Google Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell, and More: The 6 Best Smart Thermostats

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Written By Hassan Zaka

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With home heating rates set to hit new highs this winter, smart thermostats are one of the most significant smart devices you can add to your house, whether you rent or buy. The greatest smart thermostats aren’t only handy; they may also save you money on your power bill month after month, for as long as you reside in your house.

In addition, many utility providers offer a mail-in rebate when you buy and install a new smart thermostat, which provides you additional savings over and above the thermostat’s retail price.

You’ve been losing out if you’ve just had an old-fashioned programmable thermostat up until now. Smart thermostats can keep your home at a consistent temperature based on a schedule you establish. Many people, on the other hand, can find out what temperature is optimal without your guidance. They will understand your preferences, routine, and habits over time.

Some thermostats can detect when you leave your house using geofencing and the smartphone in your pocket, and change the temperature appropriately. Many thermostats are also data analysts, producing a monthly report on your energy consumption and how it compares to previous times. The bottom line is that these devices are not only useful, but they may also save you money over time.

The less you spend on a smart thermostat, the sooner you’ll see a return on your investment. However, a lower-cost model usually comes with fewer features and capabilities. You should invest in a smart thermostat that is well-suited to your house, schedule, and lifestyle to save the most money over time.

Here are the List of The 6 Best Smart Thermostats

Best Smart Thermostat Overall

1.    ecobee Smart Thermostat with Voice Control

The ecobee Smart Thermostat with Voice Control is a full-featured Alexa gadget that can do it all. It will, for example, integrate with Apple HomeKit and act as a hub for ecobee’s smart camera and entry sensors (so it works with Siri and your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch).

Most significantly, as a smart thermostat, it will assist you in controlling the temperature in your house while also saving you up to 26% on your annual energy expenditures.

The ecobee’s distinguishing feature, aside from Alexa and Siri connectivity, is its remote sensor. One is included in the package, and it allows you to verify that the temperature is comfortable in a specific place, not simply where the thermostat is.

Put the remote sensor in a room that’s always cold in the winter, and ecobee will priorities heating that room even if the thermostat’s primary location is within the correct temperature range.

Although controlling the ecobee with your voice is straightforward (and convenient when you’re lounging on the sofa), the user-friendly mobile app offers you access to a wealth of extra information, such as the temperature in any area where a remote sensor has been installed.

If you prefer a more hands-on approach, you may manage the thermostat using the device’s touchscreen. If you choose eco+ mode, the gadget will learn your routine and adjust the temperature accordingly. Once it learns your lifestyle, preferences, and routine, this function will save you energy and money. You may also manually set target temperatures.

Best Budget-Priced Smart Thermostat

2.    Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

The ecobee Smart Thermostat is simple to install and features 12 connections for managing your heating and cooling, as well as optional accessories such as a whole-house humidifier or dehumidifier. If your home has a C wire, installation is simple; if it doesn’t, ecobee provides a Power Extender Kit and instructions for wiring it up. Overall, you can probably do it yourself without having to hire an electrician.

While there are some fantastic deals on smart thermostats, a quality one will usually set you back $200 or more. That’s one of the benefits of Emerson’s Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat. It’s a gadget that costs roughly half as much as the competitors. Of course, it’s not a runway model of a thermostat in the same way as the ecobee3 or the Nest are fashionable and appealing. What it lacks in appearance, however, it more than makes up for in simplicity of use and general usefulness. It’s straightforward to set up (albeit it does require a C wire), easy to operate, and compatible with a variety of different smart home devices.

The Sensi, for example, can detect when you enter and depart and change the temperature accordingly. Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are all voice-enabled, and it works with Samsung’s SmartThings home automation system, for example. While some smart thermostats have more in common with computers than with, well, thermostats, the interface here is simple to get used to even if you’ve never used one before. The brightly lighted display is simple to see, and the modest array of buttons surrounding the screen may be used to operate it.

Because this is a smart thermostat, you can control it from anywhere using your Apple iPhone or Android-based smartphone or wristwatch. You have the option of setting the temperature and forgetting about it, or creating a schedule for the thermostat to follow. When you enable geofencing, your location will be taken into account as well.

The Sensi can also watch your heating and cooling, as well as generate monthly statistics to measure your entire energy consumption.

“By regulating the temperature utilizing customizable scheduling, remote access, and geofencing, the Sensi smart thermostat saved consumers roughly 23% on HVAC energy use,” according to Emerson. The purchase of this thermostat presently entitles you to up to $125 in local utility rebates, according to the company’s website.

The Google Nest features a distinct “modern retro” design that sticks out among the sea of rectangular and square touchscreens available. It also has more finish options (about a half-dozen) than any other smart thermostat.

As long as you have a suitable HVAC system, Nest makes setup a breeze. The Nest thermostat is designed to operate with current 5-wire furnaces with a C wire, although it may function with an older 4-wire configuration if you have any worries.

You answer a few questions, connect it to your Wi-Fi network, and let it figure out your schedule and climatic preferences after it’s installed. Google Nest recognizes when you’re gone, so it won’t cool or heat an empty house, and it learns your schedule, lowering temperatures overnight or when you’re out of the house on a regular basis.

