Want A Smart Home Thermostat? Here's The Highest Rated One
Nest is still the best for most people
Smart Thermostats have been around for quite some time now, but the segment has matured over the years. There’s no longer a couple of options to choose from, but dozens, at varying price points. Houses and apartment buildings are being built with smart thermostats pre-installed, further adding to their commonality.
Smart Thermostats aren’t just a convenience, either. They allow you to actively monitor where air is flowing in your home and how much its being used. Some even have the ability to learn your habits and automatically turn on or off, which can save you money in the long run.
As mentioned above, there are a ton of smart thermostats available today, but as it turns out, the oldest is still the best option for most people: The Nest Learning Thermostat
Being first to the market certainly has its advantages and the first Nest Thermostat was released in 2011, in which is had virtually no competition. Fast forward to today, and it’s seen two additional hardware refreshes, along with a cheaper model, called the Nest E.
With over 14,000 reviews on Amazon and a solid 4.2 star rating, not much comes close to the popularity of the Nest, and that’s not just due to its earlier arrival than its competitors. Nest’s signature feature, hinted at above, is its “learning” capabilities. Just after a week of using the Nest, it will begin building a schedule based off your previous usage. Not only that, but it knows when to turn itself into the energy-saving eco mode when it knows you left, based on your phone’s location. You can even control your Nest remotely, so you can walk into a warm or cool house, just the way you want it.
For added control, the Nest allows you to buy temperature sensors. You can place these sensors in a particular room and set that room as a priority to get it the exact temperature you want.
Nest is proud to be able to save people money. In fact, it details just how much its managed to save people from data shown on two separate studies. On average, people saved 10-12% on heating and 15% on cooling.
The Nest Learning Thermostat isn’t without competition. Some believe there are better options out there that have more features. That said, the competitors lack the ecosystem the Nest has going for it, allowing you to add security cameras, smart smoke alarms, and smart door locks with little work.
