Carrier Infinity Touch Thermostat
There are many thermostats available on the market today. Of the Smart Home thermostats, the same names keep cropping up: Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell, and Emerson. Recently, we were asked to review the Carrier Infinity Touch. The Infinity Touch is a Smart Home model of thermostat that hasn’t received the type of attention that Nest or Ecobee has from reviewers but ought to. Is it as sexy as some of the other brands? Probably not, but for the average home user it may very well be the best bet for the following reasons:
1. Large color touchscreen display.
The Carrier Infinity Touch has a 4.5”H x5.4” W color touchscreen display with live weather readings. This is a perfect display for people who may have difficulties with their eyesight and while it doesn’t have the European aesthetic of “smaller is better” it does allow for photo uploads so that you can fully customize your thermostat display.
2. Fully manages up to eight distinct zones in your home.
Like the other high-end models, the Carrier Infinity Touch allows the homeowner to create independent zones in the home to customize the heating and cooling experience.
3. It manages more than just heating and cooling.
This thermostat is a powerhouse. Not only does it manage heating and cooling but also humidity and ventilation.
4. Alerts homeowners of system issues and air quality.
The Infinity Touch measures air quality in the home and provides alerts when there are problems with ventilation or filters require changing. This is great for those homeowners who are forgetful and need a helpful reminder.
5. Remote enabled.
These days it is expected that a Smart Home thermostat would be capable of adjustments remotely. With the right software loaded onto the phone or tablet, the Infinity Touch can be adjusted while homeowners are away.
6. Compatible with Alexa.
For those who prefer hands free, Carrier’s thermostat integrates with Alexa enabling voice control so that the thermostat can be adjusted anywhere in the home where Alexa is enabled.
7. Hybrid Heat system management capabilities.
This is an area where a lot of its competitors fall down. It is able to manage heating and cooling systems that utilize hybrid heat (furnace and heat pump).
8. Greenspeed Intelligence System.
The Greenspeed Intelligence System helps homeowners manage their energy usage by tracking settings and patterns to manage energy load.
This is a very smart system in a market where home technology products advance each day. Carrier has been in the heating and cooling business for years and brings that knowledge and experience to bear in the Infinity Touch. They have developed a thermostat that is compatible with the various heating and cooling systems on the market today, including hybrid systems, making it a far more versatile product than many of its competitors. For those who are new to Smart Home technology and have not been following which brands are on trend, they will find in the Carrier Infinity Touch system a product that has everything they could probably want in a thermostat. Like other top-shelf models, it is capable of multi-day programming, vacation mode settings, and adaptive management relieving the homeowner of having to constantly alter or change settings. Moreover, its alert system and Greenspeed intelligence system helps homeowners save on system maintenance and energy costs.
A lot is expected of home technology systems today and the Infinity Touch delivers. It interfaces with assistant apps and voice technology like Alexa, as well as, allows for remote access. In addition to these common features, it also provides an intuitive touchscreen that walks new users through the process of establishing zones, schedules, and modes.
Pros:
- Full-color touch screen w/ photo uploads
- 5-day regional weather forecast
- Multi-day programming
- Vacation mode settings
- Adaptive management
- Amazon Alexa compatible
- Remote access via Android and Apple products
- Manages up to 8 zones
- Alert systems
- Manages humidity and air flow
- Real-time energy use tracking
- Works with hybrid systems
- Air quality and performance monitoring
- Auto changeover between heating and cooling
Cons:
- Requires a C wire
- Not inconspicuous
- A hard DIY install
The Carrier Infinity Touch system provides everything someone could ask for in a standalone Smart Home Thermostat. If no other Smart Home products were bought and this was the only system it still maximizes homeowner convenience with its many advanced features. Being able to utilize remote and voice commands to set temperature in the same system is really what most people are looking for and what Carrier delivers on. The fact that it also allows for the creation of temperature zones, vacation modes, provides smart alerts, and even provides homeowners with weather forecasts is all icing on the cake. While the model is more conspicuous than the Nest or Ecobee, it still is attractive and comes in three different plating (black, white, stainless steel) with the option to load a photo image as a background. The only downside to the model is that many owners have said that it is difficult to Do-It-Yourself on the installation and that a homeowner may need the help of a professional installer. This may be due to the multi-system integration that the Infinity provides. Connecting to heating, cooling, humidity, and air systems in the home may be the issue, however, that said being able to connect up all of those systems is one of the major pluses of the product.
In conclusion, it is an easy product to recommend given its functionality and the potential savings on energy and maintenance costs. The fact that it has installation issues is taken into consideration when rating it. The system gets an overall rating of an 8.8 for the DIY and a 9.5 if installed.
