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The best smart thermostats (2024)

Now that it’s new year, new you, we’re here to help you tackle your next smart home purchase—smart thermostats. 

An ecobee smart thermostat displaying 78 degrees with humidity and air quality indicators, alongside a white sensor, against a purple background.
Image: KnowTechie

A smart thermostat is one of the best smart home upgrades you can make for your place. They automatically adjust your heating and cooling, keeping you comfortable and hopefully saving some money.

They range from pretty simple affairs that give you control over your home’s central heating from anywhere to more complicated on-device AI that controls your settings based on learning your routine.

Many have voice control, whether from an inbuilt microphone or by connecting them to a smart display or speaker, so you can ask Alexa, Google Assistant, or even Siri to change the temperature.

The more advanced models have sensors to check for occupancy. Satellite sensors can track the temperature in other rooms to keep every part of your home comfortable, and all of them look nicer than your basic thermostat.

But you might be wondering which is the best smart thermostat to buy. Well, that depends on your home, as a one-floor apartment has different needs than a ranch-style house, a townhome, or a single-family home.

We’ve got you covered with a handy list of the best smart thermostats and more importantly, who they’re best for.

Our picks of the best smart thermostats for 2023

All of these picks will add smarts to your HVAC unit, the only question is how hands-off you want to be.

Amazon Smart Thermostat

Amazon smart thermostat Amazon Smart Thermostat
$79.99 $59.99

The Amazon Smart Thermostat isn't just the best smart thermostat for those embedded in the Amazon ecosystem (Ring, eero, Alexa). Still, it could just be the best for most users with its affordable price tag and deep smart home integrations, thanks to Alexa.

What We Like:
  • Works with Alexa and Ring, so it's perfect for those already deeply in the Amazon ecosystem
  • Adds HVAC energy tracking into the Alexa app
  • Made in partnership with Honeywell Home
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/06/2024 12:38 am GMT

The Amazon Smart Thermostat is a stylish, minimalist thermostat that will blend into most decor. While it’s not packed with advanced features, that makes it affordable, which is always good.

It can schedule temperature changes in advance, or use Alexa Hunches to learn your routine for automatic temperature controls.

The only thing missing from this thermostat that the more expensive picks have is the ability to use remote sensors so that the temperature in another room can control it.

ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

Ecobee new smart thermostat premium ecobee New Smart Thermostat Premium
$249.99 $234.94

The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is the best smart thermostat on the market, with accurate sensors including many premium additions, including smoke alarm detection, air quality sensing, and an inbuilt smart speaker and mic to work with Siri or Alexa without needing any other

What We Like:
  • It comes with smart sensor for another room
  • It has an air quality sensor so you can see how well your home's ventilation works
  • Large, stylish display with touchscreen
  • Inbuilt smart speaker and mic to work with Siri or Alexa without needing a separate smart speaker
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/07/2024 10:27 am GMT

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium isn’t just a smart thermostat that can use remote sensors. It’s also the start of a smart home hub for security.

It can be controlled from its touchscreen or the app or by voice commands as it’s got a built-in Alexa speaker and microphone. It also has an air-quality monitor built-in.

The premium bundle comes with a SmartSensor that can detect temperature and room occupancy, and you can add up to 32 of these sensors if you’ve got an enormous home.

And it links up with Ecobee’s other smart home devices. You can see the feed from the video doorbell on the thermostat’s touchscreen, or set or disarm Ecobee security sensors if you have them.

Honeywell Home Programmable Thermostat

Honeywell home rth6580wf programmable thermostat Honeywell Home RTH6580WF Programmable Thermostat
$119.99 $79.99

The Honeywell Home RTH6580WF is an affordable way to add Wi-Fi control and scheduling to your HVAC system, and it has physical buttons if you prefer that to the touchscreens of most smart thermostats.

