
Are you looking to upgrade your old thermostat? Then you should get best smart thermostat on the market and I am here to help you to choose.
A thermostat is a handy tool which aids in maintaining the comfort level of your home and controlling the energy consumption. When it comes to choosing a thermostat, the type of HVAC system that you have installed in your home, features that you want in your thermostat, budget, and how you wish to use your thermostat, are some of the most important considerations.
You can find on this website reviews and guides of many smart home gadgets like video doorbells, smart home locks, smart wireless cameras and smart home controllers have a significant number of features to make your life more comfortable. With the advancements in technology, thermostats are no longer a simple device used for switching your heating or cooling system on and off. Even if we talk about the cost of thermostats, you can find one with a basic set of features or can go for an advanced model that can cost hundreds of dollars.
No matter what your budget or feature requirements are, we’ve compiled a list of some of the smartest thermostats currently available in the market to make the choosing process easier for you. Go through the overview of these top rated wifi thermostats to understand their functioning, features, the good, and the bad to make sure that you take the current buying decision.
Types of Thermostats
- Low Voltage and Line Voltage – If your home is old or uses electric resistance heaters or baseboards, you’ll be required to buy a line-voltage thermostat which is directly installed in the electrical system of your home to allow you to control your cooling and heating units. However, the majority of the homes now have oil, gas or electric-powered heating systems and a low-voltage thermostat will be required with such families.
An ideal way to know whether you have a low voltage or line voltage thermostat in your home is by checking the wiring. Low voltage thermostats have thing wiring, just like the one that is used in your speakers, whereas line voltage thermostats have thick wires. - Programmable Thermostats ($20 to $200 and even more) – Majority of the modern thermostats are programmable. These thermostats allow you to pre-set an upper and lower limit of temperature, based on which, the thermostat will turn your air conditioner of the heater on and off.
- NonProgrammable Thermostats ($20-$50) – Also known as mechanical thermostats, these thermostats do not provide you with the ability to pre-set temperatures. They only offer basic control of house or room temperature, and you need to adjust them manually to control your cooling and heating unit.
Moreover, the non-programmable thermostats that use bimetallic strip are known to respond slowly to temperature variations. Also, remember that not every digital thermostat is programmable. - Smart Thermostats ($200-$800) – What is a smart thermostat? The latest addition to the world of thermostats are learning thermostats. These are programmable thermostats that do not require you to pre-set the temperature limits. Learning thermostats, like the Nest Learning Thermostat, learn about your preferences over time and then adjust themselves accordingly to offer enhanced comfort.
They can be connected to the Wi-Fi network of your home and can be easily managed from your laptop, tablet or smartphone. Moreover, many of them are internet-based and allow you to control the thermostat through a mobile application even when you are away from home. As they offer a large number of innovative features, the cost of a new thermostat of this type is generally higher than all the other types of thermostats.
Top Rated Smart Thermostats Reviews
Below we will go through wifi thermostat reviews.
Nest Learning Thermostat
The latest generation of thermostat from Nest is not a huge leap ahead of the previous versions but has quite a few innovative features. Right from its hardware to its technology, everything in this smart thermostat wifi makes it an excellent addition to any modern home.One of the newest additions in the
One of the newest additions in the 3rd Generation Nest Thermostats is its Auto-Schedule mode with the help of which the thermostat learns about the temperatures that you prefer and then it programs itself automatically as per your preferences for enhanced comfort. The new Auto-Away mode of the thermostat automatically reduces the temperature when you are away to turn down energy consumption. There is also a Furnace Heads-Up feature that alerts the user when the thermostat detects unusual shutoff patterns of your furnace.
The Nest Thermostat also has a Farsight feature which can detect your presence in the home and light the thermostat up to display the time and temperature. If we talk about the installation of this thermostat, any person who can work with a screwdriver can install this thermostat. It is that simple. Another great thing about Nest 3rd Generation is the fact that it can collaborate with a wide range of smart home devices like Google Nest Hub or Amazon Echo Show, with an exception of Apple HomeKit. Another small drawback of this programmable thermostat is that it cannot monitor the temperature in multiple rooms itself. You will be required to do the changes manually.
- Auto Schedule
- Auto-Away
- Nest App
- Energy History
- Farsight
- Works with most of the 24V HVAC systems
- Larger display
- Intuitive interface
- Can be used with many different types of smart home systems
- Easy and quick to install
- Not compatible with Apple HomeKit
- Cannot automatically detect temperatures in multiple rooms
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Ecobee 3 Smarter WI-Fi Thermostat with Remote Sensor
If you are looking for the best Wi-Fi thermostat, then the 2nd Generation ecobee 3 is sure to impress you. The thermostat quickly understands when the cooling or heating system needs to be switched on and off on the basis of the energy profile of your home, outside temperatures, and many other aspects, for enhanced comfort and convenience.
