Installing a smart thermostat–or upgrading the one you already have–will have an outsize impact not only how comfortable you are in your home, but also on your household budget. Heating and cooling your home accounts for nearly half of the average home’s utility bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A programmable thermostat can help reduce those costs by turning your HVAC system on when you anticipate being home, and off when you don’t think you’ll need indoor climate control. A smart thermostat goes far beyond relying on a simple schedule. It will enable you to create more sophisticated schedules for every day of the week, and give you complete control over your HVAC system, even when you’re away from home. We continually test and evaluate smart thermostats and can help you find the right one for your home. Why you should trust us TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing smart thermostats for more than a decade, installing them in our own homes to gain truly real-world experience before we commit to our opinions. We continuously test the latest smart thermostats, along with the apps that control them. We blend those experiences with our general knowledge of smart home devices, so we’re able to assess how well these products integrate with other smart system you’ll want to use. Updated July 16, 2024 with a link to our Degrii Smart Thermostat review. Best smart thermostat for every budget and HVAC system type Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium — Best smart thermostat overall Pros Beautiful industrial design Broad compatibility with other smart home ecosystems Outstanding user interface, both in the excellent app and on the device itself Radar-based motion detection, plus support for remote temperature/motion sensors Supremely easy to install and configure Cons Siri support requires the presence of an Apple HomePod or HomePod mini Air quality sensor won't trigger your HVAC system's fan to circulate air Pricey Price When Reviewed: $249.99 Best Prices Today: $219.99 at Amazon$228 at B&H$249.99 at Best Buy Why we like the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is simply one of the finest smart home products in any category. It’s spectacularly useful as a standalone device, but it’s designed to work with other important smart home platform on the market today. An included smart sensor allows you to monitor temperature and occupancy in a second location in your home. The user interface is polished and easy to use. Who should buy the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium Anyone who’s looking to install a smart thermostat should consider this Ecobee model. The only caveat for homeowners who want to use Siri voice commands is that you’ll need an Apple HomePod or HomePod mini to use as an interface with the Ecobee. Read our full Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium review Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd generation) — Best smart thermostat overall, runner-up Pros The best algorithms on the market Excellent interface and easy set-up Top-notch industrial design Cons Overly reliant on its built-in motion sensor (or your buying other Nest products) Nest doesn’t like geofencing, so it thinks you shouldn’t either Incompatible with Apple's HomeKit ecosystem Price When Reviewed: $249 Best Prices Today: $249 at Google Play Store Why we like the Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd generation) Nest practically invented the smart thermostat category when it released its first learning thermostat in 2011. Google offers detailed instructions that make installation relatively easy for inexperienced do-it-yourselfers. While the Nest is designed to learn your habits and automatically control your home’s temperature, there’s a robust set of manual controls for users who prefer to keep a closer watch over their home’s environment. Who should buy the Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd generation) Nest is still the best for choice users who don’t want to think about their thermostat. Since Nest is now manufactured by Google, it’s designed to work best with other devices in company’s ecosystem, including security cameras and smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. the thermostat is also compatible with Amazon’s Alexa smart home speakers and displays, and its Matter implementation enables it to work in the Apple Home ecosystem as well. Read our full Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd generation) review Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced — Best mid-range smart thermostat Pros Attractive glass touchscreen Best-in-class user interface, both onboard and in app Radar-based motion sensor HomeKit compatible Cons Buy a remote sensor and you’re at the same price as the Premium model Price When Reviewed: $189.99 Best Prices Today: $169.99 at B&H$189.99 at Best Buy$189.99 at Dell Home Home OfficeNot Available at Amazon Why we like the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced shares the user interface of the more expensive Premium model at a lower price. The Enhanced has all the features of the more expensive model except for the Premium’s fancy radar technology and the fact that it doesn’t come with Ecobee’s remote room/occupancy sensors–but you can add one later if you’d like. Who should buy the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced