The Best Smart Thermostat

Our pick

Google Nest Thermostat E

The smartest thermostat for the money

The junior version of the Nest offers the same learning features and simple design but costs less and has a cleaner style.

Buying Options

$170 from Best Buy

The Google Nest Thermostat E learns your heating and cooling preferences and then intelligently creates an optimized Schedule to maximize efficiency, so you don’t have to program it yourself. It installs easily (though it’s compatible with slightly fewer HVAC systems than other Nest models) and works with Nest Temperature Sensors, which you place in trouble spots to better keep all your rooms comfortable. It also has a clean, spare design that many people find more appealing than the previous black-and-metal models. The Nest E integrates easily with other Nest devices and is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Although the Nest E does lack a few features compared with the standard Nest model, we think for most people those omissions are a nonissue.

Runner-up

Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control

The most versatile smart thermostat

Ecobee’s newest model comes with a new remote sensor, a better touchscreen, and an improved speaker, and it works with most smart-home platforms, including HomeKit and Alexa.

Buying Options

$250 from Best Buy

With a simple Alexa voice command, Ecobee’s SmartThermostat with Voice Control can play music, relay the news, and control your home’s smart lights—along with adjusting the heat and air conditioning. Like other Ecobee models (and Nest thermostats), it works with remote sensors, which you can place in rooms that are too hot or cold; thanks to the temperature and occupancy detectors, the Ecobee can tweak its settings to ensure that every spot throughout your home is comfy, rather than just wherever the thermostat is installed. (One sensor comes with the unit, and you can add up to 32.)

Because it has Alexa built in, you don’t need a separate Echo speaker to control it by voice, and if Alexa isn’t your smart-assistant choice, this model also works with Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit and Siri (although they are not built in). While the Ecobee doesn’t have the level of intelligence of the Nest Thermostat E for automatically figuring out your schedule, it’s still worth the extra money if you have real issues with cold spots in your home or if the Nest E isn’t compatible with your system.

Upgrade pick

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

Comprehensive control

Nest’s most-advanced smart thermostat features a larger, crisper, and more useful display and wide compatibility with HVAC systems.

Buying Options

$250 from Amazon

$250 $210 from Costco

for members only

If the Google Nest Thermostat E isn’t compatible with your HVAC system or you want a smart thermostat with a bolder look or a few extra features, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat (third generation) is the best choice. It functions the same way the Nest Thermostat E does and works with Nest Temperature Sensors, but it’s compatible with a few more HVAC systems, has a bigger, brighter screen with more display options (such as weather and a clock face), and comes in seven colors. But we think you should opt for it over the Nest E only if you strongly prefer its design or really want those extra features.

Budget pick

Honeywell Home T5+ Smart Thermostat

Cheaper smart control

This Honeywell model can’t auto-create a custom Schedule and isn’t as simple to use as other picks, but it works well, doesn’t cost as much, and supports Alexa and HomeKit.

Buying Options

$120* from Home Depot

$110 from Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $130.

The Honeywell Home T5+ Smart Thermostat is a less-expensive smart thermostat that still offers most of the important features of our other picks. Although it can’t sense your presence or learn your schedule, its built-in geofencing feature works very well and allows for useful interactions with other smart-home devices, such as triggering lights when you arrive home or leave. The T5+ is compatible with Apple HomeKit and Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.