Best Smart Thermostats 2021

wolf39

Estimable
Jan 13, 2016
1
0
4,510
Sorry - it's simply not true that Ecobee can support multiple zones. IT definitely CAN'T! It supports multiple thermostats, however it is not able to control multiple zones, which makes multiple thermostats kind of obsolete and nonsensical (unless you want to raise room temperature everywhere if you for example your bedroom is too cold). If you need multiple zone control support you need to get evohome or tado.
 

SteveReeves

Prominent
Apr 18, 2017
2
0
510
I think the room sensors that allow for temp control in the room that you're in is great!

I've seen some smart vents that close themselves off too.

Wonder if Nest is doing anything to counter this in upcoming releases.
 

gardavis

Honorable
Jun 5, 2012
1
0
10,510
The Ecobee3 Lite now can support the sensors. In fact, they have a promotion at the vendor's site that includes 2 sensors and the Lite for $169. Also, I don't think the display is color as you say.
 
Apr 6, 2018
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10
Our home has two independent HVAC units. Our power company just introduced demand pricing that makes it very desirable for us to ensure that only one unit operates at a time. I suspect there must be a thermostat product that allows two thermostats to coordinate such that they take turns. Can anyone recommend one?
 
Oct 21, 2018
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10
Nest does not make a thermostat that controls the maintenance band and does not allow users to modify and adjust the band that is stuck at +/-1°F. If you have an old cast iron heater system, DO NOT BUY a Nest. It will force your system to start up Everytime it drops a degree, and initial start ups will use more natural gas, therefore Nest does not save money. Nor does do they offer any help to remedy or fix the problem.
 
Dec 1, 2018
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10
Mike, I see very little information about notifications due to a power outage. I’m considering a Honeywell smart thermostat because it’s monitored by an outside server. From what I was told by Honeywell support, if I have a power outage their server will notify me that the thermostat is offline. That’s important to avoid frozen pipes at second homes, in my case a ski camp, or a primary home should it be left during vacation or otherwise in the winter. This service/feature is not considered in any of the top rated or recommended thermostat articles I’ve read...but should be. With that said, are there other smart thermostats that meet the above requirements that I should consider.
 
Jan 5, 2019
1
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10
I purchased a Nest smart thermostat largely based on reviews like this, and after setting it up I found a major feature was missing which makes me intensely regret the decision. Nest is missing a Hold Temperature feature.

In general the smart scheduling, app-based home-away location detection, and other energy-saving features are great. But sometimes it is important for a user to be able to easily override the smart/automated scheduling and lock in their own temperature setting for a while. Many of Nest's customers have told them about the problems we've encountered due to the lack of a Hold feature. Nest could add a simple indefinite hold that users could turn on and off, or an interface similar to the fan setting, where there would be options for 1, 2, 6, 12, 24, or 48-hour temperature hold that would be automatically deactivated once the time had elapsed. Either of these would be technically simple, and their technical support representatives confirmed that they would not be difficult to implement. However, Nest refuses to fix this deficiency. The ecobee--and just about every other smart and programmable thermostat--has a Hold Temp feature. Nest does not.

Nest will occasionally respond to their customers with convoluted "workarounds" that allow users to set and hold a temperature. But the workarounds require the user to disable most of the smart features. That isn't a valid solution, and defeats the purpose of buying the Nest in the first place. They are at best neglectful, and at worst actively dismissive of their customers who are caught in a situation where we find their product lacking and are requesting a change that would genuinely improve their thermostats.

I am posting here to ask you to reconsider your recommendation for the Nest thermostats, and that you please contact Nest to explain that as a highly-trusted and valued source of reviews, you are relaying the request of users like me to add a Hold feature. The lack of a Hold Temp feature is incredibly frustrating, and often makes it impossible to retain the smart features of the thermostat while also keeping the temperatures in my home comfortable.

I understand that sometimes a hold temperature setting could temporarily override some energy-saving features -- however, other times the hold setting would end up saving energy. But the biggest issue is that this is a simple feature that is glaringly missing from their thermostat, which makes it work poorly. And Nest has so far ignored their customers when we reach out to them to try to get this issue fixed. I am hoping that if you would also talk to them, they might move forward with this crucial improvement.

Here are a couple threads in Nest's community forum that go into the issue, and include some of the "workarounds" that users have had to resort to:

https://www.nest-community.com/s/question/0D51W00005IgN8QSAV/hold-temperature?t=1538532255910

https://www.nest-community.com/s/question/0D51W000064RtHySAK/please-add-a-hold-temperature-function-its-a-major-shortcoming-that-nest-doesnt-already-allow-this

Thank you for considering this, and for all your excellent reviews. I'm hoping that if you could speak to Nest they would finally fix this problem.