There was a time when $250 was a typical value for a wise thermostat. The business was comparatively new and types like Nest and Ecobee launched top-of-the-line fashions with lengthy lists of options. But, more and more, different firms are coming into the market with sub-$100 app-enabled thermostats. Suddenly, $250 will get much more troublesome to justify, even for a luxurious product with heaps to supply.
Enter the Smart Thermostat Premium: Ecobee’s new high-end mannequin that replaces the SmartThermostat with Voice Control. The Premium retains a variety of the distinctive options of the previous iteration — most notably a built-in Alexa speaker — and provides in new ones, like an air high quality sensor. It additionally sports activities a bigger, redesigned touchscreen and a zinc physique as a substitute of plastic.
It’s a formidable thermostat that does what it claims, even to the purpose of providing an honest general worth regardless of the excessive value. That mentioned, I actually want Ecobee had discovered a method so as to add in these updates whereas additionally barely reducing the value of its new flagship mannequin. The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is a stable thermostat value contemplating if it matches in your funds, however given the rising variety of reasonably priced good thermostats on the market, it is simply too costly to be universally recommendable.
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Has an air high quality sensorComes with a distant sensorLots of voice management choices
The fundamentals
At a look, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium appears similar to the Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control. But the good thermostat maker, which was acquired in 2021 by generator firm Generac, gave this substitute mannequin some additional options.
Some of the important thing variations embrace the added air high quality sensor, the zinc thermostat physique, the redesigned touchscreen and the radar sensor, which Ecobee says is best than the passive infrared sensor constructed into the earlier model.
Fortunately, the set up and configuration course of carefully mirrors the last-gen mannequin. Check out my article detailing the best way to set up the SmartThermostat with Voice Control for extra particulars. In brief, you will must obtain the Ecobee app, choose “Add a tool,” then “Thermostat” and comply with the steps to get yours up and working.
Ecobee features a C-wire adapter within the field when you do not have already got a C-wire put in together with your HVAC system. That requires some further steps Ecobee goes into in its assist part.
Installation time can differ, relying on whether or not it is advisable to set up the C-wire adapter and if it is advisable to drill new holes to suit the thermostat body and patch and paint previous holes. Overall, although, it is a simple course of that is spelled out clearly within the app.
Follow the steps within the Ecobee app to get began.
Screenshots by Megan Wollerton/CNET
Testing it out
Here I’ll stroll via my expertise testing out among the Premium’s key options and claims:
Updated thermostat design
Ecobee says its show is “50% bigger” than the final model. I did not discover a serious distinction right here both method, however I may clearly learn the present temperature throughout the room with out challenge. I did, nevertheless, discover a major distinction with among the format modifications within the menu and with the Alexa integration.
The touchscreen was very responsive; I by no means needed to press greater than as soon as to get to a desired setting. Ecobee additionally rearranged some issues within the menu to make it a bit extra user-friendly, and this totally paid off. I had no points navigating round to view or make modifications to a specific setting.
Ecobee additionally ditched the SmartThermostat with Voice Control-style Alexa gentle bar on the prime of the thermostat. Instead, this mannequin has Alexa constructed into the show itself. When you say, “Alexa, inform me a joke,” or every other command, the complete show responds, letting the assistant heard you.
You can even clearly really feel the distinction between the zinc physique and the earlier plastic design. This one is heavier and extra substantial, with silver accents moderately than white plastic. Since a thermostat stays placed on the wall after set up, this new design will not possible do something for the sturdiness of the {hardware} over time, but it surely does give it a extra luxurious look than previous fashions.
The up to date thermostat interface makes it simpler to regulate the temperature and alter different settings.
Ecobee
Radar sensor and SmartSensor
Passive infrared sensors are normal options in dwelling safety merchandise and thermostats to trace movement. In a thermostat, this function helps decide whether or not you are dwelling or not. If a wise thermostat hasn’t detected exercise for awhile, it would routinely swap to “Away” mode to preserve power and prevent cash.
If your thermostat is in a single part of the home and also you spend a variety of time in one other, this function might be defective, assuming you are not dwelling and transferring into an power conservation mode.
One method Ecobee and different firms have labored to mitigate this challenge is by way of temperature- and motion-detecting distant sensors. One SmartSensor is included together with your Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium buy, and you may add as much as 32 to cowl bigger properties. If you do not stroll previous your thermostat usually, stick your SmartSensor someplace you may be extra lively to assist enhance the Home/Away mode accuracy.
But Ecobee can be making modifications on the thermostat itself, by choosing a radar movement sensor over a passive infrared mannequin. According to Ecobee, the brand new radar sensor constructed into the Premium mannequin offers the “most correct movement and occupancy readings but.” I did not have a SmartThermostat with Voice Control arrange for side-by-side comparisons, so it is troublesome to touch upon whether or not the Premium’s occupancy sensing actually was higher. That mentioned, with one SmartSensor in my dwelling workplace and the thermostat put in in one other a part of the home, I did not have any points with false Away modes whereas I used to be nonetheless dwelling.
Air high quality sensor
The air high quality sensor designed to detect unstable natural compounds and carbon monoxide is probably the most fascinating addition to Ecobee’s new thermostat. It’s a delicate indicator on the primary show display that, fortunately, in my case learn “Clean.” If you click on on “Clean” (or no matter your studying is) on the primary display, it takes you to a different display displaying a spread from poor to scrub. You do not get way more element, however mine reveals that the world across the thermostat sits in the midst of the clear score — not the very best potential marks, however shut. It additionally says:
Volatile natural compounds: LowCarbon dioxide: Low
Keep in thoughts that I did not take a look at the accuracy of the air high quality sensor to find out how the thermostat arrives at these readings. Also, the thermostat is simply capable of detect the world instantly surrounding it, so a “Clean” score in a single space does not essentially imply different components of the home would obtain the identical score.
Everything else labored as anticipated. The air-con kicked on rapidly, the app mirrors the thermostat’s design and is simple to make use of. And the built-in Alexa speaker continues so as to add an fascinating function that is not provided on every other thermostat I’ve examined in fairly the identical method (though some have tried). Like previous fashions, the Smart Thermostat Premium additionally works with Google Assistant and HomeEquipment, if in case you have a suitable good speaker or show, in addition to SmartIssues and IFTTT.
The verdict
The new Smart Thermostat Premium is a robust providing from Ecobee. It builds on the numerous options obtainable on the last-gen mannequin and provides in new ones. However, given the rising variety of $60 and $70 good thermostats on the market with stable efficiency, it is getting more durable to justify spending a whopping 250 bucks on one — even when delivers some new and fascinating issues.
The air high quality sensor, specifically, stands out right here. If you’ve got the funds and also you’d particularly like an air high quality sensor in your thermostat to observe the encompassing space, the Premium could be value it (though, once more, I wasn’t capable of take a look at the sensor’s accuracy). Otherwise, I’d recommend taking a look at our lists of finest thermostats and finest reasonably priced thermostats for some extra choices.
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