is a great choice if you find the Premium model to be too expensive. You’ll have the option to add a remote temperature/occupancy sensor if you decide you want one later, and the total price will be approximately the same as a Premium model. You will also need a smart speaker in your smart home setup if you want to use voice commands with this thermostat. Read our full Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced review Amazon Smart Thermostat — Best budget-priced smart thermostat Pros Automatically learns your heating and cooling needs Can be controlled with Alexa voice commands Broadly compatible with 24V HVAC systems Cons Not compatible with Google Assistant Not compatible with Apple HomeKit Power adapter kit costs extra if your HVAC system doesn’t have a C-wire Best Prices Today: $51.99 at Amazon Prime$79.99 at Amazon$79.99 at Best Buy Why we like the Amazon Smart Thermostat Amazon Smart Thermostat uses cloud-based machine learning to analyze how you use your HVAC system, and then uses what Amazon calls “Hunches” to predict when to heat or cool your home. The thermostat performance improves as it learns your habits over time. Who should buy the Amazon Smart Thermostat The Amazon Smart Thermostat is designed to work with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant, so it’s best for homeowners who’ve already committed to Amazon smart home products, especially since it’s not compatible with Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit. Read our full Amazon Smart Thermostat review Nest Thermostat — Best budget-priced smart thermostat, runner-up Pros Attractive industrial design, available in four colors Very easy to install, program, and use Monitors your HVAC system for potential problems Energy Star certified Cons No support for remote room sensors Not suited to more complex HVAC systems Backplate for covering holes from previous installations is a $15 option Best Prices Today: $89.95 at Walmart$105 at Amazon$129.99 at B&H Why we like the Nest Thermostat Google has designed its entry-level Nest Thermostat for users who think the flagship Nest Learning Thermostat is too expensive. At this price, you get a similarly attractive design and the same polished approach to programming and controls, but you won’t get remote sensors that can help your HVAC system achieve a balanced climate for your entire home. Who should buy the Nest Thermostat The Nest Thermostat will only read the temperature in the room where it’s installed, since it lacks the remote sensors that can connect to the Nest’s more expensive model and help refine its programming. This model is best for smaller home or apartments or for properties that don’t have much temperature fluctuation from room to room. Read our full Nest Thermostat review Mysa Smart Thermostat — Best smart thermostat for high-voltage heaters Pros Wi-Fi adapter is built in, no additional-cost bridge required Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit Easy-to-use mobile app Stylish industrial design Cons Minimalist design limits the amount of information the device itself can display Not compatible with Samsung SmartThings (compatibility was added after our review) Wiring can seem confusing compared to the thermostat you’re replacing Price When Reviewed: $129.00 Best Prices Today: $149 at Mysa Why we like the Mysa Smart Thermostat If you’ve got a high-voltage heating system designed for baseboard, radiant, fan-forced convector, and similar types of heaters, the Mysa Smart Thermostat will do the job. It looks great, has Wi-Fi capabilities built in, and has an easy-to-use mobile app with support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. Who should buy the Mysa Smart Thermostat There aren’t many choices on the market if you’ve got a high-voltage heating system. Fortunately, Mysa has designed a thermostat that meets the standard set by the other thermostats on our list. Unlike homes with a central HVAC system, you’ll need to install a Mysa Smart Thermostat for each of your individual heating units in different rooms of your house. Read our full Mysa Smart Thermostat review Sensibo Air Pro — Best controller for a stand-alone air conditioner Pros Adds smart features to many models of “dumb” air conditioners and heat pumps Indoor air quality sensor is a good addition to a great device Very easy to set up and use Works with Sensibo’s remote sensors and its smart air purifier Cons Only works with air conditioners with infrared remotes (not Bluetooth) Costs $40 model than the earlier Sensibo Air Won’t mitigate poor indoor air quality by triggering your air conditioner’s fan to circulate air Limited to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks Price When Reviewed: $149.99 Best Prices Today: $149 at Amazon$149.99 at Sensibo Why we like the Sensibo Air Pro The Sensibo Air Pro adds smart home capabilities to standalone heat pump and window unit air conditioners, and the Pro model features an integrated indoor air quality sensor. Sensibo has designed a product that’s easy to set up and use. Who should buy the Sensibo Air Pro Since the Sensibo Air Pro has no physical buttons, you’ll need to control the thermostat with a phone app. For the unit to work, your air conditioner will require an infrared remote instead of a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi remote. If you use an in-room AC unit, Sensibo can offer you many of the same features enjoyed by people with a whole-home HVAC system. Read our full Sensibo Air Pro review Cielo Breez Plus — Best controller for a stand-alone air conditioner, runner-up Pros Incredibly easy to set up and use Tracks humidity as well as temperature Broad compatibility with various models of air conditioners Cons Fragile build quality Unattractive industrial design Scheduling section of display is difficult to read Price When Reviewed: $149.00 Best Prices Today: $87.99 at Amazon Prime$109.99 at Amazon$149 at Cielo WiGle, Inc. Why we like the Cielo Breez Plus The Cielo Breez Plus is remarkably easy to set up and use. It’s also quite versatile, since it can record humidity and supports geofencing in addition to controlling the temperature for a single-room air conditioner.  