Top 10 Best Smart Thermostats [2024]

If you’re looking to save money on energy bills for your home, a smart thermostat is one of the best ways of doing that. With a smart thermostat, you will have full control over the temperature in your home and will be able to create smart schedules for optimal energy usage.

What To Look For in a Smart Thermostat

Installation

Installing a smart thermostat should be simple to do, even if you’re unfamiliar with the procedure. You should be able to find easy-to-follow instructions with the packaging, or there should be a copy available online.

Instructions provided should have clear illustrations that can help guide you through the installation process. Any wires or cables should be marked in a way that shows you exactly where each one must go. For example, the wires included could be color-coded or labeled.

It should take around half an hour to replace your current thermostat with a new smart thermostat. If you get a bit stuck, most manufacturers have customer service reps that can help talk you through the instructions.

After installation is complete, you should download the smart thermostat app onto your smartphone or another device so that you can use it to its full potential.

Smart Home System Integration

With every smart thermostat, an app can be downloaded so that you can control it with ease from afar, but some models can be integrated with other smart-home systems such as your voice assistant and other devices.

If you link the smart thermostat with your Amazon Alexa or Google Home, you will be able to control it and adjust the temperature by using voice commands. This can be great for extra convenience in your life.

It’s possible to link your smart thermostat to your smoke detector. This way, when smoke or a fire is detected, the smart thermostat can switch off any fans to prevent any smoke from being spread around your home.

Other options that can be linked with your smart thermostat include smart-vent connectivity for further temperature control and links with any home security system.

Remote Access

Remote access with a smart thermostat can allow you to control the thermostat remotely from anywhere. To be able to do this, all you need is the available app and a Wi-Fi connection.

You can adjust the temperature with remote access whilst you’re away before you get home for maximum comfort. You can set schedules for your temperature changes, but sometimes we need something that is cooler or warmer than normal.

Geofencing

Geofencing is a feature that can use the smart thermostat app and the GPS chip in your smartphone to set a perimeter (or a geofence) around your home. Whilst you’re within the perimeter, the smart thermostat will continue to heat or cool your home, but once you leave the perimeter, it will stop so that you can save your energy and avoid wasting it.

If you leave the perimeter and then come back later, the HVAC system will power up so that your home will be temperature ready for when you get back. You’ll no longer need to wait for your home to warm up or cool down.

Room Sensors

You can have models of smart thermostats that come with portable room sensors for any hot or cold spots within your home. These sensors are designed to be placed in areas where the temperatures are often different from the center of your home.

Room sensors can assist in making sure every room is heated or cooled to the right temperature throughout the day.

C-wire Requirement

Many smart thermostat models aren’t battery-powered and will need to be wired into your home. There’s no need to worry about them be expensive to run as they are designed to not take up too much power. As a smart thermostat will actually help you save money on energy bills, you won’t notice any extra costs from having one installed.

Many smart thermostats need to have a dedicated C-wire (common wire) to be wired into your home. A C-wire allows for a constant flow of power to a smart thermostat. It doesn’t act as the source of power, but it helps to complete the R-wire (power wire) circuit to the HVAC system so that the display and the Wi-Fi connection can run 24/7.

If you pull out your current thermostat and find that there’s no C-wire connected to it, you should look inside the wall to see if there’s one hiding away. If not, it’s a good idea to get one installed. Not all smart thermostats models need to have a C-wire, but it’s highly recommended to get one to avoid any damage or other problems with the HVAC system.

Alerts

Smart thermostat alerts can notify you of any temperature changes that happen in your home whilst you’re away. This can help you to keep your home safe from any extreme changes that can lead to further damage.

With the smart thermostat companion app, you can remotely adjust the temperature to fix any problems, or you can ask someone you trust to go to your home and see if there are any issues.

Color Touch Screen and Proximity Sensor

A lot of smart thermostat models come with a large touch screen display for easy temperature management. You can see important information such as your home’s current temperature, the date and time, and sometimes even the weather outside.

The information shown on display should not be too sophisticated and must be able to give you the needed information at a quick glance. Some models allow you to decide what information you would like to see, so if you don’t need the date and time, you can choose not to have it there.

These touch screen displays will often brighten up when your walk close by within its range and then dim again once you walk away. This is known and a proximity sensor, and it can be useful for saving more energy and helping the display to last for a longer time.

Best Smart Thermostats

Google Nest Learning Thermostat (3^rd Gen)

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat is a smart thermostat programmed to learn your schedule and which temperatures you like the best. It will then work to provide you with comfort within your home whilst helping you save energy.

