6 Best Home Thermostat Options 2021
Today, there is an abundance of choices for home thermostats. Many of the most popular home thermostats are “smart thermostats”. Smart thermostats can be remotely programmed from a phone or laptop and/or enable you to use your home’s wi-fito set temperatures using voice commands. There are brands out there that are capable of doing all these things and more. As we roll into a new year let us look back on the best of 2020 and which are the best home thermostats available today. In order to be fair to everyone’s budget, this list includes thermostats in various price ranges.
The Ecobee 4
Ecobee is one of the leaders in smart home technology. The company makes a plethora of smart home devices, from light switches to thermostats and has worked towards a full suite of products that can be bundled together quite well when used with Amazon Alexa technology. The Ecobee 4 comes with room sensors and accepts voice commands using Alexa. This programmable smart home thermostat can accept room by room settings when interfaced with a multi-stage system. By all accounts it is an easy DIY install and once it is up and running requires little to no adjustments.
Pros:
- DIY installation
- Comes with room sensors
- Geofencing
- Motion Activated
- Can create multiple zones
- Voice controlled (Alexa, Siri)
- Integrates with smart home systems
Cons:
- Requires C-wire
- Slightly more expensive than other brands
Honeywell Wi-Fi 9000 Color Touchscreen Thermostat
This thermostat will make many lists. Honeywell is a respected brand and make products that cater to the average consumer. Its touchscreen is easy to use and large enough that it can be used by people of all ages. It’s compatibility with Alexa means that it can be accessed via voice commands for those who don’t care about its color touch screen and just want something with maximum convenience. It was built to be integrated with other systems so it is also possible to remotely program this thermostat using a smartphone or tablet.
Pros:
- Honeywell is a respected brand with excellent customer service
- Accessible via smart phone or tablet
- Works with Alexa and Siri
- Easy to use
- DIY installation
- Highly rated by consumers
- Scheduling
- Adaptable
Cons:
- Requires C wire
- Some customers were unhappy with the 2 year warranty
Lux 7-Day Touchscreen Universal Application Programmable Thermostat
The Lux 7-Day thermostat does not qualify as a smart home product, but it is a highly rated programmable thermostat and should make the list due to positive user reviews and affordable pricing. It has many of the features people find necessary in a modern thermostat such as programming and filter alerts.
Pros:
- Highly rated on consumer sites
- Alerts
- Programmable
- Battery Operated
- Easy installation
Cons:
- Not a smart home product
Nest Smart Learning Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat
The Nest is the benchmark brand for smart home products and the Nest Smart Learning Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat is one of their top selling products. This thermostat not only enables users to change the temperature in their home from their phone, but also is capable of learning preferences and adjusting heat accordingly, maximizing user pleasure while minimizing effort.
Pros:
- Self adjusting
- Remote capability
- Integrates with other smart home and office assistant products
- High consumer ratings
- Easy installation
- Programmable
- Guides users into saving energy
- Alerts users when the house is too hot or too cold
- Motion activated
- Comes in white, black, and stainless (color screen)
Cons:
- Requires C-wire.
- New smart home users have said they had trouble understanding how to program it
Honeywell Lyric T
The Honeywell Lyric T is another top rated Honeywell product. Though smaller in size than the color touch screen model, it shares many of the same features like adaptive recovery and 7-day scheduling. Its efficient design is meant to blend into the room rather than stand out. Like other Honeywell thermostats, the Lyric T was built to work with the Amazon Alexa and Echo suite of products and services.
Pros:
- Easy DIY installation
- 7 day scheduling
- Smart alerts
- Adaptive recovery
- Designed to work with Amazon Alexa and Echo & Apple HomeKit
- Compatible with single and multi-stage heating and cooling systems
Cons:
- Will not work without a C-wire
Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Thermostat for Smart Home, ST55, DIY Version
Another product that makes every list for “Best Home Thermostat” is the Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi. This particular model (ST55) is the DIY Version of the product, packaged with extension directions and video walk-throughs on the mobile app. Many of the products being sold online are made for contractors or those with more experience with smart home systems. This system comes ready to work with Amazon’s Alexa voice system and remote access applications. It has 7 day scheduling, in door humidity readings and even displays local weather.
Pros:
- Easy install and DIY videos to aid in the installation process
- Integrates with Amazon Alexa voice
- Has 7 day flex scheduling
- Provides local weather and updates on indoor humidity
- High consumer ratings
- Voted “Best Value” smart thermostat by USA Today
Cons:
- Not compatible with electric baseboard or line voltage communication systems
Currently, companies like Honeywell, Emerson, Nest, and Ecobee dominate the market for home thermostats. These brands have elevated their product lines to become intuitive, adaptable, and easy-to-use. The thermostats selected for this review represent some of the highest rated thermostats on the market today. Most of them are smart home models, but by no means are they the only choices remaining today. Check back in for more product reviews or send us a request and we’ll review it.