Who should buy the Cielo Breez Plus The Cielo Breez Plus may not look as good as other models we tested, but we’ve included it here because it’s compatible with more air conditioner models that any of its competitors in this category. The Cielo smartphone app is well-designed and absurdly easy to use. Read our full Cielo Breez Plus review Frequently asked questions about smart thermostats Are smart thermostats hard to install? A thermostat shouldn’t be difficult to install, even if you’re only moderately handy. The manufacturer should provide comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand instructions with plenty of photographs or illustrations to guide you through the process. The thermostat itself should be clearly indicate which wires go where, and most companies provide labels that you can attach to the wires coming out of the wall as you disconnect and remove your old model. The wires themselves should be color coded, but a good practice is to photograph your old thermostat for reference before you take it down. Do I need a C wire to use a smart thermostat? Smart thermostats typically require more electrical power than a set of batteries can provide. Fortunately, they don’t require so much power than they need to be plugged into the wall. They rely instead on low-voltage power provided by your HVAC system. Many smart thermostats require the presence of a dedicated C (common) wire for this purpose, while others can siphon electricity from another source, typically the R (power) wire. But the latter practice is known to cause problems with some HVAC systems, including permanent damage. If you pull out your existing thermostat to install a smart model and find no C wire connected to it, look inside the wall to see if there’s one that hasn’t been connected. If there’s no C wire, our advice is to have one installed. Some smart thermostats–including our top pick, the Ecobee Premium, come with power adapter kits that can be installed if you don’t have a C wire and don’t want to pay to have one installed. Do smart thermostats support multi-zone HVAC systems? The short answer is typically yes, because you’ll install a smart thermostat in each of your existing zones. Here’s a longer explanation if you’re not sure what a multi-zone HVAC system is. If you have a larger home, your HVAC contractor might have installed a zoned system that lets you set a temperature target for different rooms–or different levels–instead of heating or cooling your entire home to a single target temperature. In this case, you’ll have multiple thermostats–one for each zone–that connect to a central control panel. The control panel opens or closes the dampers in each zone as needed to bring that zone to your preferred temperature. You’ll program the entire system using a single app. Do smart thermostats support multi-stage HVAC systems? Better HVAC systems offer multi-stage heating and cooling, meaning they can operate in steps, versus simply switching between on and off states. A two-stage system, for example, might have a “low” setting and a “high” setting, while a three-stage system might have “low,” “medium,” and “high.” When the ambient temperature is already close to your desired temperature, the system doesn’t need to ramp up to its full power to reach your target temperature. Conversely, when the ambient temperature is far from your desired temperature, the system can kick on at full tilt and then switch to a lower-power mode as it approaches the target. As a result, multi-stage HVAC systems are more efficient than single-state. Virtually all modern smart thermostats support both single- and multi-stage HVAC systems. Do smart thermostats work with heat pumps? All of the smart thermostats we’ve reviewed–apart from the ones designed work with portland and window air conditioners–are compatible with heat pumps. Not sure what a heat pump is? It’s an appliance that redistributes warm and cold air. In heat mode, it draws warmth from the air outside your home and releases it inside (a ground-source heat pump absorbs heat from the ground). This is a greener method of heating in that it doesn’t consume fossil fuels, such as natural gas. In cooling mode, a heat pump absorbs warm air inside your home and releases it outside. These appliances work best in milder climates that don’t experience freezing temperatures, although they can be combined with a conventional furnace for heating when outdoor temperatures get very low. Do smart thermostats work with portable and window air conditioners? Most smart thermostats are designed to work with central air