Now that watches, rings and phones have the word “smart” on them, some of the most common household gadgets and accessories are experiencing a bit of a renaissance in the age of internet connectivity. In the case of smart thermostats, what was once just a hallway has become an essential connected home gadget. Being able to control your home’s air conditioner or heater via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth without physically touching a dial is a significant improvement in convenience.
Brands like Google Nest and Honeywell occupy much of the collective mind for this device segment, but according to Consumer Reports, neither company makes the best smart thermostat. Instead, CR’s top-rated smart thermostat is the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium, specifically the EB-STATE6-01 model. Ecobee topping such a list might be unexpected for some, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to those who had seen the company’s name twice in the top five on our list of smart thermostat brands ranked from worst to best.
The Ecobee smart thermostat takes the top spot at CR after receiving high marks for its smart integrations and manual operation. After all, a smart thermostat needs to be “smart,” but it also needs to be easy to use when you’re in your hallway.
Details on the Ecobee smart thermostat range
The Ecobee smart thermostat is available in several models at different prices. Ecobee offers three smart thermostats – Essential, Enhanced and Premium – and it was the Premium model that received the highest score of all thermostats when rated by Consumer Reports. The Essential is the company’s least expensive thermostat, at around $140, with the Enhanced model costing around $200 and the Premium having an MSRP of around $260.
The Premium edition offers many more features than the other two. A few additions to the top-of-the-line model are the inclusion of built-in air quality monitoring, the ability to play music via Spotify or Bluetooth, and smoke detector detection. The Premium and Enhanced versions also come with the Ecobee Smart Security feature, which requires a subscription if you want to use it.
Interestingly enough, another Ecobee offering, the Enhanced Edition of the Ecobee Smart Thermostat, serves as a bookend in the CR report. Between the two Ecobee smart thermostats are two Google Nest options (the third and fourth generations), so Nest and Ecobee are currently in the top four.
What users think of Ecobee smart thermostats
Among those who own an Ecobee smart thermostat model, reviews vary, but are generally pretty consistent on Amazon. Out of nearly 4,000 reviews of the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium model, 75% had given it a 5-star rating at the time of writing.
Amazon reviewers say the Ecobee smart thermostat is quite easy to install. The only downside is that if you want to connect a C wire, you may have to do some extra work. However, a C wire for the Ecobee smart thermostat is completely optional, as the device comes with a power extender kit for homes without such wiring. The only major downside is the price of Ecobee thermostats, at least when it comes to the Premium Edition. If you just want a smart thermostat without extra features like home security and the ability to play music, there are cheaper options like Honeywell Home for around $100.
A smart thermostat can be a useful tool if you don’t want to worry about physically changing the temperature. You can set it to automatically reach the desired temperature and control it remotely without touching the temperature yourself. Smart thermostats can also help you save money, but it’s best to do your own research to find out how to get the most out of a smart thermostat for your home.
