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As winter tightens its grip and energy bills start climbing, smart thermostats have evolved from luxury gadgets to essential home investments. These intelligent temperature controllers can slash heating costs while keeping your home perfectly comfortable – adjusting automatically whether you’re sleeping, working, or away. We’ve tested the market’s leading smart thermostats to help you choose the right one for your home this heating season.
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1. Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
This thermostat stands out. Especially, if you are looking for it to do more than just set the temperature. According to PCMag, this versatile device doubles as a security system and smart speaker while monitoring your home’s air quality. It plays nicely with most smart home platforms, making it a central hub for home automation enthusiasts.
What sets this thermostat apart is its intelligent room-sensing capability. The New York Times points out that it comes with a remote SmartSensor you can place in problematic areas—like that always-too-cold bedroom or stuffy home office—helping the system better balance your home’s temperature throughout the day.
For smart home users, the Ecobee has impressive voice control flexibility. According to Tom’s Guide, you’ll get built-in Alexa functionality, plus Siri compatibility if you’re in the Apple ecosystem with a HomePod. While you won’t want to use it as your primary music speaker, it’s perfect for spaces where you’d rather not add another dedicated smart speaker to the mix. Just be sure to note that this model is a bit pricey, and some of this smart thermostat’s features require a subscription.
2. Google Nest Learning Thermostat
The Nest Learning Thermostat has earned Forbes‘ top spot as the best choice for automated homes, largely due to its intelligent occupancy sensing. It automatically adjusts your home’s temperature based on your comings and goings, ensuring you never waste energy heating or cooling an empty house while keeping things comfortable for your return.
Beyond basic temperature control, this third-generation device packs some serious safety features. Good Housekeeping likes that it comes with the ability to monitor your HVAC system’s health and alert you to potential problems, including the risk of frozen pipes during winter—a feature that could save you from costly repairs.
PCMag notes that this latest iteration builds on its predecessors’ success with welcome upgrades: a more readable display, geofencing capabilities, and enhanced sensing technology. When paired with other Google Nest products, it creates a seamlessly connected home environment while tracking your energy usage to help optimize savings.
The drawbacks? It isn’t compatible with Apple’s HomeKit, and the price tag is a bit steep.
3. Amazon Smart Thermostat
For budget-conscious homeowners, the Amazon Smart Thermostat offers remarkable value. Better Homes & Gardens recommends it for those seeking simplicity over extensive features, though they caution to check for C-wire compatibility before purchasing.
This Energy Star-certified device can cut annual energy costs by around $50, according to CNET. Its clean, modern design includes an optional wall plate to cover any installation blemishes, making it an aesthetically pleasing addition to any room.
While Tom’s Guide acknowledges that it’s not as feature-rich as premium models like Nest or Ecobee, this affordable thermostat still offers smart functionality through Alexa’s hunches system. They found it remarkably user-friendly to install and program, praising its minimalist design that blends seamlessly into most homes. Just remember, if you want to use voice control, you need an Amazon Alexa-enabled smart speaker. It is not compatible with Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant.
4. Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat
This thermostat is great if you want to control the temperature in individual areas of your home. Want the bedrooms warm but the living room cool? No problem! The Honeywell Home T9 excels at temperature management through automation. Consumer Reports likes that it has a wireless remote sensor that helps deliver more accurate climate control throughout your space.
According to People Magazine, this model supports an impressive array of 20 sensors in total. These track both temperature and humidity in different rooms, with easy management through the touchscreen interface or mobile app, letting you create targeted schedules for different areas.
While PCMag says that the T9 lacks direct integration with other Honeywell smart devices, they found it simple to install and compatible with major voice assistants including Alexa, Cortana, and Google. These capabilities make it a solid choice for voice-controlled smart homes, despite its limited ecosystem connectivity.
5. Mysa Smart Thermostat
The Mysa Smart Thermostat stands out for high-voltage heating systems, earning TechHive‘s praise for its sleek design and broad smart home compatibility, including major platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit.
Good Housekeeping‘s experts commend both the baseboard heater model and its in-floor heating variant. They highlight its remote control capabilities, energy monitoring features, and geofencing options, reinforcing its strength in smart home integration.
You can control and group your thermostats into rooms and zones using the Mysa app. While installation requires multiple wires, Better Homes and Gardens reviewers mention DIY installation is possible with online resources, though professional installation might provide extra assurance.
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