The Ecobee SmartThermostat is the flagship thermostat model in a growing collection of smart home products from Toronto-based home automation company Ecobee. Ecobee has ditched its model numbering scheme this time around. favor of a simple, two word name: “SmartThermostat”. Compared to its predecessor the Ecobee 4, the SmartThermostat makes improvements to the in-unit Alexa, […]
Both Nest and Ecobee were affected by a series of server outages during the winter of early 2019. This frustrated many users and made it difficult to operate the thermotats remotely, which is one of the primary reasons people get a smart thermostat in the first place. In this article, we’ll talk about why smart […]
The ecobee4’s successor is here: parent-company Ecobee dropped the “4” from the naming nomenclature and dubbed the latest iteration of their flagship product the ecobee SmartThermostat. What’s new with the ecobee SmartThermostat In short, the SmartThermostat is a big upgrade for Alexa features with some technology updates to improve speed and connectivity. Glass screen (earlier […]
How much money can you actually save with a smart thermostat? As it turns out, that’s a complicated question. The answer depends on your existing habits, preferences, the climate you live in, and more. The savings look impressive (up to 20% in some cases) and the claims sound bold (can a smart thermostat really pay […]
Summer’s here! Can your thermostat keep up? If you’re still turning your AC on and off with a dial or a few buttons on a thermostat you never programmed, then you’ll love the simple, hands-off automation of a smart thermostat. If you have a 24-volt HVAC system (often called forced air or central heat/air conditioning), […]
Google and Amazon continue to fire shots at each other in hopes of winning control over your smart home, from controversial product de-listings to funding rounds. Here’s a roundup of the latest happenings with Google, Amazon, Nest, and ecobee. Nest products no longer available on Amazon.com Many of us noticed something was amiss when the […]
Nobody likes buying something only to have something new and better come out a month later. Smart thermostats were a new and quickly-changing market several years ago, but things are stabilizing now in 2018. If you haven’t gotten your smart thermostat yet, 2018 is a great time to buy. Here’s why. 1. The smart thermostat […]
Last update: 12/15/2014 The holiday season (and the heating season) is fast approaching here in North America! If you’re thinking of giving your home – or someone you really like – the gift of a WiFi-enabled smart thermostat, then you should check out our handy buyers guide below! We’ll compare all the most popular thermostats and […]
Our ecobee3 SMART WiFi thermostat rating: The ecobee3 at a Glance Heads up! This article is about a retired ecobee thermostat model. The current models are: ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control [Our Review | Amazon link] ecobee Lite SmartThermostat [Our Review | Amazon link] The remainder of this article pertains to the older ecobee3 thermostat. Room sensors, […]
Our ecobee Smart Si thermostat rating: Smart Si at a Glance PROS Easy to create a schedule through drag-and-drop web interface, much faster than the “learning” process on a Nest Costs $100+ less than Nest, Lyric, and ecobee3 with few (if any) sacrifices Detailed usage reports with Home IQ (free!) Outdoor & indoor temps displayed on unit’s screen Slim and unobtrusive design looks like […]