What We Like:
  • Seven-day programmable schedule for set-and-forget temperature control
  • Physical buttons for those who prefer that
  • Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/07/2024 10:27 am GMT

This smart thermostat from Honeywell is less pretty than the others on this list, but sometimes all you need is a basic-looking thermostat that works well, and this is that.

It has app control for remote temperature changes and monitoring, can be controlled by Google Assistant or Alexa, and has a wide range of other smart home brands that it can link with including Lutron, Arlo, HomeKit and more.

It doesn’t have remote sensor capabilities, but that’s okay at this price. Plus, it might be better for older users as it has physical controls just like a manual thermostat.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

Google nest learning thermostat Google Nest Learning Thermostat
249.00

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat is a stylish smart thermostat that gets better the more you use it, as it learns your family's routines and preferences. It's also stylish, and the outer bezel rotates for controlling temperature and other settings.

What We Like:
  • Learns from you as you use it to control your home's HVAC without you having to program it
  • Geofencing and occupancy sensor to enable automatic home and away schedules so you're not wasting energy when not at home
  • Nest Renew which helps you use greener energy by prioritizing use when energy is cleaner or less expensive
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/25/2024 01:40 am GMT

This is the thermostat we’ve used most over the last few years, and it’s definitely saved on our heating costs versus the manual thermostat that was installed before.

It has a bright, clear display that can be viewed from a long way away, thanks to a function called FarSight that turns the display on when someone is detected in front of it. It can schedule multiple temperature changes daily, but that’s not the best feature.

It learns your routine over time and automatically schedules temperature changes based on what it thinks you’ll do next. It can also automatically change the temperature when you leave or return home, saving you money.

Bosch BCC100 Smart Thermostat

Bosch bcc100 smart thermostat Bosch BCC100 Smart Thermostat
$169.99 $126.19

This Bosch smart thermostat has a large 5-inch full-color touchscreen for controlling your HVAC system at a glance. It's also compatible with a wide range of systems, including Dual Fuel, internal humidifiers or dehumidifiers, conventional systems or heat pumps.

What We Like:
  • One of the largest touch screens on any smart thermostat, with plenty of space for important information and controls
  • Room humidity sensor
  • Easy to control, with programmable schedules and Alexa and Google Home compatibility
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/07/2024 10:22 am GMT

This Bosch smart thermostat has a huge touchscreen for controlling its many features. Or you can use Alexa for voice control, and never have to get up again.

It’s easy to install, has threshold alerts and will work with most HVAC systems. Unlike some of the others on this list, it can’t integrate with other smart home devices, if that’s something you need.

And it doesn’t have geofencing or remote sensor capabilities, so it won’t automatically change temperatures when you leave or move around your home.

Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

Emerson sensi wi-fi smart thermostat Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat
$129.99 $89.95

The Emerson Sensi ST55 is a relatively affordable smart thermostat that features HomeKit support when connected by a C-wire and has a familiar design with physical buttons to ease the transition into using a more intelligent device.

What We Like:
  • The cheapest smart thermostat with Apple HomeKit support
  • Physical buttons to ease the transition from a manual thermostat
  • Battery or C-wire operation, depending on what HVAC equipment your home uses
  • Same size as a normal thermostat so doesn't require a faceplate or patching holes in most cases
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/07/2024 10:22 am GMT

This relatively boring looking smart thermostat from Emerson works with HomeKit, so you can use Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant for controlling the temperature.

It also supports geofencing, which is nice if you want your thermostat to change when you leave and return home. And it works with multiple home automation platforms, so you don’t have to use the Emerson app if you don’t want to.

Honeywell Home T9 WiFi Smart Thermostat

Honeywell home t9 wifi smart thermostat Honeywell Home T9 WiFi Smart Thermostat
$209.99 $166.00

The Honeywell Home T9 smart thermostat can be paired with multiple room sensors (with a 200ft range) that control the temperature automatically based on occupancy sensors or the schedule you select.

