Best smart thermostat 2021: ranking the top smart thermostats weve tested

Date:
Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:11:34 +0000

Description:
We rank the best smart thermostat weve tested with clever features like zone controls and AI learning

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The best smart thermostats allow you to heat or cool your home through an app on your smartphone. Going to be late home? Use your smartphone to adjust the schedule so youre not wasting energy (and money) because youve been heating
an empty home.

As well as using your smartphone to achieve the perfect temperature in your home, the best smart thermostats integrate with the best smart speakers or smart displays , so you can use your voice to adjust the temperature too.
They can also go a step further and work with the best smart light bulbs and the best smart plugs to fully automate your home - creating a cosy setting as soon as you walk through the door.

There are two types of smart thermostat available; those that enable remote control of your heating and cooling system as a whole, and the best smart thermostats for multiple zones that enable room-by-room temperature control. These are more expensive than smart thermostats that control your system as a whole, and require a more time-consuming installation, but as they can save even more energy, and money, we think theyre worth it.

The best smart thermostats also use AI to adjust your heating and cooling schedule based on how long it takes your home to heat up or cool down,
further adding to the energy youre saving. Some even offer open window detection so youre not wasting energy by heating your home if a window is open.

Theres so much choice when it comes to the best smart thermostats for 2021, which may leave you out in the cold when it comes to picking the one thats right for you. Weve put some of the most popular smart thermostat brands including Nest, Tado and Ecobee to the test to identify just which are the best smart thermostats you can buy right now.

UPDATE: Ecobee has become one of the first smart home device manufacturers
to reveal its bringing Siri to its new and existing smart thermostats that offer voice control. An update, which will be made available later this year, will ensure homes with a compatible Ecobee smart thermostat and an Apple HomePod or HomePod Mini in their home, will be able to say Hey Siri to their thermostat to get Apples voice Assistant to spring into action. Siri on
Ecobee will be able to adjust the temperature, set timers, and even offer up personal requests such as checking your calendar entries. The best smart thermostats 2021: ranked 1. Nest Learning Thermostat

The best smart thermostat you can buy Dimensions: diameter: 84mm, height:
31mm | Screen: 24-bit color LCD, 480 x 480 resolution | Sensors: 10 temperature sensors, indoor humidity, proximity, near-field activity, far-field activity, ambient light | Zonal control: no | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Wireless Interconnect, Bluetooth Low Energy Intelligent Beautiful design No zonal control Doesn't work with Apple HomeKit

Nest is one of the biggest names in the smart home market, and for good reason. This Google-owned company delivers well-designed, easy-to-use
products that are packed with serious smarts.

The Nest Learning Thermostat (third generation) is renowned for its ability
to learn your routines and adjust itself accordingly. This means that over time your heating system can actually adapt to suit your needs, without you having to do anything.

It also benefits from location-based features that track where your phone is, and will turn the heating on or off depending on your location. But don't worry that it's going to turn off the heating and leave your guests to freeze when you're out, as its built-in sensors enable it to detect whether there's anyone at home.

The main criticisms of the Nest Learning Thermostat are that it doesn't offer zonal control, and that if you're a tech novice it can be a little
complicated to set up and use. The absence of zonal control means that while you'll be able to digitally control your property as a whole, you'll still have to manually adjust individual radiators.

That said, if you're looking for a top-of-the range system Nest is a good way to go. Plus, with Google behind it, Nest is a good system to invest in if you're planning to build a wider smart home setup.

Read the full review: Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd generation


2. Hive Active Heating 2

(UK only) The best smart thermostat for a single ecosystem Dimensions: 100 x 100 x 48mm | Screen: 3.5-inch color TFT display, 320 x 480 resolution | Sensors: Temperature | Zonal control: with Active Heating Multizone | Connectivity: Zigbee HA 2.0 Beautiful design Easy to use Needs to be professionally installed Doesn't work with Apple HomeKit

Hive is owned by Centrica, one of the UK's leading energy providers, so you can rest assured that you're in experienced hands when it comes to your heating needs.

The thermostat itself is a collaboration between Hive and Swiss designer Yves Bhar, who's responsible for everything from the August smart lock to PayPal's brand identity. That top-quality styling makes the Hive Active Heating thermostat something you'll be proud to have on your wall.

