Thermostats

What Makes a Thermostat a Smart Home Thermostat?

With a smart home thermostat, you get way more than just total remote control over your thermostat — you get peace of mind that only a smart thermostat can offer. Over the last few decades, thermostats have gotten smarter and smarter. A standard thermostat was upgraded to a programmable thermostat, and now it’s been transformed into a smart thermostat. And while programmable thermostats made your energy consumption more efficient, they still don’t offer nearly as much as smart thermostats can offer.

Smart thermostats adapt to change. Staying late at work, meeting friends for a night out, or having an impromptu weekend trip to the lake — whatever you do, your smart thermostat can work with you to help you save money on energy bills. Just open your smart thermostat app and adjust the “away” mode remotely. It’s that simple.

Smart thermostats also bring comfort to your life. Turn the thermostat on in advance from the app to come back to a warm and welcoming home during those cold winter days, or a nice and cool home on humid summer days.

What Makes a Good Thermostat?

All smart thermostats offer remote control, and each smart thermostat has their own unique features that make them stand out from others. For example, the Nest Learning Thermostat automatically adapts to your lifestyle. It’ll analyze and learn your temperature habits for a week and then will create a custom schedule based on your preferences — The future has arrived, a little scary, but very smart at the same time. Another example is the ecobee4, which has Amazon Alexa already built in. This is the only thermostat (as of now) that features Amazon Alexa voice control. So, you can save on not buying the Echo separately.

But what really makes a good smart home thermostat? The answer to this question will vary from person to person. And whether it’s lower price, built-in Alexa, or smart custom scheduling that makes a thermostat “good,” you’ll definitely find the one that will have what you’re looking for. Check out our chart below for a quick comparison overview.

Our Favorite Thermostat

We love ecobee thermostats. Why ecobee? They give you the choice of picking the right thermostat for your needs, no matter the situation:

• Want a solid budget option? — ecobee3 lite
• Want even heating/cooling distribution? — ecobee3
• Want for Amazon Alexa (voice control) built-in? — ecobee4.

All three thermostats offer smart home temperature control at your fingertips. They integrate easily with other smart home products and work with Smartthings and Wink hubs. Plus, all three ecobee thermostats work with ecobee room sensors that help the thermostats distribute heat/cold air evenly between rooms that matter. And, you’ll get monthly reports with recommendations on how to make your ecobee thermostat use more efficient.

Compare Smart Home Thermostats

	ecobee4	ecobee3	ecobee3 lite	Nest
Dimensions	4.29” x 4.29”	3.93” x 3.93”	4.05” x 4.05”	3.3” x 3.3”
Hardware color	Black	Black	Black	Copper, stainless steel, black or white
Bluetooth LE	No	No	No	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Works with sensors	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Comes with a sensor	Yes	Yes	No	No
Type of sensors	ecobee room sensors	ecobee room sensors	ecobee room sensors	Nest Protect Smoke Detector
Power (if no C-wire present)	Power Extender Kit	Power Extender Kit	Power Extender Kit	Heating/Cooling Wires + Battery
Voice & audio	Yes	No	No	No
Works with Amazon Alexa	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Google Assistant support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Works with Wink	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Works with SmartThings	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
HomeKit-enabled	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

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Google Nest Learning Thermostat - 3rd Gen (2015) -...

Honeywell RTH9580WF Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat - For...

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Honeywell Home RCHT8610WF T5 Smart Thermostat...

ecobee Smart Sensor vs. Room Sensor — Brief & Full Overview

ecobee 4 vs. ecobee 5

Smart thermostats such as ecobee have taken over the market with their impressive functionality and power-saving features. Not only can you monitor the temperature or humidity levels, but you also have the power to remotely adjust the temperature from anywhere you are in the world using the ecobee app, as well as receive notifications when it gets too cold or hot.

And that’s not all, you also have the option of having hands-free control over your device using the in-built Alexa feature, or even Google assistant if you have a Google Home, so you can control your thermostats without having to press any buttons.

Today, we’ll be looking at both ecobee 4 vs ecobee 5 and the differences between the two. So whether you like the idea of using Bluetooth music streaming, or creating commands via the IFTTT software, both models have something great to offer you.

Our top pick is ecobee5, and here’s why:

Does Nest Work With Alexa?