It features a home/away assistant that can automatically adjust itself to an Eco Temperature after you leave your home. This will ensure that no energy is being used meaninglessly in an empty home.

With the Nest app, you can control the smart thermostat remotely without needing to be in your home. Family members can also download the app and adjust the temperature as well. You can make changes on any device such as a smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet, and you can link the thermostat to your Amazon Alexa for voice compatibility.

To monitor your energy use, you can use Energy History to see the exact amount of energy you have used and where. There’s also the option to use Quick View on the Nest display to reach Energy History.

Installing the Nest smart thermostat is easy. Installation should take 30 minutes or less to do, and everything you will need for it is included in the box. The thermostat is compatible with 95% of heating and cooling systems.

Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat for Smart Home

The Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat for Smart Home is one of the best value smart thermostats available on the market.

This thermostat can help you save around 23% on your HVAC energy costs with different features such as Geofencing, 7-day flexible scheduling, and the remote accessibility available if you download the companion app.

Using the Sensi app, you can control the smart thermostat remotely from anywhere. The Sensi app can also receive alerts to your phone when extreme temperatures and humidity levels are detected within your home, helping to keep your property safe.

To monitor your energy usage, you can view usage reports by using the app. With this feature, you can view your current and previous heating, cooling, and fan runtimes.

The installation has been made simple and can be done within 30 minutes or less. There are instructions available on the app that can guide you through the process step-by-step. Plus, there is no need for any extra work to make it fit correctly, as the size of this smart thermostat is the standard size.

With smart home compatibility, you can link this smart thermostat with your voice assistant or smart home platform. The thermostat is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings.

Honeywell Home Modern Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat

The Honeywell Home Modern Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat can help you to save energy whilst also fitting in with your décor. It’s customizable and allows you to choose the display color for a more unique design that fits around you.

With the flexible programming options, you can create a schedule that keeps your home at the right temperature whenever you need it to. This way, when you’re away from home, you can include this information in your schedule and then program the smart thermostat to not use any power or go into the eco-friendly mode.

The smart thermostat is easy to understand and operate. The intuitive touchscreen display is easy-to-read and can have more information than just the temperature. You can view the daily weather forecast on the screen, as well as check the indoor and outdoor humidity.

The Honeywell Home app can be downloaded onto your device, allowing you to control the smart thermostat remotely from anywhere at any time. The app is easy to navigate and can be used to view monthly energy reports and for smart alerts that can send you reminders, temperature notifications, and more.

As a bonus, you can connect the smart thermostat to your voice assistant to control it using voice commands.

ECOBEE3 Lite Smart Thermostat

The Ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat is designed to help you make smarter savings and for more control over your home temperature.

Installing this smart thermostat is easy to do. Once installed, you can save up to 23% annually on your heating and cooling energy costs.

With the Ecobee app, you can see and control the temperature in your home remotely from anywhere. You can adjust the temperature whilst you’re away to be perfect for when you get back, or you can use it whilst you’re in your home.

Compatible with all leading smart home systems, you can link the Ecobee3 smart thermostat to your Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. This way, you can control the temperature within your home by using voice commands.

For further comfort within your home, you can buy additional smart sensors (sold separately). These sensors can help you manage any hot or cold spots you may have for extra comfort in the rooms that need it the most.

The display itself illuminates when it detects that you’re nearby, helping you to save more on power. At a quick glance, you can see what time it is, the temperature in your home, how much humidity there is, and the weather forecast.

Honeywell Wireless Wi-Fi Thermostat

The Honeywell Wireless Wi-Fi Thermostat is a great choice of smart thermostat with lots of information available on display. The display can show you the temperature of your home, the date and time, the weather forecast outside.

Installing this smart thermostat is reasonably easy to do. There are simple instructions available to follow online. For further help with installation, you can contact the customer service reps or a professional who can do the installation for you.

With Energy Savings mode and seven-day easy programming, you can be sure to save on your energy usage. The programming is simple and easy to use, with clear guides that can help you through each setting you want to adjust.

Using the Honeywell Total Connect Comfort app, you can remotely monitor your home’s temperature and manage any of the smart thermostat’s settings. The app can show you information about your energy usage to make decisions and adjustments on where to cut back on usage.

If you prefer to control the smart thermostat using voice commands, this model is compatible with Amazon Alexa. Using your Alexa, you can adjust the temperature and other settings just by using your voice.

Google Nest Thermostat

The Google Nest Thermostat is a smart thermostat with an Energy Star certificate, so you’re guaranteed to be able to save energy whilst staying comfortable within your home.

This thermostat has a feature that allows it to automatically switch off or use less power when you leave your home, so no energy is wasted on heating or cooling an empty home.

