Science

The Best Smart Thermostats for Your Home

Put some smarts into your thermostat with the best options around.

Amazon

Building a smart home can be a very satisfying investment and beyond the essentials like smart lights and smart plugs, a smart thermostat is one of the best devices to add to your household. There are several available, each of which promises probably more than you’ll ever use, so it’s hard to make a decision. Below, we’ll detail some of the best options to choose from.

Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 3

Nest 3rd Generation Smart Learning Thermostat

Amazon

Nest is one of the first names in the smart thermostat game and it’s matured well. The third generation of its Learning Thermostat is filled with great features in a very simple metal and glass puck-looking device.

Controlling the Nest couldn’t be easier. You can control the temperature in your home by turning the dial to the desired level, with the Nest companion app, or via voice with a smart speaker like the Google Home. When it comes to actually being “smart”, Nest has an edge here. In addition to all of the featured you’d want, like the ability to create a schedule, you don’t really need one with the Nest. Instead, after using it for a while, it will learn your habits, like when you get home and what temperature you usually set then, and do it automatically for you.

If you’re looking to save a few dollars, you can also grab the Nest E, which features a majority of the features as the original but uses less expensive materials.

Ecobee 4

Ecobee4

Amazon

There’s a good chance that if you’re not looking into the Nest smart thermostat, you’re looking for the Ecobee4. The popular thermostat opens up new doors by including a mini Amazon Alexa speaker within it.

With the inclusion of Alexa, you can easily control the Ecobee4 with your voice, alongside the mobile app. Another nifty addition is that it’s bundled with a room sensor so you can get a better idea of the temperature in a particular room, which can come in handy if you have a large home. You can buy additional sensors as well for ultimate monitoring.

Much like the Nest Learning Thermostat, you can also grab the Ecobee3 Lite for a very similar experience to that of the original but at a lower price point.

Honeywell Home T9

Honeywell 19 Thermostat with Smart Room Sensor

Amazon

The Honeywell Home T9 is a relatively new addition to the the smart thermostat world, but it’s no slouch. In addition to app control, you can control the T9 with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, which should come as so surprise, as it’s pretty much a given at this point.

Like the Ecobee4, the T9 comes with a room sensor bundled with it and an additional 20 can be added. The sensors can not only detect whether people are in a room, but whether they’re spending time in a room or just passing through. The thermostat will focus on the room or rooms with people in them. You can also prioritize rooms throughout your household.

While the T9 is the newest of they Honeywell smart thermostats, if you’re looking to save some money in your investment, the Honeywell Lyric T5 is still a popular option as well.