What's more, Hive has an excellent ecosystem, so you're able to control a
vast range of Hive products using a single app. And its thermostat is no slouch, garnering our 'recommended' tag thanks to its simple interface and easy voice assistant integration.

It's worth noting that, like the Nest thermostat above, Hive Active Heating doesn't support Apple's HomeKit, so it's best avoided if you're already invested in Apple's smart home ecosystem.

With a small dial in the middle of its compact design controlling
temperature, the Hive Active thermostat gives you the option of keeping
things extremely simple, while being packed with features for those who want greater control of their system.

Read the full review: Hive Active Heating 2 (Image credit: TechRadar) 3. Honeywell Evohome

The best smart thermostat for zonal control Dimensions: 139 x 101 x 21mm | Screen: 24-bit color LCD, 480 x 272 resolution | Sensors: temperature sensor
| Zonal control: yes | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Incredibly simple controls Great zonal control Expensive Not the most aesthetically pleasing

The Honeywell Evohome gives you total control over your home, with individual thermostats for each radiator enabling you to set an independent heating schedule for every room in your house.

It's difficult to grasp what a difference this feature makes until you've tried it for yourself. If you live in a house where different inhabitants prefer a different temperature, or if one room always seems to be hotter or colder than the others, this system is going to be a godsend.

What's more, it works with under-floor heating too, so even if you have a large and complicated heating system the Evohome gives you total control over all of it via an app that's a pleasure to use.

The control panel and radiator thermostats aren't going to win any awards for design, coming as they do in plain white plastic, but that's not really the point of the Evohome. It's a simple system, without the bells and whistles of the Nest or Hive, but if you've got a complicated heating system that you
want to control digitally, it's hard to beat.

Read the full review: Honeywell Evohome 4. Tado Smart Thermostat

The best looking smart thermostat Dimensions: 104 104 19mm | Screen: LED matrix | Sensors: temperature sensors, indoor humidity, ambient light | Zonal control: yes | Connectivity: via Tado Internet Bridge connected to router using ethernet port Sleek design Zonal control App is difficult to use LED matrix screens

The Tado Smart Thermostat should be brilliant. It offers the zonal control of the Honeywell Evohome, a slick design that rivals the Hive, and the
geofencing smarts to match the Nest, but somehow it doesn't quite manage to pull all these features together into a cohesive system.

It's seriously good-looking by far the most attractive zonal control on the market but the app is unintuitive to navigate, and compared to the
incredibly user-friendly app on the Evohome, it's positively difficult.

That's not to say it's a bad system it's still comfortably a 4-star product, and we don't imagine anyone who buys the Tado regretting their purchase. And it's so close to being the perfect system the one that mixes together the best features of other offerings. The problem is, it just doesn't manage to outshine any of its rivals.

One thing that does make the Tado stand out in this list is Apple HomeKit integration if you're the proud owner of a HomePod, or you're firmly entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, this is probably the best smart thermostat for you.

It's also worth noting that the things keeping Tado from standing out are all software rather than hardware issues, so these could well be addressed over time. The Tado Smart Thermostat isn't currently available in the US, but as Tado's Cooling system is sold there we'd be surprised if it didn't become available at some point.

Read the full review: Tado Smart Thermostat 5. Nest Thermostat E

The best affordable smart thermostat Dimensions: diameter: 81mm, height: 29mm | Screen: 24-bit color LCD, 480 x 480 resolution | Sensors: temperature, humidity, proximity, ambient light | Zonal control: no | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy Cheap compared to original Nest Super-smart Not universally compatible Plastic screen can be hard to read

If you like the look of the Nest Learning Thermostat but don't fancy shelling out the money for it, there's a cheaper alternative. It definitely looks cheaper it's made of white plastic, with a white coating on the plastic screen that can make it hard to see the information being displayed but it does echo the design language of the original Nest Thermostat, so you'll be more than happy to have it on your wall.

As the Nest's smaller sibling it benefits from industry-leading smarts, lacking only the most advanced features of the premium model which most users are unlikely to take advantage of anyway.

The Nest E is a great example of how to streamline a flagship product to make a cheap alternative without damaging the qualities that made the original great. Make no mistake, this isn't flagship quality for bargain price, but it's great value for what it is.

