The 5 Best Smart Thermostats Available In 2023
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Smart homes have lived up to their name over the last decade as houses and apartments have become increasingly equipped with IoT devices that make our lives easier. Products like smart doorbells, speakers, and kitchen appliances have become household staples, and the smart thermostat — which can regulate the very air inside your home — has proven itself a quintessential smart home device.
Being able to choose how to heat and cool your residence without actually having to be home and physically control the thermostat has added convenience to daily life many people didn't know they needed, and has saved countless dollars on utility bills by sparing unnecessary energy use when houses are empty. Their ease of use, whether through your phone, voice assistant, or interfaces on the devices themselves, has also made smart thermostats incredibly popular.
With that said, all of these advantages are only worth it if the thermostat itself is a quality product, so it's important to make sure you choose the right one for your home. Attributes like price, interface, and the way the device monitors your home are all things to consider when purchasing one of these thermostats.
Honeywell Home T9
Typically, what gives a smart device its smarts are the sensors it uses to read the environment, which help it do its job with as little input from you as necessary. The Honeywell Home T9 has more sensing capability than many of its competitors, so you could argue that it's among the smartest thermostats of them all. While the Ecobee Smart Thermostat can only detect proximity and temperature, and the Nest Thermostat can only read the ambient temperature, the Honeywell Home T9 has temperature, humidity, and proximity sensors. Even better, these sensors have considerable range. The better a thermostat can sense, the better it can regulate.
The Honeywell Home T9 works with both Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. It's not as customizable as other smart thermostats and doesn't use IFTTT as much as one would like. Its MSRP is $209.99, though you can often find significant discounts from Amazon and other retailers.
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
It makes sense that until Matter becomes the mainstream standard, smart home products made by companies like Amazon and Google will likely work smoother within their respective ecosystems. Fortunately, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium isn't beholden to a proprietary smart home standard and works well with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. You can even integrate it with your Spotify account. Because it also works as a smart speaker, this means you can control Alexa or play your favorite playlists directly through your thermostat.
One of the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium's biggest advantages is its SmartSensor technology. These sensors monitor hot and cold spots in your house, warn you if water is freezing in your pipes, and can detect smoke. They also act as a security system, detecting motion and occupancy, as well as monitoring windows and other entryways, whether you're home or away. Of course, all of this comes with a price. Not only is the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium on the expensive side, costing $249.99, but some features require additional subscription costs. If you're looking for an inexpensive smart thermostat, this isn't the one for you.
Nest Learning Thermostat
If you're concerned about home decor, the Nest Learning Thermostat is one of the sleekest, best-looking smart thermostats on the market. Nest's other model, the Thermostat E, doesn't look quite as nice, though both have several great features besides aesthetics. The Nest Learning Thermostat is both easy to install and easy to operate. Despite being manufactured by Google, it works well with other ecosystems too, like Alexa. It's also compatible with IFTTT, so you can customize your thermostat in many different ways or even create your own routines for it.
Despite all these perks, the Nest Learning Thermostat lacks remote sensors, which gives competitors like the Honeywell Home T9 a big advantage when it comes to regulating the temperature in various rooms. Though it's often found at a discount, its retail price is high, costing $249, something you may want to take into consideration when choosing a smart thermostat.
Amazon Smart Thermostat
While Matter is intended to eventually unite smart home products from several different developers under the same IoT standard, as of right now it's still a convenience when all your smart home devices work within the same ecosystem. With Amazon being one of the most dominant of those ecosystems, its proprietary smart thermostat is a great option for anyone who already uses Alexa-enabled devices in their home. If you're already accustomed to using your voice to control your Echo, Fire TV, and other Amazon devices, then you'll feel right at home doing the same with your central air.
The Amazon Smart Thermostat is easily controlled as long as you have an Alexa-enabled speaker or Alexa on your phone. If you don't, the thermostat has a sleek touchscreen interface you can also use. It's a stripped-down affair, but for basic settings like switching between heat and A/C, it gets the job done. Unfortunately, the model isn't yet compatible with other ecosystems like Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant, and its simple design means there are no remote sensors you can use. Also, its installation could be easier, according to some reviewers, and requires a C-wire or adapter. These disadvantages may be worth it if you're looking to save money, however, because the Amazon Home Thermostat is affordably priced at $79.99.
Wyze Thermostat
The Wyze Thermostat is a great option if you're budget-conscious and looking for something that won't break the bank. You can usually find it being offered by retailers at a price between $70 and $80, and that includes a C-wire adapter for installation. Despite its relatively affordable cost, the Wyze Thermostat doesn't lack in features and includes both Google Assistant and Alexa support, as well as the ability to give you usage reports that help you monitor your energy consumption. It will even provide tips on how to lower your utility bills.
The Wyze app makes for an easy installation, but the interface on the thermostat itself could be more intuitive, which can be frustrating if you're trying to change the temperature without your phone. If you're embedded in the Apple ecosystem, this isn't the thermostat for you, because it is not compatible with HomeKit. The Wyze Thermostat also doesn't support IFTTT, so you won't be able to create or install custom routines or integrate it more fully into your smart home setup.