When it comes to smart thermostats, there’s a handful to choose from, but the big three that stand out are the Nest, Ecobee4, and Honeywell Lyric Round. We’ve tried out all three to see which one has the upper edge, and where their features differ.
Each of these three smart thermostats is unique in its own way, so before we dive in and discuss the similarities and differences between them, here’s a brief overview of the Nest, Ecobee4, and the Lyric Round.
Nest Thermostat
One of the more popular options when it comes to smart thermostats is the Nest Thermostat ($250), which sports a unique design from Tony Fadell, the designer of the original iPod (which the Nest is mildly reminiscent of with its spinning wheel). It’s ultimate feature, though, is the ability to learn your habits and automatically change the thermostat so that you eventually don’t have to mess with it at all.
Its user interface is also very user-friendly, and perhaps the easiest smart thermostat to install and use out of the three.
If the price of the Nest Thermostat scares you, you can grab the lower-cost version, called the Nest Thermostat E. It’s made out of plastic instead of metal, and the display isn’t quite as grand, but it’s only $169. You can also likely get rebates from your power company.
Ecobee4
The Ecobee4 ($250) is the only smart thermostat that we know of that has a touch screen, so if you know how to use a smartphone, then controlling this thermostat will be a breeze. It also has the biggest screen out of the three thermostats, giving room for plenty of information to appear without crowding the display.
The Ecobee4 also comes with a remote sensor that you can place in another room, so if you have a larger house with an upstairs, you can place the sensor there and have the thermostat use that sensor for regulating the temperature instead of the sensor that’s on the thermostat itself.
The biggest feature of the Ecobee4, though, is its built-in Alexa capabilities, doubling the thermostat as an Echo Dot of sorts. So if you’ve ever wanted an Echo in your living room, this is a good way to kill two birds with one stone.
And like the Nest Thermostat, the Ecobee4 also has a little brother called the Ecobee3 Lite. It doesn’t come with Alexa built in, nor does it come with a remote sensor in the box, but it’s priced at only $169.
Honeywell Lyric
The Honeywell Lyric Round ($200) isn’t quite as popular as the two options above, but its Honeywell’s attempt at creating a hip and sleek smart thermostat. It has a familiar round shape like the Nest, and even has a similar spin wheel—although it’s not nearly as tactile as the Nest’s fluid scroll ring.
It was also pretty easy to install, and Honeywell does a decent job of telling you where all the wires go. However, that’s where most of the pleasantries end, as the user interface is quite buggy.
It’s certainly the cheapest smart thermostat out of the three, but spending $50 more for one of the options above is probably your best bet.
What They All Have in Common
Before we get into the nitty gritty, we thought it’d be a good idea to go over what all three of these smart thermostats can do. They have their major differences, yes, but they all share the basic features of a good smart thermostat, including:
- iOS and Android support
- Control your thermostat away from home using your phone
- Set a schedule for your A/C or heat
- Geofencing and motion detection, so it knows when you’re home (Note: The Ecobee4 uses IFTTT for geofencing) and can turn on…
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