The short answer is yes, Alexa does integrate with Nest smart devices.

As of now, Alexa fully supports the following Nest devices such as Thermostats, Video doorbell, and Cameras.

So by using Amazon Alexa, you can have hands free control over Nest smart devices that will further enhance your smart home user experience.

Nest’s support for technology such as Alexa lets you have multiple ways of controlling your Nest home when you’re present and even when you’re away!

Using Alexa’s voice commands you can ask what temperature your home is at, check the live-feed in the living room, and more, so having this handy assistant working together with your Nest devices is a good idea.

Today we’re going to talk about the devices which integrate with Alexa, as well as how to go about connecting Nest to Alexa, so read on to find out more!

Does Nest Work With HomeKit?

Nest products such as thermostats, cameras, doorbells and more, continue to remain widely popular in most smart homes due to their aesthetically pleasing design and impressive functionality.

Nest also integrates pretty well with Alexa voice commands when paired up with Echo Show and Echo Spot, as well as Google Hub, allowing you to control your home in a truly smart and efficient way.

However, when it comes to the question of whether Nest works with HomeKit, the answer is both yes and no, and we will explain the reason why. There are quite a few opinions as to why Nest doesn’t want to fully work with Apple HomeKit to its full extent, even though there have been speculations that it could possibly change in the future.

It’s worth to note that you can still use and control Nest Smart Devices from most iOS devices and other Apple products such as iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch via the Nest app. So you can adjust the temperature on the thermostat, unlock the door, or even check in on your live-feed.

The only thing you can’t do is use Siri in order to control your smart devices or take advantage of accessing all your devices through the HomeKit app, however, there is a way around that which we will talk more about below.

Helpful Alexa Nest Commands

Control your smart home using just your voice!

You can use voice control on a daily basis to help you with your most basic tasks, that can end up saving time and be quite fun too!

Nest’s continuous support for amazing technologies such as Alexa provides you with even more useful ways with which can control your Nest devices both at home or remotely.

Every single day, an increasing number of ‘skills’ are added to Amazon Alexa, giving her, even more, usefulness and functionality. Alexa Nest commands are very useful for you and your home, allowing you to have full control if you wish. In this article, we’re offering to your attention the list of Nest Alexa Commands that you can use.

Emerson Sensi Touch vs. Nest

Being able to control your home environment with your voice, and even have a house that reacts to your whims automatically (while saving on energy costs!) is now a possibility that’s accessible to most everyone. Most people just think of devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Home when it comes to home automation, but there are a surprising amount of products that interface well with these voice controllers and add a lot of functionality, convenience, and even savings to running your home.

One important device to consider when outfitting your home with smart tech is a smart thermostat. These products offer a large amount of control over the temperature of your home, and can even save lots of money over time with the increased energy efficiency that most models provide.

In this comparison, we’ll be taking a look at the Sensi Touch vs. Nest Learning Thermostat to try to give you a sense of which product will work best for you. Let’s get into it!

Honeywell Lyric T5 vs. Nest Learning Thermostat

The utility of a smart home can extend far beyond comfort, and actually save homeowners money in the long run. For a small initial investment, a smart thermostat can go a long way towards some serious savings on your monthly energy bill. There are several features that can accomplish this goal, and one of the most exciting is the idea of “geofencing”.

This article focuses on a comparison of the Honeywell Lyric T5 and the Nest Learning Thermostat — two devices that feature the technology to adjust temperature control on the fly. With the ability for schedule planning or reactive adaptation, both thermostats offer a truly “hands-off” experience that offers optimal comfort and great savings.

Below, we’ll go over some of the key differences and try to give you a sense of which product is right for you and your lifestyle. Let’s get started!

Honeywell Smart Thermostat vs. Nest

As technology continues to advance, so too do the applications of “smart” devices. It’s now more realistic than ever before to build a house that’s totally automated and anticipates your whims. Light bulbs that react to your presence, security systems that provide real-time updates, and smart hubs to control each aspect of your home environment make for the ultimate in comfort and convenience.

Smart homes had a reputation for being relatively expensive, but are now getting more and more affordable. Though there’s a decent amount of setup involved to achieve a comfortable level of automation and convenience, the setup is well worth the cost. And automating your home may actually save you money in the long run. Which brings us to smart thermostats.

