If your 2020’s been rough, why not cool down and unwind with a smart thermostat in your home as the holidays come storming in? With Ecobee and Google Nest joining the ranks of the upcoming Memorial Day sales, you can give just about anyone a warm — or cold — welcome from only $150.
Ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat
— $150, was $170
The simplest and most straightforward option we’ve rounded up is the Ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat. It offers the essentials, like compatibility with the most common temperature regulators in most households, making it a good choice for the average homeowner living on a budget.
It’s not as feature-rich as the other Ecobee thermostats, but it gets the job done. The thermostat works best through its room sensors placed in each room that automatically sense whenever someone’s in a room. This way, it knows when and where to control the temperature for maximum comfort without wasting energy on empty rooms. The sensors aren’t included, however, and are sold separately. The Ecobee3 Lite is capable of temperature control from 45°C/7°F and 33°C/92°F for year-round comfort through the seasons. And, during the winter and summer seasons when the temperature goes to different extremes, the thermostat measures the amount of humidity in your home from 20% to 90%. With this, you can adjust the temperature to keep the humidity in your home at a comfortable 50% to avoid problems like dry heat.
As it’s a smart thermostat, you can connect it to your mobile device through your Wi-Fi network and adjust the temperature from there. It’s even compatible with the Apple Watch and various smart home systems like HomeKit, Alexa, SmartThings, and more for wide usability. If it ever runs into a problem, it has an alert system that sends notifications to your phone if there’s a problem with your air conditioner or ventilation system. With the Ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat, you can stay on top of your home’s temperature and save on your utilities in the process. If you want a good entry-level thermostat that can save you up to 23% annually, you can check it out on Best Buy where it’s discounted at $150 from $170.
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Nest Learning Thermostat E
— $159, was $199
Another energy-saving option is the Google Nest Thermostat E, with its main selling point being its ability to save up to 15% on cooling and heating costs annually. It’s not as great of a percentage as the Ecobee3 Lite’s, but it’s not bad by itself. With Google Nest’s reputation, you can be assured that you’re in good hands.
Its sleek white interface blends in wonderfully in most household setups, so it’s not as blatant as the Ecobee’s, giving it a decorative edge. It senses the temperature of the room and also checks who is in which room in order to avoid wasteful cooling/heating and to prioritize specific rooms. This is done through its separately purchased sensors that can be placed anywhere in order to give your home full coverage, even when you’re not around. When dealing with children’s bedrooms or any room with people who are unable to change the temperature by themselves, you can use the Thermostat E to automatically prioritize them. You can set these settings remotely on your phone through the Google Nest app. It even works when you’re asleep to save on electricity when it least matters, turning itself back on again as soon as the sun rises.
If you ever leave the house, the thermostat uses the app on your phone to know where you are at any given time. This way, even if you forget to turn off the thermostat, it will do it for you. You can even have family members download the app themselves to give everyone their own personal remote controls whether they’re in or out of the house. You’ll also be sent notifications if the thermostat discovers any issues with the HVAC. If you want the Google Nest guarantee of quality regulating your home’s temperature, then you can’t go wrong with the Thermostat E. You can check it out on Amazon where it’s on sale, down from its usual price of $199 for only $159.
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Ecobee Smart Thermostat with Voice Control
— $200, was $250
The Ecobee3 Lite’s better and far more robust sibling, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat (with Voice Control), is an excellent option if you want the absolute best that Ecobee has to offer in temperature regulation technology. It’s the largest price jump on our list, but it is definitely worth every penny.
Unlike the Ecobee3 Lite, the Smart Thermostat with Voice Control reduces the need for separately purchased smart sensors with occupancy sensors by having them already built-in. This way, if you live in a studio or will be placing in thermostat in your great room, then you can save on cash and have it scan whoever is or isn’t in the room to maximize your HVAC’s efficiency by turning itself on and off as needed. And, as it says in the name, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat with Voice Control — surprise, surprise — has voice control. It’s fully integrated with Alexa for voice-recognition and remote control-free ease of use. Not only that, but Alexa can do a myriad of other things like taking your calls, playing your favorite songs through Spotify, and streaming through Bluetooth.
The thermostat is also pre-built with Ecobee’s state-of-the-art Eco+ software that pushes its energy-saving capabilities to new limits to help you save more on utility bills than with any other Ecobee thermostat. Additionally, it’s equipped with controls for your temperature-regulating extras. Some of these include humidifiers and ventilators, and you can control it all with just your phone, voice, or Apple Watch, and get notifications if something goes wrong. It’s also compatible with HomeKit, Google Assistant, SmartThings, so you can add this to your list of connected devices. If you want Ecobee’s best possible thermostat at a bargain, you can check out the Smart Thermostat with Voice Control on Best Buy for $200 from $250.
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Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen)
— $219, was $249
Last and definitely not least is the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. Besides Google Nest’s reputation as a smart home veteran and its guarantee of quality, the Learning Thermostat doesn’t offer any features that the Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat doesn’t. This doesn’t mean it’s worth any less, however, as it’s still a fully optimized thermostat that works with 95% of households.
The Learning Thermostat, as its name suggests, is capable of becoming smarter the more you use it and in more ways than one. As soon as it’s installed, it will start memorizing the patterns in your lifestyle, creating its own optimized regulating schedule and temperature minimums and maximums to provide you with the best possible comfort at every given moment. It also comes with a number of different functions such as displaying time like a makeshift clock and even the weather outside. It automatically senses when you’ve entered or left the room to maximize temperature regulation as needed. If you need it covering more rooms, you can always opt to purchase separate room sensors from $39 to keep track of every room in your house. This way, you can individually specify at what temperatures each room should be, even if you’re not around.
Like the Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat with Voice Control, Nest’s Learning Thermostat is also compatible with Alexa for voice-automated comfort at your beck and call. With this, you have three different ways to control the temperature in your house: The thermostat interface, voice control, and also your mobile device through the free Nest app. Once you have it installed, you can control the temperature in your house from wherever you are with the touch of a button. As an optional bonus, you can also have a Nest Pro install the thermostat for you and show you the ropes. If you’re interested, you can check out the Nest Learning Thermostat on Amazon where it’s currently discounted from $249 to just $219.
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