Designed to work without a C-wire, this smart thermostat can work in most homes. However, you’ll need to have a C-wire installed or another compatible power accessory for the smart thermostat to work efficiently for some systems.

With the Google Home app, you can create an energy-efficient schedule that works around your daily routine. Plus, you can control the smart thermostat remotely from anywhere on multiple devices and allow other family members to have access to the temperature control.

For further control, this smart thermostat is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. With this feature, you can control your thermostat by using voice commands.

A Savings Finder feature can help you by looking for more ways your smart thermostat can save energy. Some suggestions may include tweaking your in-app schedule or even contacting your energy provider to learn about rebates.

Honeywell Home Lyric T5 Smart Thermostat

The Honeywell Home Lyric T5 Smart Thermostat comes with many different features to help you save your home’s energy.

The smart thermostat display can show you plenty of information for your convenience. At a quick glance, you can easily see the temperature of your home. The display is a touchscreen for any quick adjustments.

Using the Honeywell app, you can control and manage your smart thermostat with ease. You can also link the thermostat to your Amazon Alexa or Apple HomeKit for full voice control.

The app can notify your device with Smart Alerts if there are any extreme temperature changes. This way, you can keep your property safe from any damage.

With Geofencing technology, you can set a perimeter so that the smart thermostat will begin cooling or heating your home to the right temperature before you enter the door. Plus, with the seven-day flexible scheduling, you can create schedules for ideal temperatures that work around your daily routine.

The smart thermostat can learn how long it takes to reach the right temperature at the correct time with its Adaptive Recovery feature. This way, the smart thermostat can automatically run your system to get your desired temperature when you want it without wasting any energy.

Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat With Sensor

The Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat with Sensor can help you save energy costs whilst helping you maintain the same temperature in a specific room with the sensor included.

The smart room sensor can also be used to detect which rooms people are in automatically. Once people are detected, the sensor can focus on the temperature in that room automatically. These sensors are battery-powered and have an excellent signal with a range of up to 200ft.

Installation is fairly simple to complete with its guided installation setup. Plus, the power adapter included with the packaging is easy to install and is compatible with most homes.

Using the Honeywell app, you can adjust your smart thermostat remotely from anywhere on your mobile device. You can also use the app to create a schedule with the Auto Home/Away scheduling feature, allowing you to save as much energy as possible without sacrificing your comfort.

A smart response and alerts feature can allow this smart thermostat to learn the home’s heating and cooling patterns. Using this feature, it can then deliver the right temperature at the right time. If any problems are detected, you will be alerted by notification so that you can protect your home.

Vine Smart Wi-Fi Programmable Home Thermostat

The Vine Smart Wi-Fi Programmable Home Thermostat is programmable for your own requirements so that you can keep your home as energy efficient as possible. With the right settings, you can save over 23% on HVAC energy costs.

With the Vine app, you can easily control and manage your smart thermostat from any mobile device. Plus, this model is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to make any temperature adjustments by using voice commands.

Installation is quick and easy to do. All necessary materials are included with the packaging, and there are detailed instructions that will guide you step-by-step through the installation process. Installing this smart thermostat should take less than 30 minutes to do.

If you’re unsure if the smart thermostat is compatible with your system, there is a chart available online with a list of compatible systems.

The smart thermostat display can show you lots of information for your daily life. At a quick glance, you can see the temperature within your home. Other information includes the date and time and the amount of humidity.

There is a strong touch button provided on the side of the display for you to make any adjustments whilst standing in front of it.

Johnson Controls Glas Smart Thermostat

The final model in this list of the Johnson Controls GLAS Smart Thermostat. This smart thermostat can assist you in saving your energy, but it can also monitor indoor and outdoor air quality.

The indoor air quality feature monitors the amount of humidity and the total number of VOCs and equivalent CO2. This can help to keep you and your family safe. With the outdoor air quality monitoring, you will have information about allergens and access to the air quality and UV index.

Using the GLAS app, you can program your own schedule that works around your daily routine so that your home will always be comfortable. If you prefer, the smart thermostat can create a routine for you based on when it senses that you are home.

The display of this smart thermostat is simple yet effective. At a glance, you can quickly check the temperature within your home. Using touchscreen technology, you can swipe through to see how much energy you have saved over the last few days and other information that you can customize.

Compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, you can link the smart thermostat to your voice assistant and adjust the temperature using voice commands.

Final Thoughts

A smart thermostat within your home can really help you save energy, especially when people are becoming more aware of the effect of climate change. Not only are you doing your bit for the environment, but you can easily save money in the long term.