Compare the best-selling smart thermostats: Google Nest, Amazon Smart Thermostat, Ecobee and Honeywell
Are you warming up to the purchase of a new smart thermostat? It could end up saving you money - enough to pay back the thermostat many times over. A summary of studies on Nest thermostat usage show "savings equal to about 10%-12% of heating usage and electric savings equal to about 15% of cooling usage in homes with central air conditioning."
Nest isn't your only option. There are many contenders for the title of best smart thermostat. Finding the one that best fits your home can be a challenge, though.
Here's a review of bestselling models and sets from Google Nest, Amazon, Honeywell and Ecobee. All are available to buy today on Amazon and other platforms.
Top products in this article:
Google Nest Learning Thermostat, $199 (reduced from $249)
Introducing Amazon Smart Thermostat with Alexa, $48 (reduced from $60)
Amazon Smart Thermostat with Echo Show 5 (2021), $103 (reduced from $145)
Google Nest
Google Nest smart thermostats belong to the Google Nest family of Alexa-friendly smart-home products. The line includes DIY security devices, such as the Google Nest Outdoor Cam, but is arguably best known for its thermostats. On Amazon, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat is the retail giant's No. 2 top-selling programmable thermostat.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat
Like other smart thermostats, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat is an energy saver. When you're out of the house, the thermostat turns itself down. And like its competitors, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat can be controlled remotely via an app.
Unlike some other smart thermostats, and even unlike some other Google Nest devices, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat doesn't just process the numbers you feed it every day; it uses them to please you. If you allow it, the thermostat will, say, warm the house to 69 degrees by 7 a.m. because it knows you like the house that way when you wake up.
The battery-powered Google Nest Learning Thermostat is said to be compatible with 95% of home heating and air-conditioning systems.
You can get the Google Nest Learning Thermostat on sale at Amazon for $199, a 20% markdown from list price. The thermostat is available in a variety of colors, including brass and stainless steel.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat, $199 (reduced from $249)
Google Nest Thermostat
The standard Google Nest thermostat is the third-best-selling programmable thermostat on Amazon. We found the device for as little as $115 on Amazon. (Prices vary depending on the model's color.)
Like the Google Nest Learning Thermostat, the Google Nest looks out for your energy bill, and turns itself down when you're away. And like its sibling device, you can control it remotely via your phone or device of your choice. (And, yup, it works with either iOS or Android phones.) Google says installation will take you about 30 minutes or less; the same amount of time it says you'd need to set up the Google Nest Learning Thermostat.
Google Nest Thermostat, $115 (reduced from $130)
Amazon Smart Thermometer
Amazon got in the smart-thermostat market in a big way in 2021 with the launch of the Amazon Smart Thermostat.
Amazon Smart Thermostat
The Amazon Smart Thermostat is the No. 1-selling programmable thermostat on Amazon. List prices start at $60 for a smart thermostat without a C-wire (or, common-wire) power adapter kit. You may need a C-wire adapter to properly hook up your smart thermostat -- or you may not, depending on your current thermostat. (Best to check before you buy.) The thermostat with the C-wire power adapter lists for $85. Both models are currently on sale on Amazon; the model without the C-wire is going for just $48.
(Google Nest devices, by the way, do not come with C-wire requirements.)
As you might've guessed, the Amazon Smart Thermostat works with Alexa, but it's not a two-way communication device. If you want to tell it that you're leaving the house, and that you want it to adjust the air conditioning accordingly, then you need to give that instruction through the Alexa app or via an Alexa-enabled device.
Introducing Amazon Smart Thermostat, $48 (reduced from $60)
Amazon Smart Thermostat with Echo Show 5
Another of Amazon's top-selling thermostats is this bundle that pairs the Amazon Smart Thermostat with the Amazon Echo Show 5. Right now, you can get that smart home duo for nearly 30% off. Sale prices start at $103 for the package with the thermostat without a C-wire power adapter.
Amazon Smart Thermostat with Echo Show 5 (2021), $103 (reduced from $145)
Honeywell
Honeywell has long been a name in the home-tech space; its technology even helps power the Amazon Smart Thermostat. On Amazon, one of its smart thermostats is the retail giant's fifth-biggest seller among programmable thermostats.
Honeywell RTH9600WF smart thermostat
The Honeywell RTH9600WF is a brand-new entry; the smart thermostat debuted in March 2022. It has a color display screen (that can even show you the day's weather forecast), and it can be controlled via a variety of A.I. assistants, including Alexa and Google Assistant. Please note, Honeywell says a C-wire power adapter is required.
Prices for the Honeywell RTH9600WF vary depending on the color, and whether you're purchasing it with a C-wire power adapter. On Amazon, the best deal we saw was for a gray model without the adapter; it's on sale for $129.
Honeywell Home RTH9600WF Smart Color Thermostat, $129 (reduced from $169)
Ecobee
Ecobee is another big name among smart-thermostat buyers. On Amazon, three of its devices or bundles are among Amazon's Top 10-selling programmable thermostats. Chief among them is the top-rated Ecobee3 Lite.
Ecobee Lite SmartThermostat
Formally known as the Ecobee3 Lite SmartThermostat, the energy-saving Ecobee Lite comes complete with a power-extender kit. (But it doesn't require a C-wire.) You can control it with your Android or iOS device. Right now, you can get one for 11% off; it's marked down to $159.
Ecobee Lite SmartThermostat, Black, $159 (reduced from $179)
Ecobee Lite SmartThermostat with SmartSensors (2-pack)
Another Ecobee top-seller on Amazon is the package that bundles an Ecobee3 Lite with a two-pack of Ecobee SmartSensor security devices for your doors and windows.
Related content from CBS Essentials:
- Amazon Ring home security system: 4 reasons it may right for you
- Amazon's Ring, Google Nest or Wyze: Which bestselling smart home security system is for you?
- When is Amazon Prime Day 2022? Plus, how to find the best deals
- Best gift cards for Mother's Day
- Should you switch to Walmart+ after the Amazon Prime price increase?
- The best gifts under $50 at Amazon