Best Smart Thermostat For An Automated Smart Home

3.    Google Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen)

Nest also considers how long it takes to heat or cool the house to the desired temperature. When you tweak it during the day, it will pick up on that as well, and before you know it, Google Nest will be maintaining your house just how you want it with little to no input from you. Best of all, after it learns your route and preferences, it will automatically make modifications that will minimize your utility bills (sometimes significantly).

It works with Nest Cam, Nest Hub, Nest smart speakers, and other compatible smart devices as part of the Google Nest ecosystem. You may also add ecobee’s remote sensor functionality to your Nest setup in up to six rooms if you like it (though unlike ecobee, it senses temperature only, and lacks motion sensors to tell if you are physically in the room). It does not, however, integrate with Apple HomeKit.

The Nest Learning Thermostat can be installed in less than an hour with just a few simple tools, even if you don’t have access to an electrician (like a screwdriver). This thermostat works with any iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, as well as Android-based mobile devices, using the Nest mobile app.

Best Smart Thermostat For Electric Baseboard Heat

4.    Mysa Smart Thermostat

The majority of smart thermostats are geared for houses with central heating and air conditioning, which can leave those with electric baseboard heat in the cold. The Mysa Smart Thermostat is one of the few devices on the market that meets this criteria, and it works well if you can live with a few drawbacks.

The fact that your HVAC system isn’t centralized means that you’ll have to install a separate Mysa in each room with baseboard heating that you wish to regulate is one of the biggest drawbacks. This initiative, which costs roughly $100 per room, may mount up, but if you just have two or three rooms, it’s comparable to a regular smart thermostat. If you have more than one, you can use the mobile app to establish “zones” to manage them all at once, making it act like a regular smart thermostat.

The Mysa is clearly self-installable, although the multi-wire setup is obviously complicated. If you’re worried about miswiring it, you should hire a professional electrician for the 15-minute installation. Once it’s installed, you can use the appealing lit display with touch-sensitive buttons to manage it, establish a schedule on the mobile app, or rely on its broad smart home connectivity (Alexa, Google, Samsung SmartThings, or Apple HomeKit) to have it regulate your temperature automatically.

If you have electric in-floor heating, air conditioning, or mini-split heat pumps, separate Mysa smart thermostats are available. Each one has scheduling, geofencing, zoning, remote control, shared access, and energy charting features that can help you save money in the long run.

Best Large Touchscreen Smart Thermostat

5.    Bosch BCC100 Smart Thermostat

The bright, five-inch, full-color touchscreen that you can use to adjust the temperature in your house is what sets this smart thermostat different. You may also use your voice or the device’s own smartphone app to manage the thermostat remotely (available for iPhones and Android-based devices).

The Bosch BCC100 smart thermostat includes all of the capabilities that you’d expect from a modern smart thermostat. You can do it yourself since it’s simple to install—assuming, of course, that your present HVAC system accepts a C wire. It can manage most typical HVAC systems, such as gas, oil, and electric systems with two heating and two cooling stages, heat pumps with four heating and two cooling stages, and any one-wire internally driven whole-home humidifier or dehumidifier.

It works with an iPhone or Android app, and you can use Amazon Alexa to control the device. However, that’s about the limit of smart home integration. Because geofencing isn’t available, the BCC100 won’t know if you’re at home and won’t adjust the temperature or heating/cooling schedule depending on your presence, as other thermostats may.

However, you might be willing to overlook this in exchange for access to the stunning five-inch full-color touchscreen. This is the Bosch’s main selling point: it looks fantastic and is simple to operate. It may be used to set a precise temperature, establish a schedule, and even regulate your home’s dehumidifier if one is installed.

Best Smart Thermostat for Large Homes

6.    Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat

The Honeywell Home T9 distinguishes itself by supporting up to 20 remote sensors (you get one included in the basic package and can buy additional ones separately). As a result, you can monitor the temperature in big homes and instruct the T9 which rooms to priorities so they achieve the appropriate temperature.

Although aesthetics are largely a matter of personal preference, Honeywell’s rectangular shape may strike you as a touch industrial in comparison to ecobee and Nest’s beautiful designs. Despite this, you get a basic touchscreen display and app management on your smartphone, as well as Alexa and Google integration. However, smart home integration is limited—it works with Samsung SmartThings but not with other Honeywell smart devices. You may use IFTTT to configure the system for smart automation, such as geofenced awareness of when you’re at home or away. Ecobee installation is no more difficult than ecobee installation.

Which Smart Thermostat Is The Best?

When choosing the right smart thermostat for your home, a lot has to do with personal preference and how you think the device will look on your wall. There are, however, some key features and functions to be on the lookout for that will make the thermostat easier to use and allow you to save more money over the long-term.

For example, it’s worth paying extra for a smart thermostat that learns your personal preferences, schedule and habits, and that can detect when you’re home so it can automatically adjust the temperature in your home accordingly. You’ll also benefit from a smart thermostat that uses remote sensors that can be placed throughout your home, which will allow the device to maintain a comfortable temperature in specific rooms that you use most often.

Compatibility of equipment is also crucial. If you have an Apple iPhone or Apple Watch, you’ll want a smart thermostat that’s compatible with Apple HomeKit and can respond to Siri instructions, for example.

In a nutshell, while buying for a smart thermostat, consider functionality, aesthetics, and pricing rather than the brand name of the manufacturer. Also, see whether your utility provider offers mail-in rebates for specific brands and thermostat models, since this might save you at least $100 on the device’s purchase price—money that can be used toward expert installation by a certified electrician.

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