When you are looking for the best home thermostat there are a lot of things to take into consideration.
Right now, homes are being built with smart thermostats that are able to be controlled from outside physical control of the unit itself.
Even in homes where smart technology is not installed in the build, it is being added quickly, and that includes thermostat control. But choosing a programmable thermostat can be difficult if you do not know what to look for.
The technology is pretty advanced, and each one comes with a dizzying array of features.
In this guide, we will take a look at five of the best smart thermostats out there as well as give you some good information to help you choose a thermostat for your home.
A Spotlight On Some of The Best 2021 Home Thermostats in The Market
Nest Learning Thermostat
One of the things that is becoming standard with smart thermostats is the ability to integrate Amazon’s Alexa program into the thermostat itself. You need to look at the manufacturer specifications to determine whether or not it is already set up to work with Alexa.
In the case of this Nest learning thermostat, it already works with Alexa for voice control and it has a whole bunch of other features as well. One of the primary ways that this device outperforms all of the others is by giving you actual visual signals that tell you when you are saving energy.
A smart thermostat can do a lot of things, and one of them is making sure that you pay less per month for your electricity bill.
This thermostat also has a digital display that is built with the technology called Farsight which means that you no longer have to get up and walk to the thermostat in order to read it.
Instead, it lights up to show you things like the weather, the current time or the temperature inside your home.
You can choose customize settings like a digital or analog clock, or you can use the integrated smart technology to get those same notifications from wherever you are in the house.
Plus, while some thermostats are pretty basic when it comes to style, this comes in several different colors including copper, stainless steel, black and white.
You also love that if you have other Nest devices, they are all going to be able to communicate with each other and work synchronously.
For example, your thermostat can tell your smart washer and dryer when to run the load of laundry because the energy demand is at the lowest and that saves you money on your electricity bill.
- Compatible with Alexa.
- NEST compatible.
- Comes in 4 colors.
- Check the temperature from anywhere in the room.
- Pricey.
- A bit tricky to set up at first.
Ecobee 4 Thermostat with Sensor & Alexa
One of the best Wi-Fi thermostat models on the market right now is the Ecobee 4 Thermostat. This thermostat doesn’t have nearly as many features as the previous model that we just reviewed, but it does have enough.
This thermostat comes with a sensor that allows you to find out where the cold and hot spots are in your home and send more hot or cool air to that spot in order to even out temperature throughout your whole house.
This obviously saves a great deal of money on your electricity, because you do not have to heat the entire house in order to cover for a cold spot and vice versa.
You also get an app that allows you to have complete control over your thermostat from any android or Apple device.
You just download the app and the settings are easy to figure out and very user-friendly. It also works with various smart control technologies like Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings & more.
This unit integrates with Alexa, and you can use the voice control from far across the room. It is able to recognize your voice and your commands from quite a distance, due to the Far-Field technology included with it.
The main feature of this thermostat is the savings that it offers you over your normal electricity cost.
Not only does it cover hot and cold spots, but it is able to determine exactly when you should be using the heat to save money on your electricity costs.
That means that when you’re not at home, the thermostat will pick the correct time to return it to the temperature that you desire before you get home while still allowing for peak electricity use times which can cost you higher rates.
- Comes with Amazon’s Alexa already built-in.
- Advanced sensors for ultra-accurate temperature reporting.
- Quick installation.
- Controlled using a very convenient app.
- No color selection.
Honeywell Programmable Touchscreen Thermostat
If you are looking for the best smart thermostat, then you can’t go wrong with the Honeywell programmable touchscreen thermostat.
This energy star certified thermostat does require C-Wire, but once you have it you have access to the entire list of features that this thermostat offers.
It has integrated Alexa control, with the Alexa device being sold separately, so that you can use Alexa voice to change the temperature, change the settings or do any of the functions that you would normally be able to do from the keypad.
It also works with Siri and Apple home kit.
This thermostat has integrated GeoFencing technology that allows you to do location-based temperature control as well as keep track of your smart phone’s location.
This is an extremely useful feature that will be integrated in many smart devices in the years to come.
It also will be able to look at all of the zones that it since heat and cool air to in order to determine whether it should be heating or cooling down to the very last degree so that you are always as comfortable as possible.
You can either use the seven-day flexible scheduling function, or you can use location-based temperature control. You have a great deal of functionality with the smart thermostat.
Finally, this thermostat includes adaptive recovery which means that it learns from itself, determining how long it takes to achieve the right temperature and turning on the heat or cooling at the right time in order to take advantage of lower electricity rates due to reduced demand.
You also get smart alerts including push notifications for filter changes and warnings about extreme temperature and various zones around the house.
- Works with Alexa, Google, and Apple smart home kits.
- Can send you smart alerts.
