With energy costs on the rise, buy the best smart thermostat for your needs to save money while keeping the temp just as you like it
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Top-Rated Wifi Enabled Smart Thermostats for Your Home Comfort
Updated on Aug. 15, 2024
As winter approaches, many of us in the Northern Hemisphere are thinking about getting cozy at home. But with energy costs expected to rise 28% this winter, it’s going to take mindfulness and intention—plus a little help from technology—to stay warm without breaking the bank. Sure, you could drop cash on space heaters for the most lived-in rooms, but if you want to go the high-tech (and safer) route, install a smart thermostat. Investing in the best smart thermostat to slash your energy bills makes good sense, especially when you take into account the best temperature for a house in winter and the best temperature for a house in summer.
Smart home devices are popping up everywhere: We have smart doorbells to help protect our homes and smart alarm clocks to make waking up a little bit easier. We have smart watches, smart speakers and smart TVs too. So why not a smart thermostat?
“Smart thermostats are designed to be able to be controlled with your smartphone, making it easier to save money on your electricity bills,” says Karen Lee, a smart home device expert and the founder of Smart Robotic Home. “You can adjust times for heat and air conditioning to turn on or off, and you can do so typically from anywhere as long as you have the application on your phone that coincides with the thermostat.”
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Best overall
Google Nest Learning Thermostat
In addition to heating and cooling your home, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat comes with HVAC monitoring, which means it sends an alert if something doesn’t seem right with your heating and cooling systems and will provide helpful reminders for maintenance. It’s easy to install (typically in 30 minutes or less), and everything you need is included. You can even set this smart thermostat to “away mode,” so it’ll automatically adjust the temperature to save energy when you’re on vacation. If you’re looking for a thoughtful yet practical present for a loved one, this thermostat makes a great Amazon Prime gift.
Pros:
- Compatible with 95% of heating and cooling systems
- Learns your schedule and programs itself to help save energy
- Reliable
Cons:
- Not compatible with electric baseboard heating systems
- Requires professional setup, but users say it’s worth it for the quality
- Requires batteries
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Best high-end thermostat
Ecobee Premium Smart Thermostat
The Ecobee Premium Smart Thermostat has a lot of great features that make the high price worth it, including the fact that you can save up to 26% on your energy bills. It also includes a built-in air-quality monitor—great for urban dwellers or those who live around forest fires or in climates prone to mold—and provides tips on how to improve the air quality.
Pros:
- Premium construction, design and features
- Built-in smart speaker with your choice of Siri or Alexa
- Built-in smoke alarm detection and alerts to possible break-ins and sudden temperature drops
- Comes with two SmartSensors for doors and windows that will alert you when a door or window has been left open for more than five minutes
Cons:
- Ecobee Smart Security plan required for some of the features
- Some users report difficulty with installation
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Best budget thermostat
Amazon Smart Thermostat
Energy Star–certified thermostats like the Amazon Smart Thermostat can save an average of $50 per year on energy costs, which means this thermostat pays for itself in about a year. It’s an easy entry point for smart thermostats and comes with 24/7 customer service via phone, chat or email.
Pros:
- Affordable price
- After purchase, Amazon will send you information about possible rebates from energy providers in your area
- Amazon teamed up with Honeywell, a trusted name in heating and cooling
Con:
- An Alexa-enabled device, like the Amazon Echo, is needed to use this thermostat
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Best for smart home integration
Ecobee 3 Lite
The Ecobee 3 Lite isn’t the only smart thermostat to integrate with a smart home system, but it’s the most flexible. It works with most smart home setups, including Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, Samsung SmartThings, Wink and IFTTT. Beyond adjusting the temperature based on your routine and location in the house, this Energy Star–certified thermostat uses sensors to detect when a window or door is open, then it turns off the AC to lower energy costs.
Pros:
- Can be controlled from most smart home systems as well as Android and Apple devices, including the Apple Watch
- Free energy reports give insights into how much you’ve saved and offer tips for further savings
- Hardwired, which means it doesn’t rely on a battery or your HVAC equipment to charge itself
- You can save up to 23% on your yearly energy bill
Cons:
- Scheduler is a bit cumbersome to set up
- Slow to reboot and connect to Wi-Fi after a power outage
- The Smart Security subscription, which alerts you to break-ins and fires, costs $10 a month
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Best DIY installation
Wyze Thermostat
Compared with similar products, the Wyze Thermostat is easier to install and set up, making it the best smart thermostat for those new to the tech as well as old-school holdouts who are unfamiliar with how to program a thermostat. This is a great value for a smart thermostat, with a learning mode that adjusts temperatures based on your habits. Looking for a totally different way to keep your home cool in the heat of the summer? Try one of these portable air conditioners.
Pros:
- App provides easy, step-by-step installation instructions
- Includes a built-in energy-saving mode, saving you money on your energy bill and offering actionable insights based on usage to help reduce energy
- Owners of more expensive smart thermostats tout the Wyze Thermostat’s value and say it’s just as reliable
Cons:
- Slightly more expensive than Amazon’s smart thermostat but not as well designed
- Step-by-step instructions are on the app, so you can’t preview or access them until you’re in the middle of installation
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Easiest to use
Emerson Sensi Smart Thermostat
There are a lot of things to like about the Emerson Sensi Smart Thermostat, but what users really love is that it has actual buttons—not just a touch screen, an app or voice control—and feels like a traditional thermostat. This Energy Star–certified thermostat doesn’t have as many features as some of the competitors, but if you’re looking for an easy-to-use device without extra bells and whistles, this is the best smart thermostat for you. And while you’re upgrading your home, be sure to check out the home security systems that do the best job at keeping you safe.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use device has buttons like a traditional thermostat and features step-by-step installation instructions
- Sensi values privacy and won’t sell your personal information to third parties
- C-wire not required
- App allows for control from anywhere
Con:
- System is a bit glitchy for some users, an apparent Wi-Fi compatibility problem
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Best energy saver
Honeywell Home Smart Color Thermostat