The thermostat detects the presence of people in different parts of your home and adjusts itself accordingly with the help of its remote sensor. When it detects that no one is present at home, it turns down the cooling or heating system to save energy. On an average, the thermostat saves up to 25% on energy bills on an annual basis, making it one of the most energy-efficient Wi-Fi thermostats.
Moreover, ecobee 3 is one of those Wi-Fi thermostats that do not need a C wire for its installation. If you have an older home, then there is a possibility that the wiring of your home is done without a C wire, and rather than running an additional C wire which will need professional help, buying this ecobee 3 2nd Generation thermostat can be a better option. While the Nest 3rd Generation is not compatible with Apple HomeKit, ecobee 3 2nd Generation is. Moreover, it is also compatible with Alexa if you are looking for voice control. While everything about this Wi-Fi thermostat is praiseworthy, its installation is defined as confusing in a number of reviews.
- Remote Sensor
- ecobee App and Web Portal
- Compatible with a broad range of smart home systems
- Compatible with Alexa and Apple HomeKit
- Works with IFTTT
- Highly intuitive
- Remote sensor can be used to monitor temperature of multiple rooms
- Doesn’t need a C wire
- Highly energy-efficient and can save up to 25% on energy bills
- App and web portal are easy to use and highly functional
- Tricky installation
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Honeywell RTH9580WF Wi-Fi 9000 Color Touchscreen Thermostat
If you are looking for an affordable best programmable thermostat, then the RTH9580WF Wi-Fi 9000 from Honeywell can be a worthy contender. The company has been manufacturing Honeywell thermostats models for more than 120 years, and their vast experience in this field has made them well aware of the thermostat needs of modern homeowners.
It has a large touchscreen color display which allows users to program the thermostat in English, French and Spanish languages. Moreover, the thermostat can also be managed through a computer, tablet or smartphone with the help of Honeywell applications. It has Vacation Override settings through which the thermostat minimizes the power consumption when you are away. Also, if you install this thermostat in your office, it has an impressive Business Mode which has national holidays of Canada and US preset in it. If you have kept your office shut on those national holidays, the thermostat has pre-programmed functions for the same.
While the RTH9580WF looks conventional, it is flooded with a number of innovative features. So, while it may not have the looks of ecobee 3 or Nest thermostat, it is still one of the best programmable Wi-Fi thermostats currently available in the market. The only minor drawback of his thermostat is that it needs a C wire for installation. So, if there is no C wire at your home or office, you might have to run it or look for other tweaks.
- Remote Access from PC, Tablet, and Smartphone
- Touchscreen Color Display with 12 color themes
- Vacation Override Settings
- Business Mode
- Easy installation
- Ideal for home and office
- Touchscreen has 12 color themes to match the decor of the home or office
- Monitors outside weather to automatically adjust the HVAC system
- Highly energy-efficient
- Needs C wire
- Conventional looks
- Automatic weather monitoring is not very impressive if you live in a region that experiences frequent weather change
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Schneider Electric Wiser Air Smart Thermostat (Wi-Fi) with Comfort Boost
Wiser Air from Schneider is an excellent home energy management system that provides home and office owners with complete peace of mind with its hassle-free control of savings and comfort. It can be used along with the majority of the low-voltage heating and cooling systems. This learning thermostat can be connected to your existing Wi-Fi network to enable you to view energy consumption remotely through a PC, tablet or smartphone.
It has a Touchscreen display which is highly intuitive design to keep the users informed. The Wiser Pulse feature of this thermostat illuminates a different color depending on the modes it is working on to allow users to understand easily how the system is running. One of the great things about this thermostat is that it updates to make sure that you get the latest of features without investing in a newer thermostat. Wiser Forecast, Comfort Boost, My Wiser, Ready Modes, and Scheduling, are some of the other features that make this Wi-Fi thermostat one of the best thermostats available in the market.
While majority smart thermostat reviews on the internet have given a thumbs-up to this Wi-Fi thermostat, a lot of users have also pointed out some of the drawbacks. For instance, a lot of users have suggested that its mobile application is complicated. Also, some of the users have mentioned that there is no support for date scheduled vacation period, which is a feature that is very commonly found in a lot of modern Wi-Fi thermostats.
