Installing smart appliances in your home is a great way to add convenience, but even more importantly, it’s a great way to save you money. And we always think that having more money is convenient. One of the easiest and most cost-effective pieces of smart tech that will benefit any home is a WiFi thermostat.
WiFi thermostats are more energy-efficient than traditional thermostats because they can study patterns and adjust the temperature in an area accordingly. This helps to save you money by reducing the amount of cool and hot air being pumped into your home when you’re not home when the weather changes, or in rooms that aren’t often used.
Because WiFi thermostats can often be controlled by apps, homeowners can access their thermostats even when away from home, giving them the convenience of being able to manage the home’s temperature. These apps also mean you can ensure your home is warm and toasty or cool and welcoming when you arrive.
The WiFi thermostats we’ve included on our list not only work with their own apps but can also be voice-controlled with Amazon Alexa, which is great for residents with mobility issues or those who aren’t comfortable using an app.
How We Chose the Best Smart Thermostats
These are the most important criteria to consider when selecting a smart thermostat and the facts we used ourselves to populate the picks on this list.
- Install: How easy is it to install the smart thermostat in your home? Do you need to have a C wire or not?
- Price: Smart thermostats are supposed to help you save money, so how do you get a cost-effective unit without spending a lot to do so.
- Features: Can you control it from a smart app? Does it work with voice assistants? Can it give you savings tips?
To learn more about how you can save money on your next energy bill, check out our 10 favorite WiFi thermostats.
1. Nest Learning Thermostat
Energy-efficient and compatible with Alexa, the Nest Learning Thermostat saves customers an average of 12 percent on heating bills and 15 percent on cooling bills.
Pros: The Nest third generation comes in four colors and makes homes more energy-efficient by learning homeowners’ habits and adjusting the temperature accordingly. Using Alexa or the Nest App, homeowners can adjust the temperature in their home from anywhere and even interact with other smart appliances, like lightbulbs. Using Farsight, homeowners can check the internal temperature from far away thanks to the Nest’s large display.
Cons: The Nest is highly-rated but also one of the most expensive WiFi thermostats on the market. Some customers also complained that the Nest’s customer support was not always helpful in troubleshooting.
2. ecobee3 lite Smart Thermostat
The ecobee3 lite Smart Thermostat can help homeowners save up to 23 percent annually in heating and cooling costs.
Pros: The ecobee3 is similar to the Nest in that it can be controlled from virtually anywhere thanks to its interface with Alexa and the ecobee app. Adjust the temperature from anywhere, schedule temperature changes, and save money on energy with ecobee’s smart algorithms and weather data that can raise and lower heating and cooler temps, minimizing your system’s run time. We also like that the ecobee app shows you how much energy you’re saving every month and that installation only takes about 30 minutes, ideal for the less handy homeowners.
Cons: The ecobee works best with room sensors that are placed around the home to monitor the temperature and ensure heating and cooling is balanced throughout the home, but these are sold separately at an additional cost.
3. Honeywell Home WiFi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat
Customize the Honeywell Home WiFi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat to your schedule with four programming periods to help save energy and ensure your home is always set to your preferred temperature.
Pros: The Honeywell can be programmed for up to seven days with four programming periods to help reduce energy costs and keep your home set at your ideal temperature. Working with Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung and more, the Honeywell can also show local weather through the Wink App. We like that the Honeywell works with just about any system and enables you to adjust the temperature of your home from anywhere through the app. Like the Nest and ecobee, the Honeywell also studies your heating and cooling patterns with Smart Response technology to help ensure energy efficiency.
Cons: The Honeywell requires a c-wire and won’t work with 110-volt or higher systems or electric baseboard heaters, making this a poor option for people with older homes that haven’t been updated.
4. Emerson Sensi Wifi Smart Thermostat
The Emerson Sensi Wifi Smart Thermostat can save you 23% on your energy bill with features like geofencing, 7-day flexible scheduling, remote access, and energy usage reports.
Pros: The Emerson Sensi Thermostat is smart home compatible, meaning it works with the likes of Amazon, Alexa, Google Assistant and more. Its geofencing feature uses your smartphone’s location to adjust your thermostat automatically based on the weather, cutting energy costs and keeping your home comfortable. It also lets you program a weekly thermostat schedule that meets your personal needs, and you will receive alerts for extreme temperature changes, so that you can program your thermostat accordingly, even when you’re away from home.