What We Like:
  • Compatible with remote sensors so the conditions in another part of the house can control it
  • Stylish minimalist design
  • Works with Alexa, HomeKit, Google Assistant, the Resideo app and more
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/07/2024 10:22 am GMT

The Honeywell Home T9 is a Wi-Fi-connected thermostat with touch controls and one remote sensor. That’s a great addition, as it means you can base the temperature on the room you’re in.

That smart sensor can sense humidity, temperature, and proximity, which is more advanced than any other sensor on this list. It works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit for hands-free voice assistant control.

Google Nest Thermostat

Google nest thermostat Google Nest Thermostat
$129.99 $84.27

The more affordable Google Nest Thermostat might not have the auto-scheduling algorithms of its sibling, but it still has the capability to save you money with automatically turning the temperature to more economical settings when you leave the house.

What We Like:
  • Easy to install with everything you need (except a screwdriver) inside the box
  • Home and Away auto-scheduling for more economical use
  • Stylish minimal design that blends into any decor and comes in several colors
  • Control from the touchpanel or from anywhere with the Google Home app
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/07/2024 10:22 am GMT

If you don’t need the learning part of the Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest has this version which is half the price and still just as capable.

It works with Alexa, HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and SmartThings, and has a stylish design with a mirrored front and touch-sensitive strip on the side for controls.

It doesn’t have remote sensor capability either, so if you want that, you’ll have to stump up for the more expensive sibling.

Wyze Programmable Smart WiFi Thermostat

Wyze programmable smart wifi thermostat Wyze Programmable Smart WiFi Thermostat
$79.98 $49.49

The Wyze smart thermostat is a low-cost way to add some smarts to your HVAC system, with voice assistant controls, seven-day scheduling, and the ability to control the temperature from anywhere. It also has the ability to turn off and on based on the inbuilt motion sensor or phone location data.

What We Like:
  • Works with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control
  • Robust 7-day scheduling controls
  • Get tips for energy-saving based on historical usage
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/06/2024 12:38 am GMT

The Wyze Thermostat is a great, affordable way to give your HVAC system some smarts. It even comes with a C-wire adapter in case you need it, something many others sell as an added accessory.

It’s quick to set up with the Wyze app and can be connected to Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free voice control.

Users mention it can be slightly irritating to control from the physical controls on the thermostat, but if you plan on using the app or voice controls, that shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Mysa Smart Thermostat for Electric Baseboards

Mysa smart thermostat for electric baseboards Mysa Smart Thermostat for Electric Baseboards
$149.00 $112.99

Upgrade your old electric baseboard heaters with Mysa, one of the best smart thermostats that works with 120-240V systems. It adds the ability to control your system from anywhere, scheduling abilities, and gain insight into your home's energy use.

What We Like:
  • One of the only smart thermostats that works with 120-240V electric baseboard and in-wall heaters
  • Unobtrusive design
  • Works with Alexa, HomeKit, and Google Assistant for hands-free control
KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.
03/07/2024 10:27 am GMT

For those homes with baseboard heaters, the selection for smart thermostats compatible with your systems is small. Thankfully, this Mysa model will fit all your needs.

It works with either 110V or 240V electrical heating sources to add smart controls, and links to all the major smart-home systems.

It also supports geofencing, scheduling, and zoning to keep your home comfortable while saving you money, and the smart eco setting will save you money.

Picking the best smart thermostat for your home doesn’t have to be tricky

Smart thermostats add energy-efficiency and time-saving technology to your HVAC system. With how many different models are on the market, it can be difficult to figure out which to pick.

For most users, we recommend the Amazon Smart Thermostat, which comes with deep integration to Amazon’s other products like Ring and Echo.

If your home is powered by Google, the Nest Thermostat or Nest Learning Thermostat are the ones to look at, with a common core of scheduling and easy access, and the more expensive Learning model adding on-device AI to learn your habits.

And if your home is older and has baseboard heating, the Mysa Smart Thermostat is the one to go for, as it will blend into the charm of your home.

Whichever model you choose, you can enjoy not having to stand up to change the temperature, and that’s worth any price

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.

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