- Intuitive Design
- Easy to install
- Touchscreen Display
- Wiser Forecasts
- Comfort Boost
- Scheduling
- Remote Access through PC, Tablet and Smartphone
- Incredibly easy to install
- Changes color based on the modes on which the unit is running
- Local weather display
- Automatically switches between heat and cool modes
- Compatible with almost all the modern PCs, tablets and smartphones
- Mobile app is complicated
- No support for date-based vacation scheduling
Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control
If you have an advanced heating or cooling systems, like the ones that have dual heating or cooling stages, then this Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control from Honeywell can be an excellent choice. The Wi-Fi enabled thermostat could be controlled from any part of the world through a laptop, tablet or a smartphone.
The thermostat cover has a touchscreen display whose color can be adjusted as per the interiors of your home or office. The local weather conditions including the current temperature and humidity are also displayed on the touchscreen display as well the thermostats mobile application. You can program the thermostat for each day of the week by answering few simple questions, like ‘’What temperature do you prefer while sleeping?”, “Is someone at home all day?”, etc. Once the thermostat is programmed, it will automatically control the heating and cooling system as per your preferences without needing any further manual actions.
The thermostat has Auto Alerts feature for notifying the users about the filter change in their heating and cooling systems, extreme indoor temperatures, etc. While this programmable thermostat has a host of impressive features, many users find it expensive and feel the absence of motion sensors is a let-down.
- Voice Control
- Touchscreen Display with Color Adjustments
- Remote Access through a Laptop, Tablet, and Smartphone
- Easy Programmable Features
- Auto Alerts
- Allows users to not just choose from a wide-range of display panel colors but also allows them to adjust the brightness of the screen to ensure that it compliments the decor of the room
- Local weather conditions display on the touchscreen panel as well as the mobile application
- Compatible with almost all the modern PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones
- Host of innovative and power-saving features
- No motion sensor
- Expensive
Honeywell RTH6580WF Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
For users who are looking to get an affordable thermostat, RTH6580WF 7-Day Programmable Thermostat can be an excellent option. The thermostat is Wi-Fi enabled to allow you to manage and monitor the thermostat remotely. It has a large touchscreen display which makes programming easy even in dimly lit environments.
The thermostat is incredibly easy to install as well but requires a C wire for installation. It allows you to program four different heating and cooling modes for every single day of the week as per your preferences. Moreover, if there is any problem related to the Wi-Fi network or sudden change in temperature, the thermostat can also send notifications about the same directly to your mobile phone. It also warns about the battery and filter change to ensure that your heating and cooling system, as well as the thermostat, functions flawlessly.
And just like every other smart thermostat from Honeywell, RTH6580WF also has energy-saving features that can save up to 33% of the annual heating and cooling equipment bills. The thermostat is compatible with both, single and dual stage heating and cooling systems.
- 4 Different Heating and Cooling Modes for Every Day of the Week
- Wi-Fi enabled
- Remote Access through PCs, Tablets and Smartphones
- Large Touchscreen Display
- Mobile Notifications
- Energy-Saving Features
- Auto Change-Over
- Easy installation
- Highly energy-efficient
- Easily affordable
- Backlit display is simple to read even at night
- Can be controlled from anywhere through a PC, tablet or smartphone
- While the thermostat is compatible with Apple phones as well, the initial setup can only be done on an Android smartphone, tablet or PC
- Not compatible with Blackberry phones
- Initial setup is a little tricky
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Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Thermostat for Smart Home 1F86U-42WF
Another addition to the list of best programmable thermostats is this Sensi 1F86U-42WF. It is a true universal thermostat that is compatible with the most number of modern heating and cooling systems. With the help of the Sensi App, you can control this thermostat through your smartphone, PC or tablet.
The thermostat comes with seven different heating and cooling schedule settings which can be adjusted easily through its mobile application. The Wi-Fi enabled thermostat automatically adjusts the temperature to save up to 30% on annual energy costs. With its innovative Cycle Rate Settings, the thermostat can maintain the temperature of your home or office within +/- 1 degree F, which is something that best of modern thermostats, can find it difficult to achieve.
The thermostat also has a built-in humidity sensor. In most of the cases, the thermostat doesn’t even require a C wire for installation. There is also a compatibility tool at the official website of this thermostat to make the installation process easy and quick. It is also compatible with Amazon Echo, Wink, and Alexa for voice controls. The only thing missing in this thermostat is the learning functions that are found in many other modern Wi-Fi thermostats.