We’re going to look at two popular smart thermostats: the Honeywell Smart Thermostat and the Nest. We’ll take a look at the major differences, and try to give you a sense of which device is right for your needs. So, let’s get into it!

Nest E vs. ecobee4

When considering a new thermostat to add to your home, there are a lot of different aspects to consider. Do you go with a traditional thermostat? Their upfront cost is a lot lower, and we’ve all used these devices for years. But in 2017, there are many more options available that take advantage of the recent progress in smart technology. While these thermostats may look more expensive up front, they can often save homeowners significant amounts of money on heating and cooling bills over the course of the product’s lifetime.

After just a few months, these smart thermostats will often pay for themselves. Add to that the convenience of smart home integration, and you have a recipe for an automated and more efficient home.

So, let’s take a look at two popular devices: the Nest E vs. the ecobee4. Both of these products have their advantages and disadvantages, and by the end of this article you’ll have a much better sense of which thermostat works best for your home and your lifestyle.

Ecobee3 Lite vs. Nest E

There are so many smart thermostats that it’s difficult to know where to start when researching and comparing them. Today, we’ll be taking a look at two popular thermostat models: The Nest E vs. ecobee3 lite.

There’s differences in display, power options, smart home integration, and more. So, let’s go over the main differences and try to give you a sense of which model is right for you!

Nest vs. Nest E Thermostat

As of September, Nest has released a brand new thermostat: the Nest E. And with its release have come a lot of questions, mainly, “What’s the difference between the Nest and Nest E?” To keep it short, the main differences are that the Nest E has a lighter price tag, a few less features/connectivity, a little less choice in cosmetics, and is a little smaller in comparison to the Nest Learning Thermostat. So, you could probably leave the article now if you just wanted to be someone in the know. However, if you’re looking to decide which one to get, we’d suggest reading about the differences below.

Honeywell Lyric T5 vs. T6 Pro

Honeywell has been providing thermostat solutions for residential and commercial applications for over 100 years. Two of its latest releases, the Lyric T5 and Lyric T6 Pro, are incredibly similar. They’re so alike that it’s nearly impossible to find anything online about the differences between the two. So, we did some research and have put together all the differences we could find between the Lyric T5 vs. Lyric T6 Pro thermostats.

Ecobee3 vs. Ecobee4 vs. Nest

As of May 2017, Ecobee has moved on from the ecobee3 thermostat, and has released the all-new ecobee4 thermostat. And now that Nest has become a household name, we felt the need to compare these three smart thermostats to find out the differences between them. So, let’s compare ecobee3 vs. ecobee4 vs. Nest to help you choose the right smart thermostat for your smart home.

Ecobee3 vs. Ecobee3 Lite

Note: As of March 2017, ecobee updated the ecobee3 lite to work with room sensors, leaving very few differences between the ecobee3 and the ecobee3 lite. Yet, there are a few key features that separate them. Basically, the ecobee3 lite is just a lighter version of ecobee3; it supports almost all the features the ecobee3 does and costs a little bit less than ecobee3. The two versions of the smart thermostat are nearly identical, so let’s go over the features that separate the ecobee3 lite vs. ecobee3.

Ecobee3 Review • Things You Should Know

Note: before you even read this article, you might want to make sure that an Ecobee3 thermostat is compatible with your current thermostat setup; check Ecobee’s compatibility checker (takes about 3 minutes).

Ecobee3 Review: The Good

Room sensors: The Ecobee3 brings a whole new dimension to energy efficiency and control with its room sensors. The Ecobee3 room sensors let you tailor your needs based on the amount of people in the room. If nobody is in the room, focus energy elsewhere and save your wallet. And based on this feature alone, we’d recommend purchasing the Ecobee3. The downside? The thermostat/sensor package comes only one sensor; you’ll have to buy Ecobee3 room sensor packs seperately.

Honeywell Lyric Thermostat Review

Today, in this Honeywell Lyric thermostat review we’ll go over the good and the bad aspects that you should know before buying it. All information is briefly summarized and based on helpful customer’s reviews and an official Honeywell website. Let’s find out if buying Lyric thermostat is a good idea.

Control your smart home using just your voice!

Ecobee3 Review: The Good

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