Tired of expensive heating or cooling bills? Consider giving your HVAC system an upgrade with a smart thermostat. It can save you time and money on home energy costs by automating adjustments based on your unique needs. These high-tech thermostats use algorithms to learn your family’s temperature preferences and daily routines. They’ll adjust the temperature for you rather than relying on manual changes or convoluted manual programming. You can also set temperatures and schedules remotely, perfect for helping your pets while you’re at work or preventing your pipes from freezing while you’re on vacation.
Below are four top smart thermostats from our ratings that are widely available, listed in alphabetical order. The list includes models from Ecobee, Google Nest, and Honeywell Home. CR members can click on each model name to see detailed ratings and reviews.
We also note whether each thermostat comes with a wiring adapter, which allows you to install the thermostat even if you have an older HVAC system that’s missing a C-wire. (Most smart thermostats require a C-wire so that they can receive a constant power source.) For more information on C-wires, plus advice on choosing the right thermostat for your home, see our comprehensive thermostat buying guide.
See Consumer Reports’ smart thermostat ratings for full results on all of the models we test.
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How We Test Smart Thermostats
In our smart thermostat tests, we evaluate several key elements such as app features (including voice control via digital assistants), automation and geofencing (which adjusts the temperature based on whether you’re home or away), and ease of WiFi setup. We also assess how easy they are to adjust manually using the thermostat itself. This is in addition to considerations common among all types of thermostats, such as ease of physical installation and setup.
Our lab tests show that some models offer far better automation than others, and that the most expensive models aren’t necessarily the smartest. “We find that the best smart thermostats are the ones that use or take advantage of the latest technology, like touchscreens and sensors and GPS,” says Kathleen Halevah, CR’s test engineer for thermostats. “Combining this with a well-designed user interface and the ability to sense and learn by itself is what makes a great smart thermostat.”
For more information on our testing process, see our thermostat buying guide.
Wiring adapter included: Yes.
The Ecobee Smart With Voice Control EB-STATe5-01 is one of the company’s older models and has been replaced by the two models below, but it’s still available at several retailers and well worth considering for your home. It’s one of the smartest thermostats we’ve tested because of extras like the SmartSensor, a wireless remote temperature sensor that independently measures the climate of any room you place it in. Ecobee’s system can then set the target temperature based on an average of the two readings or fully prioritize the remote sensor when it detects someone in the room. (The thermostat itself also has a built-in occupancy sensor.) Other features include vacation scheduling, a touchscreen, built-in Amazon Alexa for voice control, and compatibility with Apple Home, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings for app and/or voice control. The thermostat comes with one SmartSensor, but you can buy additional temperature sensors in a two-pack for $100 at Best Buy and Ecobee.
Wiring adapter included: Yes.
The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced is one of the company’s newer smart thermostats. It performs well in our tests for manual operation and offers an array of smart features, but it’s not as proficient at learning your routine and making adjustments automatically. It features a new radar-based occupancy sensor and works with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings for voice and app control. It doesn’t come with one of Ecobee’s wireless temperature sensors (called SmartSensors), but you can buy them separately in a two-pack for $100 at Best Buy and Ecobee.
Wiring adapter included: Yes.
The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is the company’s latest and most advanced thermostat. Its bells and whistles include a new radar-based occupancy sensor, a new indoor air quality sensor, built-in voice control with either Amazon Alexa or Apple Siri (which requires an Apple HomePod to work), and music streaming to its speaker via Spotify or Bluetooth (yes, really). In our lab tests, it receives strong scores across the board for its manual controls, automation of heating and cooling, and variety of smart features. This Ecobee thermostat works with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings for voice and app control, plus it comes with one of Ecobee’s wireless temperature sensors in the box. You can buy additional sensors in a two-pack for $100 at Best Buy and Ecobee.
Wiring adapter included: No; sold separately for $25 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Google.
The Google Nest Learning Thermostat earns the top spots in our smart thermostat ratings. It stands apart with its sleek physical design and intuitive software interface. Its appearance and manual operation hark back to simpler times when you adjusted the temperature by turning the thermostat dial. Under the covers,the Nest thermostat aces CR lab tests for automated heating and cooling. Adding to its capabilities are a wealth of smart features, including an occupancy sensor, geofencing, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. One caveat: Our testers found that the manual controls aren’t the easiest to use. Google also makes wireless remote Nest Temperature Sensors for the thermostat, which you can purchase separately for $39 each at Google and Home Depot.
Wiring adapter included: Yes.
Honeywell invented the precursor to the thermostat in 1886. Today, its spun-out home division called Resideo Technologies offers multiple Honeywell Home-branded smart thermostats. The Honeywell Home T5+ is one of the company’s lower-priced models. It’s not as stylish, but the T5+ offers plenty of utility, with a touchscreen, vacation scheduling, geofencing, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. It also has a hold function that lets you override scheduling, a welcome feature for unusual days like holidays when you might break from your typical routine. In our tests, the T5+ scored the highest possible rating for manual operation and offers great automation to help you save both energy and money.
For a less expensive version of this thermostat, consider the Honeywell Home T5 RTH8800WF2022. It costs less than $100 and provides decent performance.
Wiring adapter included: Yes.
The sleek Honeywell Home T9 RCHT9510WF holds up Honeywell’s impressive standards for manual operation and also scored near the top in automating heating and cooling. This thermostat comes with a wireless remote temperature sensor for more precise heating and cooling throughout your home and offers a number of other features, including geofencing, a built-in occupancy sensor, a touchscreen, vacation scheduling, and voice and app control via Amazon Alexa, Apple Home/Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. Additional temperature sensors cost around $40 each or $75 for a two-pack, and they’re available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Honeywell Home.
For the contractor version of this thermostat, which can also control whole-home humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and ventilators, consider the similar Honeywell Home T10 Pro THX321WFS. We haven’t tested it, but we expect it to offer similar performance.
Daniel Wroclawski
Dan Wroclawski is a home and appliances writer at Consumer Reports, covering products ranging from refrigerators and coffee makers to cutting-edge smart home devices. Before joining CR in 2017, he was an editor at USA Today’s Reviewed, and launched the site’s smart home section. In his spare time, you can find him tinkering with one of the over 70 connected devices in his house. Follow Dan on Facebook and Twitter @danwroc.