- Can set up scheduling.
- Adapts automatically for extremely accurate temperature control.
- Companion app could be better designed.
Ecobee 3 Lite Smart Thermostat with Alexa
One of the best home thermostat models on the market right now is the Ecobee 3 Lite Smart Thermostat, a model that is only slightly less impressive than the Ecobee 4 that we reviewed earlier.
There is a lot to love about this thermostat including the fact that it is extremely easy to install.
While some thermostat companies make it really complicated to set up your smart thermostat, presumably so that they can charge you installation fees, this unit is easy to set up and start using.
You can set it to work with your local weather, your personal comfort settings, your schedule for when you’ll be in and out of the house and various other control features.
You also love the fact that you are able to buy room sensors separately and then set them up and various zones around the house so that you can determine where the hot and cold spots are and whether you should be heating or cooling that particular area.
This unit compare with the room sensors to report to you what spots need to be covered, or you can set it to maintain those areas automatically after you install the sensors.
Just follow the step-by-step instructions on setting up the thermostat itself, and then see how it integrates with the room sensors that you purchase separately.
You can control this thermostat from anywhere using your android or Apple device. It also has support for the Apple watch. You are able to adjust the temperature anywhere from 32 degrees Fahrenheit 131 degrees Fahrenheit.
When it comes to saving money, this thermostat has shown in laboratory tests that you can save more than 20 percent on your heating and cooling costs in comparison with a hold temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit with other thermostats.
- Easy installation.
- Very energy efficient.
- Controllable via app.
- Compatible with almost every smart home service.
- Uses sensors for accurate temperature control.
- Technically outdated (see Ecobee 4).
Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Thermostat
Finding the best programmable thermostat on a budget can be challenging, but the Emerson Sensi with Wi-Fi certainly fits the bill.
This is the budget option on this list, but don’t let that fool you because this is still one of the best smart thermostat units on the market.
This thermostat also features GeoFencing technology, which allows you to set the temperature for your own location without having to keep the rest of the house heated or cooled.
This is an absolutely amazing technology that saves you huge amounts of money on your utility bill. In addition, if you lose your phone, your thermostat can tell you where it is.
Some of the other features include integration with Amazon Alexa, integration with HVAC systems in most homes with a C-Wire and integration with various smart home platforms, Google Assistant and Google home.
You also get seven-day flexible scheduling meaning that you can determine the temperature based upon your schedule for a full seven days in advance, and you can control your thermostat remotely if you go on vacation.
Even though this is a budget option, this is still one of the most advanced thermostats currently on the market.
- One of the most energy efficient options on the market.
- Can work with Google, Apple, and Amazon smart home services.
- Affordable.
- Can give you detailed alerts.
- Simple to install.
- Has some connectivity issues.
Programmable Thermostat Buying Guide
If you are interested in buying a programmable thermostat, then you may want to take a look at this buying guide which will help you to know what to look for when evaluating your options.
These are three areas that you want to look at carefully when it comes to deciding whether or not to buy a particular thermostat.
Design
Design is obviously not the most important factor when it comes to a smart thermostat. However, some people underestimate the value of a good design.
With technology being included in various appliances and parts of your smart home, a thermostat that is not stylish and postmodern is going to look out of place.
Plus, if you cannot get the colors that you want for the area where you plan to install it, then the other features may not matter very much. Design is not the most important feature that you should be looking at, but it is a consideration to keep in mind and one that many people skip.
Compatibility
The next thing you want to look at is compatibility. Whether or not your smart thermometer is compatible with the devices that you plan to use the control is important.
Most smart thermometers are going to be compatible with Android and iOS devices, but you may also want your smart thermometer to work with Amazon Alexa so that you can control it using your voice via your Alexa device.
In addition, you may have other platforms that you want your smart thermometer to be compatible with, as well as other smart devices in your home such as your washing machine and dryer, your kitchen appliances and more.
Smart Technology
Finally, you want to look at the smart technologies that are included with your device. The main question that you have to ask yourself is whether or not your device does everything that you needed to.
There are a lot of different things that smart thermostats can do these days, and you definitely want to look at a few different ones to determine what features are available so that you can decide whether or not that is a priority for you.
Smart technology like scheduling, integration with room sensors, GeoFencing and others is available on many of the smart thermometers that are currently on the market.
Conclusion
Finding the best home thermostat is something that can be challenging but also really exciting.
We have reviewed five of the best ones that are currently available in this article, but there is nothing wrong with doing your own research and taking a look around to see what is available.
Your smart thermometer is going to be one of the foundation technologies that your smart home is based upon, so you want to make sure that you choose the right one.
Like this guide? Then you’d definitely love our other guides on the best smart light bulbs, the best hearing aids and the best lightweight wheelchair.
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