The best smart thermostat can be your best friend when it comes to making you comfortable at your home and saving a lot on utility bills. A smart thermostat can help you reduce those utility costs by turning “on” your HVAC system when you feel like being home, and “off” when you don’t think you will need indoor climate control.
In fact, most homes in the US rely on an HVAC system to help keep indoor temperatures in check and hence, choosing the best smart thermostat is of utmost importance. It also helps you determine when and at what temperature the air is circulated.
Let’s have a look at the different types of smart thermostats so you can decide which one is best for you.
Types of Smart Thermostats
There are three main types of smart thermostat tech: Learning algorithms, Geofencing, and Motion Sensors.
Algorithms
These thermostats allow you to enter the basic parameters for your schedule just like a traditional programmable model. Also, they can learn your schedule over time just like AI programmed devices and has the potential to adapt automatically to changing patterns.
Some of them have an Auto-Away feature which means if you don’t pass in a range of its light sensors and degree motion at the scheduled time it will assume, you’re gone and if the device notices you’re regularly out on the specific time, it will adjust the schedule automatically.
Geofencing
Unlike algorithm thermostat, the geofencing thermostat uses your phone’s geofencing feature to tell whether you’re home or away. You can set the range of your distance so when you get outside the specified range, your thermostat would automatically set to Away mode.
And as soon as you come back in the threshold, it will automatically return to the home mode so the home gets cozy when you arrive.
Remote Sensors
Thermostats such as Ecobee3 relies on motion and proximity sensors to detect if you are near in order to kick into home mode. If it senses that you are not near for a while, it will automatically switch to Away mode. Therefore, it is important to keep the remote sensors in a heavily trafficked part of the house. You can compare ecobee3 vs ecobee4 to decide the best motion thermostat.
Now that you know what to look for when choosing the best smart thermostat, let’s have a look at a few smart thermostats to choose from.
Best Smart Thermostats
- Nest Thermostat E: If you are looking for an affordable smart thermostat, then this one is perfect for you. The screen isn’t as bright or clear, but its learning algorithm works perfectly fine. As mentioned above, learning thermostat can learn your habits over time, saving your time and efforts that you would otherwise have to put manually. It even works perfectly with Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, so you can set your home’s temperature by talking to your virtual assistant devices.
- Ecobee4: It can be integrated with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and other third-party sensors too. The best part about Ecobee4 is that it can measure the temperature at multiple different points around your home. Though, it doesn’t have the intelligent learning built like the Nest, so you will have to control the thermostat manually. The accompanying app for Android and iOS allows you to sort out your heating while you are away from home.
- Hive Heating Control: Hive heating control comes with a boiler receiver, an internet router hub, and a wall-mounted thermostat. The whole system is easy to use. No matter if you’re using the accompanying app or operating just the console, you can change the thermostat temperature or schedule from anywhere. It works with the phone’s location to automatically turn on or off the heating system. Just like other smart thermostats, it is also compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices.
Conclusion
A smart thermostat has become a necessity more than a luxury. It allows you to keep your home warm even before you step in the house, therefore, it is important that you choose the best smart thermostat for your home use. Just make sure the type of thermostat you want (algorithm or geofencing or remote sensors). You can compare various thermostats such as ecobee3 vs ecobee4 or Nest Thermostat E vs Hive Heating Control. Just make sure that it is compatible with the virtual assistant you already have and has an accompanying Android or iOS app.
