Best Smart Thermostat

As some of you may already know, Smart Thermostat is a device which can connect with WIFI and then you can control temperature of your home via mobile device and/or voice command. You can also program smart thermostat to behave in certain way based on conditions like time of day, whether location is empty or full of people, outside temperature etc.

Why should I buy a Smart Thermostat

It make sense from economical perspective as they can help in reducing your electricity bill by 20-30% or more and you will recover your investment in short period.  From practical perspective it convenient as you don’t have to manually modify temperature through out day and in some cases middle of night .

I remember when my wife was expecting she used to ask me multiple times to change temperature in thermostat. Also during morning I’ll reduce temperature (in winter) and in evening will again increase it to save on power bill.You can get rid of all these hassles with smart thermostats.

What can a Smart Thermostat do for me?

Machine learning capability inbuilt in smart thermostats like NEST makes life easy. Basically, after using it for one week it will program itself and adapt to your need.

Thermostats like Ecobee3 comes with remote sensor which you can place anywhere to monitor and control temperature and can be extended for more than one room.

Most of thermostats can integrate with smart home hubs like smartthings, Amazon alexa and rule based apps like IFTTT/stringify. This opens endless possibilities in terms of home automation. Your home can adjust temperature based on weather outside. Or it can help you change temperature remotely from your mobile device based on whether someone is at home or not.

Geofencing feature can detect when you are inside or outside home. This feature can be used for programing multiple scenarios like increase/decrease temperature of home when you are near home. Adjust temperature when you are going out in morning.

Getting a good night sleep – Smart thermostat can contribute by making temperature comfy for you and your family during night. Also, when you have to wake up it can change temperature based on your need. For example, during winter we may not feel like waking up if it’s cold and thermostat can help you getting out of bed by increasing temperature.

Something to keep in mind

Smart thermostat like any other electronic device may break down and leave you in cold . In those situations, it may not seem like smart idea to have a smart thermostat.

Also, most of the smart thermostats require C-wire to get power and if you don’t have it at your home then it may lead to additional expenses. Smart Home Thermostat

Smart Home ThermostatSome of the major players in this area are

Ecobee3
ecobee3 Smarter Wi-Fi Thermostat with Remote Sensor, 2nd Generation, Works with Alexa
It comes with remote sensor which you can place anywhere to monitor and control temperature and can be extended for more than one room.

Compatibility

Apple Homekit – Yes

Amazon Echo- Yes

Smart Things –Yes

Click below to buy this from Amazon
ecobee3 Smarter Wi-Fi Thermostat with Remote Sensor, 2nd Generation, Works with Alexa

Nest Learning Thermostat
Nest Learning Thermostat, 3rd Generation, Works with Alexa
Machine learning capability inbuilt in NEST makes life easy. Basically after using it for one week it will program itself and adapt to your need

Compatibility

Apple Homekit – No

Amazon Echo- Yes

Smart Things –No

Click below to buy this from Amazon
Nest Learning Thermostat, 3rd Generation, Works with Alexa

Lyric Round™ Wi-Fi Thermostat – Second Generation (RCH9310WF)
Lyric Round Wi-Fi Thermostat – Second Generation (RCH9310WF)
It comes with geofencing feature and inbuilt battery.

Compatibility

Apple Homekit – Yes

Amazon Echo- Yes (Hub required)

Smart Things –Yes

Click below to buy this from Amazon
Lyric Round Wi-Fi Thermostat – Second Generation (RCH9310WF)

Caution: Some of the smart thermostat owners had bad experiences where their smart thermostat stopped working in winter and they had chilled home.