Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
VERDICT
This is arguably the most feature-rich thermostat on the planet. It comes with a remote sensor in the box to fix hot/cold spots, monitors your indoor air quality, and even acts as a smart speaker for Siri or Alexa. For HomeKit users and data nerds, it beats the Nest.
The Big Picture
A thermostat measures temperature only in the hallway where it sits. But you don't live in the hallway; you live in the bedroom. Ecobee solved this years ago with "SmartSensors." The Premium model includes one in the box. It detects which room you are actually in and adjusts the HVAC to make that room comfortable, ignoring the empty hallway.
🌡️ The SmartSensor Included
The Fix: Place the small white sensor in your bedroom.
Follow Me Mode: The system knows if you are in the bedroom or the living room using motion detection. It directs the heating/cooling to follow you. It ensures you never freeze in bed just because the hallway is warm.
🌬️ Air Quality & Speaker
It’s a multi-tool.
IAQ Monitor: It sniffs the air for VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and CO2 levels, alerting you if the air is stale so you can open a window.
Speaker: It has a microphone and speaker built-in. You can ask Siri to set a timer or play music directly from your thermostat wall unit.
✅ The Pros
- Value: Includes a $50 SmartSensor in the box.
- HomeKit: Best-in-class integration with Apple Home.
- Design: Premium zinc body with a large, responsive glass touchscreen.
- Radar: Uses radar for occupancy detection (more accurate than IR).
❌ The Cons
- Expensive ($250).
- The interface is more "data-heavy" and less whimsical than Nest.
- Speaker quality is mediocre (good for voice, bad for music).
🤔 Should you buy it?
YES if you have "hot and cold spots" in your house. The remote sensor solves this problem better than anything else.
NO if you just want a simple dial to turn securely (get the Nest) or if you are on a budget (get the Ecobee Lite).
See the showdown: Ecobee Premium vs. Google Nest Learning Comparison