Read the full review: Nest Thermostat E (Image credit: Drayton) 6. Drayton Wiser

(UK only) The best affordable smart thermostat for zonal heating control Dimensions: 76 x 76 x 25mm | Screen: 24-bit color LCD | Sensors: temperature, humidity, open-window | Zonal control: yes | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Good zonal controls Alexa and Google Assistant integration Cheap design Temperature isnt visible from radiator thermostats

Love the idea of zonal heating control, but you're on a budget? Then Drayton Wiser is worth considering.

The starter kit comes with the boiler module, a room thermostat, and two
smart radiator thermostats, which replace any existing TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves) on your radiators, allowing you to control each radiator individually via the Wiser app. You'll need a thermostat for each radiator in your home to get the most out of the system, but as thermostats are around a third cheaper than rival systems from Honeywell and Tado, it makes the
overall cost more affordable.

It's simple to use and will switch the boiler on or off earlier than
scheduled to ensure rooms in your home are at the temperature you want, when you want them. It's also got Open Window Detection to help stop energy
wastage by switching off the boiler if it detects a window has been opened.

However, it's not the most stylish of thermostats on the market, and there's no way to see the temperature of the room from the radiator thermostat itself - you'll need to open the app on your smartphone. That said, it's hard to
beat if you're on a budget and want full control over your heating.

Read the full review: Drayton Wiser (Image credit: Ecobee) 7. Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat

(US Only) The best smart thermostat with Alexa built-in Dimensions: diameter: 109mm, depth: 26mm | Screen: 3.5 full-color LCD touch screen, 320 x 480 pixel display | Sensors: temperature, humidity, proximity, ambient light | Zonal control: no | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy Amazon Alexa built-in Easy installation Very well supported Not widely available

If it's available where you live, the Ecobee4 is well-worth auditioning for your smart home setup. Like other smart thermostats on our list, you can control the Ecobee4 using a smart speaker or smart hub but, unlike any of the other entries, the Ecobee4 comes with Alexa built right in.

That means, not only is it a great thermostat that can save you bundles on your energy bill each month but it doubles as a conduit to Alexa and its 10,000-strong library of skills. Besides being able to order pizza (yes, really) the Ecobee4 can be controlled wherever you are in the world should, say, you forgot to turn that thermostat off before your international flight.

While Ecobee may not have the same clout that Nest has garnered in the last few years, it remains one of the best thermostats on the market, bar none. 8. Ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat

(US Only) The best affordable Ecobee smart thermostat Dimensions: diameter: 109mm, depth: 26mm | Screen: 3.5 full-color LCD touch screen, 320 x 480 pixel display | Sensors: temperature, humidity, proximity, ambient light | Zonal control: no | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy Great smart
thermostat Easy installation No Alexa built-in No room sensors

OK, so not everyone needs another device with Alexa built-in. (We get it, guys, you can build Alexa into anything!) If you're in the camp of people
with too many Alexa devices, the Ecobee3 Lite is the perfect solution - it's just the smart thermostat without the smart assistant.

Now, that said, the Ecobee3 is still compatible with all the leading smart home ecosystems. (Ecobee was the first smart thermostat compatible with
Alexa, believe it or not.) But if you want the all the extras, like room sensors that can detect temperatures in certain spots in your home, you'll have to buy them separately. How do smart thermostats work?

Smart thermostats connect to your home Wi-Fi network and ensure an app on
your smartphone, or a voice assistant, can be used to switch your homes heating and cooling system, even if youre not at home.



As well as adjusting the temperature in your home, most smart thermostats
also enable you to set schedules, provide a report charting your energy use and even stop your heating coming on at all, for example because youre
heading out of town.

Like most home smart home gadgets, smart thermostats can also be used in home automations that see other smart home gadgets, such as smart lights and smart plugs , controlled at the same time. So you can turn the heating up, dim the light and watch your favorite TV show with one command. Do smart thermostats save money?

Many smart thermostats make bold claims about how much money you can save, although energy saving standards firm Energy Star estimates having a smart thermostat installed will use around 8% less energy a year, equating to $50
in the US - although this will differ in other territories.

How you use your heating and cooling system will affect just how much of a saving you make. If you have it running all the time, then chances are youll generate some hefty savings, but if you already use a schedule to adjust the temperature in your home, the savings wont be as big, but every little helps. Now you've got the best thermostat, check out our Best security camera round-up



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