Best Smart Thermostat 2021

Best Smart Thermostat iMore 2021

• Best Overall: Ecobee SmartThermostat
• Best for Small Locations: Ecobee 3 Lite
• Best Alternative: Google Nest Learning Thermostat
• Best Value: Honeywell Home Lyric T5
• Best No-Hassle: Google Nest Thermostat E
• Best Screen: Emerson Sensi Touch

Best Overall: Ecobee SmartThermostat

The Ecobee SmartThermostat is the best smart thermostat for anyone who wants to control their home environment using a voice assistant. With the Alexa-enabled Ecobee Smart Thermostat, you get all the magic of the HomeKit plus built-in Alexa voice control. Even better, thanks to the built-in speaker and microphone setup, Alexa is just as powerful on the Ecobee SmartThermostat as it is on Amazon's Echo products.

Ask Alexa to set a timer, adjust the lighting, give you the steps to a recipe, play some jazz. You can do it all right from your smart thermostat. You can also, of course, use Alexa to adjust the temperature in your home, but that's just one tiny detail. It comes with embedded microphones that feature far-field voice recognition (the same technology that makes the Amazon Echo hear you from across the room) and a speaker that makes Alexa sound loud and clear, despite coming from a thermostat fastened to your wall.

With HomeKit compatibility, you get full support for Siri control, including the ability to change temperature with your voice and trigger more complex actions with scenes, using the best iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. This device also supports IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, Alexa, Google Assistant, and many more integrations.

Best for Small Locations: Ecobee 3 Lite

The Ecobee 3 Lite is more or less an Ecobee smart thermostat without the room sensors. It has all the same great features, including HomeKit compatibility and Siri control; it's just constrained to the area where you install the main unit out of the box. However, you can buy remote sensors separately to see the temperature in other areas of your home if you choose to expand later.

The main differences between it and the Ecobee 4 are the lack of an integrated Amazon Alexa speaker, room sensor, and occupancy detection. The Ecobee 3 Lite is also slightly smaller than the newer model but isn't compatible with as many heating/cooling systems.

Best Alternative: Google Nest Learning Thermostat

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat remains a popular choice even though it's not one of the newest smart thermostats on the block. With a HAL-like dial that still looks futuristic, the Nest device is largely simple to use and works great with the Nest app for iOS. It also supports the Works with Nest program, which provides integrations with dozens of other smart home products, including home security systems, cameras, locks, and more.

By definition, the Nest Learning Thermostat takes the temperatures that you like, then builds a schedule that it believes will suit you. In doing so, you'll be more comfortable in your home while also saving on heating and cooling bills. As part of its learning, the thermostat also adapts to the changing seasons in your area.

Best Value: Honeywell Lyric T5

You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a high-quality smart thermostat. The Honeywell Lyric T5 provides most of the features of the more expensive options but for less money. The main drawback of this lower cost: a design that looks a little bit dated, even though it features all of the smart goodies. Beyond this, you still get to experience voice control, scheduling, smart alerts, and more through integrations with HomeKit and Alexa.

Best No-Hassle: Google Nest Thermostat E

The Nest Thermostat E, like its more expensive sibling, learns as you use it, creating an automatic schedule for heating and cooling. It also works with voice assistants and features most of the same sensors as the Nest Learning Thermostat. Of course, it is missing the metal casing and color options, that Nest is famous for. However, the real downside is that it doesn't work with quite as many HVAC systems as the Learning Thermostat, sporting 85% compatibility.

Best Screen: Emerson Sensi Touch

Emerson's Sensi Touch thermostat features a large widescreen touch display making it easy to make adjustments on the device itself. Speaking of changes, the Sensi Touch has quick access shortcuts to standard features such as turning on just house fan, directly from the home screen.

This thermostat also includes a backlight option that lights the area around it at night, preventing it from lighting up your room with a huge display. This backlight is also handy for the installation process, as it lights up the wiring terminals, giving you a better look at where your wires are going.

Convenience and control with the best smart thermostats

Having the best smart thermostat in your home offers convenience and control, all while saving you a little money in the process. For some, the thermostat is not always in the most accessible location — this is where app voice control comes in. Changing the temperature in your home from the comforts of your couch or bed is more than worth the cost of admission, and scheduling features are the icing on the cake.

For most people, the Ecobee SmartThermostat is the best smart thermostat around. The Ecobee SmartThermostat is fully featured and caters to folks who are all-in on Apple with other great HomeKit accessories, or even those who prefer Alexa control. Over time, you can expand your Ecobee SmartThermostat's footprint by adding additional room sensors. Ultimately, your decision should come down to how much you want to control the temperature in your home and where.

The team that worked on this guide