgl_esphome.h
@@ -358,12 +358,12 @@ class LvSelectable : public LvCompound {
   virtual void set_selected_index(size_t index, lv_anim_enable_t anim) = 0;
   void set_selected_text(const std::string &text, lv_anim_enable_t anim);
   std::string get_selected_text();
-  std::vector<std::string> get_options() { return this->options_; }
-  void set_options(std::vector<std::string> options);
+  const FixedVector<std::string> &get_options() { return this->options_; }
+  void set_options(std::initializer_list<std::string> options);
 
  protected:
   virtual void set_option_string(const char *options) = 0;
-  std::vector<std::string> options_{};
+  FixedVector<std::string> options_{};
 };
 
 #ifdef USE_LVGL_DROPDOWN
diff --git a/esphome/components/lvgl/select/lvgl_select.h b/esphome/components/lvgl/select/lvgl_select.h
index a0e60295a6..e5dfc68436 100644
--- a/esphome/components/lvgl/select/lvgl_select.h
+++ b/esphome/components/lvgl/select/lvgl_select.h
@@ -53,7 +53,14 @@ class LVGLSelect : public select::Select, public Component {
     this->widget_->set_selected_text(value, this->anim_);
     this->publish();
   }
-  void set_options_() { this->traits.set_options(this->widget_->get_options()); }
+  void set_options_() {
+    // Copy options from lvgl widget to select traits
+    const auto &widget_options = this->widget_->get_options();
+    this->traits.options_.init(widget_options.size());
+    for (const auto &option : widget_options) {
+      this->traits.options_.push_back(option);
+    }
+  }
 
   LvSelectable *widget_;
   lv_anim_enable_t anim_;
diff --git a/esphome/components/select/select_traits.cpp b/esphome/components/select/select_traits.cpp
index a8cd4290c8..497bffbe01 100644
--- a/esphome/components/select/select_traits.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/select/select_traits.cpp
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 namespace esphome {
 namespace select {
 
-void SelectTraits::set_options(std::vector<std::string> options) { this->options_ = std::move(options); }
+void SelectTraits::set_options(std::initializer_list<std::string> options) { this->options_ = options; }
 
-const std::vector<std::string> &SelectTraits::get_options() const { return this->options_; }
+const FixedVector<std::string> &SelectTraits::get_options() const { return this->options_; }
 
 }  // namespace select
 }  // namespace esphome
diff --git a/esphome/components/select/select_traits.h b/esphome/components/select/select_traits.h
index 128066dd6b..e37ce8f77f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/select/select_traits.h
+++ b/esphome/components/select/select_traits.h
@@ -1,18 +1,19 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include <vector>
 #include <string>
+#include <initializer_list>
+#include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
 
 namespace esphome {
 namespace select {
 
 class SelectTraits {
  public:
-  void set_options(std::vector<std::string> options);
-  const std::vector<std::string> &get_options() const;
+  void set_options(std::initializer_list<std::string> options);
+  const FixedVector<std::string> &get_options() const;
 
  protected:
-  std::vector<std::string> options_;
+  FixedVector<std::string> options_;
 };
 
 }  // namespace select
diff --git a/esphome/core/helpers.h b/esphome/core/helpers.h
index 234d2a7d7d..9b0591c9c5 100644
--- a/esphome/core/helpers.h
+++ b/esphome/core/helpers.h
@@ -194,12 +194,8 @@ template<typename T> class FixedVector {
     size_ = 0;
   }
 
- public:
-  FixedVector() = default;
-
-  /// Constructor from initializer list - allocates exact size needed
-  /// This enables brace initialization: FixedVector<int> v = {1, 2, 3};
-  FixedVector(std::initializer_list<T> init_list) {
+  // Helper to assign from initializer list (shared by constructor and assignment operator)
+  void assign_from_initializer_list_(std::initializer_list<T> init_list) {
     init(init_list.size());
     size_t idx = 0;
     for (const auto &item : init_list) {
@@ -209,6 +205,13 @@ template<typename T> class FixedVector {
     size_ = init_list.size();
   }
 
+ public:
+  FixedVector() = default;
+
+  /// Constructor from initializer list - allocates exact size needed
+  /// This enables brace initialization: FixedVector<int> v = {1, 2, 3};
+  FixedVector(std::initializer_list<T> init_list) { assign_from_initializer_list_(init_list); }
+
   ~FixedVector() { cleanup_(); }
 
   // Disable copy operations (avoid accidental expensive copies)
@@ -234,6 +237,15 @@ template<typename T> class FixedVector {
     return *this;
   }
 
+  /// Assignment from initializer list - avoids temporary and move overhead
+  /// This enables: FixedVector<int> v; v = {1, 2, 3};
+  FixedVector &operator=(std::initializer_list<T> init_list) {
+    cleanup_();
+    reset_();
+    assign_from_initializer_list_(init_list);
+    return *this;
+  }
+
   // Allocate capacity - can be called multiple times to reinit
   void init(size_t n) {
     cleanup_();