conditioners, but there is a class of device that can control portable air conditioners (the type with casters that vent out a window) and window air conditioners (the type that sit on your window sill). These types of thermostats typically depend on the air conditioner in question have a remote control, as many modern units do. The Sensibo Air is our top pick in this category. Do smart thermostats work with high-voltage heaters? Most smart thermostats are designed to work with central HVAC systems. If your home is heated by high-voltage heaters (baseboard, radiant, or fan-forced convector, for example), you’ll need a thermostat that’s specifically designed to work with that type of heater. The Mysa Smart Thermostat is our top pick if you’re looking for a smart thermostat for a high-voltage heating system. What is geofencing? Geofencing uses a thermostat’s app and your smartphone’s GPS chip to establish a perimeter encircling your home. When you leave the perimeter, you presumably no longer need to heat and cool your home, or you can at least have the thermostat adjust the temperature so that it’s not running unnecessarily. When you cross the perimeter again as you come home, your HVAC system can kick into action so your house is comfortable when you walk in the door. Do all smart thermostats come with remote sensors? Geofencing is great—provided everyone who lives in the home has a smartphone. Motion and proximity sensors offer an alternative means of determining if your home is occupied and therefore in need of climate control. Some remote sensors deliver the added benefit of monitoring the temperature in remote locations, which can help reduce problems with hot and cold spots. Some smart thermostats can also tap into door and window sensors as well as the motion sensors for your home security system. And proximity sensors on the thermostat itself can trigger its display to turn on when you walk past it, making the screens a handy feature in their own right, even if for no other reason than providing a nighttime pathway light. You’ll find remote sensors with a growing number of high-end smart thermostats from Ecobee, Nest, Honeywell, and other manufacturers. Can I control a smart thermostat from anywhere? Smart thermostats connect to your Wi-Fi network and from there to the internet. This means you can monitor the temperature inside your home and control that status of your HVAC system–whether it’s heating, cooling, or just running its ventilation fan–from anywhere you have internet access–typically using the thermostat app on your smartphone. Can I integrate a smart thermostat into my smart home system? Every smart thermostat comes with an app so you can control it with your smartphone or tablet, but the best models can also be integrated with other smart-home devices and broader smart-home systems. This can range from being able to adjust the temperature with a voice command via an Amazon Echo (Alexa), Google Home (Google Assistant), or Apple HomePod (Siri) smart speaker to linking the thermostat to your smoke detector. That last feature will automatically turn off the system’s fan if smoke or fire are detected, which will preven smoke from being circulated throughout your home. Other options to consider include IFTTT support, Apple HomeKit compatibility, smart-vent connectivity, and tie-ins with home security systems. What’s a landlord thermostat? A landlord thermostat is just like any other thermostat except that it’s controlled by the person who owns the home or apartment and is renting it to a tenant. These are typically installed in residences where the landlord or a building manager is for paying for heating and cooling and therefore has a financial interest in keeping those costs under control. Even in situations where tenants are responsible for the heating and cooling bills, a smart thermostat can contribute to a more energy-efficient building. The thermostat usually has tamper-resistant features that prevent anyone else from making adjustments to it. While it might seem that the landlord is benefitting the most from installing a smart thermostat, smart home features–including smart thermostats–are an attractive feature for renters, who likely are willing to pay more rent in exchange for the convenience and the opportunity to reduce their energy costs. How we test smart thermostats We install thermostats in a single-family home with a conventional HVAC system and use each one for a week or more to determine how effective it is at maintaining a comfortable environment. The home’s existing thermostat was wired with G, R, W, and Y wires. There was also a C wire in the wall that was connected to the furnace, but that had not been previously used. While there is no regulated standard for color-coding HVAC wires, industry practice has the G wire connecting the thermostat to the fan. This wire is typically green. The R wire, typically red, is for power. Some systems have separate power wires for heating and cooling and are labeled RH and RC respectively. The typically white W wire is for auxiliary heat; i.e., a second source of heat. The Y wire, which is typically yellow, connects the thermostat to your air conditioner. Finally, the C or “common” wire is used to carry power and is typically blue (think cerulean if you need a mnemonic). Sensors, Smart Home, Thermostats

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