Best Smart Thermostats
Wi-Fi and learning thermostats compared on HVAC compatibility, C-wire requirements, room sensors and how much they actually cut heating and cooling bills.
Ranked by our score.
- #1 in Thermostats
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced Review: The Sensible Nest Alternative With a Catch
A sharp 4-inch touchscreen, radar occupancy sensing and an included Power Extender Kit make it the pragmatic buy — but ecobee keeps its best sensor package for the Premium
4.1 / 5$184.83 - #2 in Thermostats
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen) Review: Still the Benchmark, Now Officially Retired
Google has discontinued it, but the 3rd-gen Nest remains the most complete self-programming thermostat you can buy — provided you are comfortable owning hardware from 2015
4.1 / 5$239 - #3 in Thermostats
Google Nest Thermostat (2020) Review: The Cheap Nest With Its Own Point
Google's mirrored G4CVZ model skips Auto-Schedule and room sensors, but its Soli presence sensing, Matter update and $92.50 street price make it more than a budget Learning Thermostat
3.8 / 5$92.50 - #4 in Thermostats
Honeywell Home X8S Review: A Premium Thermostat That Wants to Be the Wall Hub
The X8S asks $259.99 for a 5-inch touchscreen, Matter, an included room sensor and doorbell video integration — but the unpublished HVAC stage details keep it from being an automatic buy
3.8 / 5$259.99 - #5 in Thermostats
Emerson Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat Review: The Contractor-Friendly Choice With Fewer Tricks
The ST76 is not the flashiest thermostat at $167.99, but its color touchscreen, sensor support, and plain-spoken controls make it feel built for households that value HVAC sanity over novelty
3.4 / 5$167.99 - #6 in Thermostats
Amazon Smart Thermostat Review: The Budget Pick With Hard Ecosystem Walls
At $79.99, Amazon nails the price and Alexa basics, but the missing room sensors, missing learning and sparse published specs keep it from feeling universal
3.2 / 5$79.99 - #7 in Thermostats
Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat Review: The Cheap One That Questions the Whole Smart-Thermostat Upgrade
At $65.68, the ST55 is most interesting when treated as a connected programmable thermostat, not as a bargain version of Nest or ecobee
2.5 / 5$65.68 - #8 in Thermostats
Sensi Lite Smart Thermostat Review: $39.99 Buys Less Than You Think, Which May Be the Point
The ST25 is the budget Sensi for buyers who want the smallest possible smart-thermostat bet and are willing to verify every compatibility detail before trusting it
2.5 / 5$39.99
Compare
Thermostats Comparison Table
A quick side-by-side view of the highest-rated smart thermostats before opening individual reviews.
| Product | Rating | Price | Key Spec | Second Spec | Best For | Main Trade-Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced Large 4-inch touchscreen is clearer than Nest's older circular display | 4.1 | $184.83 | Display: 4 in full-color LCD touchscreen, 540 x 540 pixels | Dimensions: 103.89 mm H x 103.89 mm W x 23.88 mm D | Large 4-inch touchscreen is clearer than Nest's older circular display | No SmartSensor is included, even though the thermostat is built around room awareness |
| #2 Google Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen) Auto-Schedule genuinely builds a usable schedule in about a week with no programming | 4.1 | $239 | Display: 2.08 in circular colour LCD, 480 x 480 pixels, behind Gorilla Glass | Dimensions: 3.3 in diameter x 1.2 in deep | Auto-Schedule genuinely builds a usable schedule in about a week with no programming | Discontinued by Google — you are buying end-of-life hardware at a premium price |
| #3 Google Nest Thermostat (2020) Excellent $92.50 street price for a Matter-capable smart thermostat | 3.8 | $92.50 | Model: G4CVZ / Google Nest Thermostat, released October 12, 2020 | Display: 2.4 inches mirrored display; resolution not published | Excellent $92.50 street price for a Matter-capable smart thermostat | No Auto-Schedule learning, so programming remains a manual Google Home app job |
| #4 Honeywell Home X8S Large 5-inch touchscreen is much easier to read than small thermostat displays | 3.8 | $259.99 | Product Name: X8S Smart Thermostat with Video Doorbell Integration | Display: 5-inch color touchscreen, 480 x 800 resolution | Large 5-inch touchscreen is much easier to read than small thermostat displays | $259.99 makes it the most expensive thermostat in this roundup |
| #5 Emerson Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat Color touchscreen is simpler than dial-and-menu thermostats for many households | 3.4 | $167.99 | Model: ST76, introduced for the 2023 Sensi Touch 2 generation | Price: $167.99 for this review; CNET previously described it as a $210 thermostat | Color touchscreen is simpler than dial-and-menu thermostats for many households | Requires a C-wire and does not include the adapter |
| #6 Amazon Smart Thermostat The $79.99 price is dramatically lower than ecobee, Nest and Honeywell rivals | 3.2 | $79.99 | Display: Basic LED-style digital display; not a touchscreen; Amazon says the display may dim when inactive | Dimensions: Amazon does not publish official dimensions; Tom's Guide described it as a rounded square of roughly 3.5 x 3.5 inches | The $79.99 price is dramatically lower than ecobee, Nest and Honeywell rivals | Requires a C-wire, and the adapter is not included in the standard box |
| #7 Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat $65.68 price keeps the financial risk low | 2.5 | $65.68 | Model: ST55 | Price: $65.68 | $65.68 price keeps the financial risk low | Core specifications were not verifiable from accessible live sources |
| #8 Sensi Lite Smart Thermostat $39.99 price is extremely low for a thermostat sold as smart | 2.5 | $39.99 | Model: ST25, 2023 Sensi Lite generation | Price: $39.99 | $39.99 price is extremely low for a thermostat sold as smart | Almost every important specification was unverified in the accessible sources |
Evaluation Method
How We Evaluate Smart Thermostats
Every thermostats review is scored against the same category rubric so rankings are comparable instead of one-off impressions.
Real-world fit
We prioritize the use cases people actually buy for, then score how well each product fits those jobs.
Performance and constraints
Specs, benchmark-like signals, limits, and ownership friction are weighed together rather than treated as isolated numbers.
Value and alternatives
A recommendation only makes sense if it beats or clearly differentiates itself from nearby competitors.
Trade-off clarity
Each review has to explain who should skip the product, not just who might like it.
Buying Advice
How to Choose Smart Thermostats
Use the ranking as a shortlist, then narrow by the constraints that matter most for your setup, budget, and tolerance for trade-offs.
Start with your real use case
A top score does not automatically make a product the right fit. Match the recommendation to the job you need it to do most often.
Compare the trade-offs
The best buy is usually the product with the least painful compromise, not the longest feature list.
Check specs against the verdict
Use the comparison table to confirm whether a product has the practical limits that matter for you.
Read the full review before buying
The guide can narrow the field, but the individual review explains the edge cases, alternatives, and ownership caveats.