- Wi-Fi Enabled
- Can be controlled by a Smartphone, Tablet or PC
- 7 Heating and Cooling Schedules
- Built-in Humidity Sensor
- Compatible with Amazon Echo, Wink, and Alexa
- Highly affordable
- Offers energy savings of up to 30% on an annual basis
- Doesn’t require a C wire in most cases
- Sensi app is easy to use and allows users to control all the features of this thermostat
- No learning functions
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Best Smart Thermostat
If all the options mentioned above and their mind-blowing features are still making the job of picking one difficult for you, allow us to eliminate that confusion as well. If you actually want a top model thermostat, then from the list mentioned above, the Nest thermostat can be worth considering.
The learning abilities of this Wi-Fi thermostat are highly impressive and within a week or so, it will be able to understand your temperature preferences to provide you with enhanced comfort. The thermostat can be remotely accessed from a tablet or smartphone through its application, and also from a PC or laptop through its web portal. It is compatible with the majority of the home systems as well, including the Apple HomeKit. Moreover, it is also compatible with Alexa if you want to control the thermostat through your voice.
Overall, Nest thermostsat is everything that you want from a modern thermostat. The host of features that it offers, makes up for its expensive price tag.
Best Outdoor Thermostat
An outdoor thermostat is a very useful device that helps in saving energy. It also helps in maintaining the temperature of the surroundings according to your comfort level. Thus, it would be an excellent idea to install one. While fitting a thermostat the most important thing to be kept in mind is the location of the thermostat. Even though you are using an outdoor thermostat, it is not necessary to install it in an outdoor location.
It should be set up in the room where all the heating and cooling systems are fixed or in a room where there is continuous air flow. The thermostat is made using different types of sensors like thermistor or even a bimetallic strip. These sensors play a significant role in maintaining a proper temperature. Nowadays, with the development of the technology, there are outdoor thermostats can be enabled with the help of a Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi thermostats with sensors can be easily bought online. You may buy one based on your heating and cooling system. There are plenty of good brands available online. Let us look at some of them.
The 3rd Generation of Nest Learning Thermostat has some of the most advanced features. It can program itself in such a way that it can control the consumption of energy while you are away. Also, the Nest learning thermostat can be regulated using a smartphone from anywhere. It will show a green leaf when the room temperature is adjusted to save energy. In this way, you will learn how much energy you are saving. Besides, it not very difficult to set up this smart device. The installation time is less than 30 minutes. The Nest learning thermostat can work with almost all the heating and cooling systems as it comes with a heat pump outdoor thermostat kit. These systems include gas, forced air, hot water oil, solar, geothermal, etc. Thus, with this device, you do not have to worry about extreme temperatures.
The Nest Learning Thermostat, Third Generation is the best product without any doubt. Compared to its previous models, the 3rd Generation of Nest learning thermostat has much more stylish design and better features. This model has a large screen and a superb resolution of 229 pixels. If you have a furnace at home, then this thermostat will work best for you as it has a furnace-heads-up feature that will alert you about any unusual activity. The Nest learning thermostat also comes with a heat pump outdoor thermostat control that helps in managing the weather during cold climatic conditions. Besides, Nest Thermostat is not too hard on the pocket. All these qualities make Nest Thermostat worth buying.
The Outdoor thermostat is a must buy to do your bit to save energy and environment. They also help in cutting down the power bills considerably. With the advancement of technology the thermostats operate automatically once programmed. They also work well with Wi-Fi and solar energy. Also, all of these brands come with proper warranties and excellent after sales service. Hence, buying a thermostat will be a one-time investment with guaranteed returns.
Cheapest Programmable Thermostat
If you want the cost of a thermostat to be the decisive factor, then the RTH6580WF Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat from Honeywell is what you should buy. It comes with a host of features that can only be found in other high-end models. The Wi-Fi enabled thermostat can be monitored and managed remotely from a smartphone, tablet or a PC.
It can be adjusted in 4 different modes for seven days to eliminate the need to make any adjustments throughout the week. Battery and filter change warnings, notifications about Wi-Fi network or sudden change in temperature, etc. are directly sent to the mobile phone for utmost convenience. The large backlit, touchscreen display of the thermostat is easy to use and read even in low-lighting conditions.
The thermostat also has excellent energy-saving features that can save up to 33% on your annual power costs. The only minor drawbacks of this unit are that it is not compatible with Blackberry phones, and the initial setup cannot be done through an iOS phone. But with a price tag, it is one of the most affordable Wi-Fi thermostats that you can buy.
Conclusion
With the increasing demand for smart thermostats, a number of brands have already launched a variety of options, while many others are still in the making. While these thermostats are leaps and bounds ahead of their traditional counterparts, the vast gamut of choices makes the buying process difficult for standard homeowners.
So, if you are looking for an easy way out, go through the above-mentioned options and choose one after understanding their features and drawbacks to get yourself the best wifi thermostat to experience enhanced comfort and convenience at your home.
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