Cons: While this thermostat has extensive compatibility, it cannot be used with baseboard heating systems. Some users say it’s difficult to keep it connected to their WiFi networks.
5. Honeywell Home Wifi Smart Color Programmable Thermostat
Program a thermostat schedule to meet your personal needs and save on your energy bill while away from home.
Pros: Customize the Honeywell Smart Thermostat touchscreen in full color with easy to read text and local weather reports, including indoor and outdoor humidity levels. The flexible programming options make it easy to schedule and control the temperature based on your varying needs and allows you to set permanent, temporary, or vacation settings to save on your energy bill. You’ll also receive convenient smart alerts with temperature warnings and reminders to change the air filter and humidifier pad.
Cons: Some customers found set-up difficult. The thermostat does not have the ability to adjust for temperature swing, which is programmed to 0.5 degrees. This can cause the thermostat to turn the air on and off repeatedly throughout the day to keep the temperature stable, which may shorten equipment life.
6. Emerson Sensi Touch Wifi Smart Thermostat With Touchscreen Color Display
The Emerson Sensi Touch Smart Thermostat has a programmable touchscreen to easily control the temperature of your home, plus all of the convenient features of the original Emerson Sensi Wifi Thermostat.
Pros: Like the Emerson Sensi Wifi Thermostat, this touchscreen model has smart compatibility as well as other useful features like geofencing, scheduling, and remote access. Control the temperature while away from home with a smartphone app so that it’s comfortable when you get back, and set a schedule for your thermostat to save energy while you’re gone during the day.
Cons: Like the Emerson Sensi Wifi Thermostat, this touchscreen model has been difficult to connect to WiFi for some customers.
7. Honeywell T5 Plus Wifi Touchscreen Smart Thermostat
Many homes lack a “C” wire, which is required to power a WiFi thermostat, so the Honeywell T5 Plus Thermostat comes with a power adapter as a simple, low-voltage alternative, so you can enjoy all of its convenient features.
Pros: Compatibility with all major smart home devices like Apple Homekit, Alexa, and Google Assistant, and remote access from any of your smart devices, makes controlling this thermostat simple. The Honeywell T5 Plus Thermostat can be programmed around your schedule so that you’re comfortable while at home, and saving energy while you’re away. In addition, its geofence technology uses your smartphone’s location, so your thermostat can adjust energy use automatically based on when you’re away and when you’re at home, so you don’t have to manually control the temperature.
Cons: Like other similar smart thermostats, the Honeywell T5 Plus can have difficulty connecting to WiFi and the Honeywell Home App.
8. Google Nest Smart Thermostat
A great-looking design that doesn’t skimp on features or ease of use.
Pros: Inherently designed to work without a C wire, the Google Nest smart thermostat works to make your life better and easier by automatically turning itself up or down (depending upon the time of year) when you leave the house. Additionally, you can use the Google Home app to set your own energy-efficient schedule or even control it when you’re on the go. Hell, there’s even a built-in savings finder that will suggest ways to adjust your schedule for better savings. Plus, its minimalist design looks great in any space.
Cons: Striking design might not be for everyone.
9. Amazon Smart Thermostat
Flexibility in a value-friendly package.
Pros: Amazon’s Smart thermostat works with Alexa to help you save time, energy, and money. The Alex app ensures a setup of 45 minutes or less, and thanks to the flexibility provided by the no C wire or C wire adapter versions, you’ll have even more room to ensure their smart thermostat works in your space without issue. The digital read-out is clear yet minimal so as to not draw too much attention to itself. Plus, it’s backed by tech from Honeywell Home, so you don’t have to worry about it not working.
Cons: It might be difficult to integrate with your home if you’re not already using Amazon Alexa products.
10. Wyze Smart Thermostat
Flexibility in a value-friendly package.
Pros: Considering all the thought Wyze puts into their other smart home products, it’s not unsurprisingly their home thermostat is equally as well-considered. The app allows you to control it on the go, as well as daily scheduling, and even allows you to receive tips based on usage history. Additionally, you can use voice control with both Google and Amazon Alexa to set the temperature. Plus, we personally like the knob-based control right below the display.
Cons: The display might be too small for some.