Ecobee3 Thermostat Review

Our Verdict

A remote sensor lets the Ecobee3 smart thermostat monitor the temperature in more than i room in your firm.

For

Intuitive
Remote sensor lets you lot monitor temperature in more than i room
Works with IFTTT
Works with HomeKit

Against

Installation can be tricky

Tom's Guide Verdict

A remote sensor lets the Ecobee3 smart thermostat monitor the temperature in more than i room in your house.

Pros

+
Intuitive
+
Remote sensor lets you monitor temperature in more than one room
+
Works with IFTTT
+
Works with HomeKit

Cons

-
Installation can be tricky

My sleeping accommodation is a lot colder than my living room, even though information technology'south only steps away. And, considering my thermostat is located closer to my living room, as soon as it senses that my dwelling has warmed to 65 degrees, it shuts off the oestrus, leaving me shivering under my covers. The Ecobee3 thermostat has a clever solution to that problem: A remote wireless sensor that measures the temperature and communicates dorsum to the base unit, telling it when it's hot or cold enough. Only there's more to the $241 Ecobee3 than merely that feature -- including smart home integration -- that makes it my favorite thermostat to date.

Editor's Note: This review was first updated on August 25 afterwards nosotros tested the updated Ecobee3 with Apple HomeKit functionality. It was later updated on February. xvi, 2016 to add the fact that it as well works with the Amazon Echo.

Pattern

While not as classically minimalist as the circular Nest Learning Thermostat, the Ecobee3 has a modern look that's just every bit bonny. Square with rounded corners, the face of the iii.ix x 3.ix-inch Ecobee is sleeky black plastic, with a 3.five-inch QVGA touch on screen in the heart. In the lower left corner, a pocket-size wedge-shaped section conceals a movement sensor.

Like the base unit of measurement, the Ecobee3 remote sensor is square with rounded corners, but measures a much smaller 1.7 x 1.seven x 0.viii inches, and is all white. This, too, has a minor movement sensor, which detects when y'all're in a room.

Setup

Unlike the Nest and the Honeywell Lyric, both of which have congenital-in batteries, the Ecobee3 draws its ability from your HVAC system'south Common wire (C-wire). According to Ecobee, this is a more reliable method than its competitors', which depict ability from the wires used to control the heater and air conditioner, merely don't provide as steady a electric current.

For those who don't have a C-wire running from their furnace to their thermostat, Ecobee includes a Ability Extender Kit that connects to your furnace. My situation was somewhat unique; although I didn't have a C-wire running to my thermostat, I couldn't easily install the adapter, because my apartment has a commercial-class furnace. I had a technician from All City Heating and Cooling in Jersey City install a C-wire. After examining my unit and the Power Extender Kit, the technician said that the kit should be fairly like shooting fish in a barrel for homeowners to install in residential furnaces.

Regardless, if you're uneasy about installing the Ecobee yourself, the company provides a link on its site to get a quote for a professional person installation.

Afterwards it's installed, the residue of the setup procedure involves telling the Ecobee what kind of heating or cooling system you have, entering your Wi-Fi countersign, and setting your location. In all, this part of the procedure took about 5 minutes, and was as elementary every bit the Nest's setup program.

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The Ecobee comes with i wireless sensor, which is powered by a CR2032 coin-cell bombardment; the company says information technology should final about 4 years. When the bombardment runs low, y'all'll receive an warning.

If you've got a larger place than my i-bedroom flat, the Ecobee can back up upwardly to 32 wireless sensors ($79 for a package of two). However, those with McMansions take note: The sensors have a range of only 45 anxiety.

Interface

If yous've used a smartphone, the layout and functioning of the Ecobee's interface will feel instantly familiar. In its inactive country, the Ecobee displays the current temperature inside your domicile in big white numbers and an icon showing the local conditions conditions.

When yous walk in front of the thermostat, activating its movement sensor, the display changes to evidence a line of dots running vertically downwards the right side. The top half of the dots are blue, and the lower half are orange. Within each one-half is a number in a small-scale circle; these represent the desired temperatures when the organization is in heating or cooling way. If you want to temporarily change either setting, simply hold your finger on the number and drag information technology up or downwardly.

Information technology'southward very minimalist -- except for the line of dots, all the numbers are in white, with a black background. Still, in some ways, it felt even easier to use and understand the Ecobee'due south controls than the Nest.

Along the bottom of the display are three icons. The i on the left opens a carte where you can adjust settings, set a schedule, reminders and vacation modes. The middle icon reveals a weather forecast for the calendar week, and the correct icon lets you activate Habitation or Away modes. It'due south a handy shortcut.

Operation

The Ecobee3 performed very well, responding instantly to my inputs, whether they were on the base of operations unit or from my smartphone.

You can set the Ecobee to turn on your HVAC system based on the temperature in the base of operations unit. Or, by activating Follow Me, Ecobee volition turn on the system based on the boilerplate temperature from selected sensors that have recently detected movement. If you've got a cold room in the business firm, this is the setting you'll want to utilize. I especially similar that it's merely active when it detects movement in i of the remote sensors. That fashion, you're non paying to oestrus a room you're not using.

Of class, when I set the thermostat to remain on until all the rooms were 65 degrees, my living room was noticeably warmer. Keeping the heat (or air conditioner) on longer will also bulldoze upward your utility pecker.

Another clever characteristic is the Smart Home/Away setting. When active, the Ecobee will override the Away setting if it detects someone is home. Fortunately, my 18-pound cat Walter was too small to trigger the thermostat.

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App and Web Portal

I actually like that Ecobee'due south iOS app (also available for Android) is about identical to that of the thermostat'south interface. Curiously, you tin can just activate Follow Me from the base unit of measurement, and not the app. Still, whatsoever changes I fabricated using the app were instantly relayed to the base of operations unit.

Ecobee'south Web portal also lets you monitor and change settings on the thermostat, only adds an extra wrinkle. A tab labeled Home IQ allows you to see detailed information about when your heating and cooling organisation was on, and the environmental factors that triggered information technology. For example, I could see that, on average, the heat was on longer on colder days, also as when the heating system was agile.

Connected Dwelling house

Whatsoever Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat worth its salt should be able to connect to smart home systems. While not as robust as the Nest, which has its own ecosystem and a sizable head beginning with connected devices, the Ecobee can talk to SmartThings, Control4 and Vera smart home systems, and has an open API, so more than partnerships could be in the works. You can also control information technology with your voice using either Siri (via Apple HomeKit) or the Amazon Echo.

The Ecobee also works with IFTTT (If This, Then That). And then, for example, you can have it automatically turn on its Home setting when yous enter an area.

Apple HomeKit Integration

The Ecobee3 is i of the first smart-domicile devices compatible with Apple'due south HomeKit, which allows you to command the thermostat from your iPhone or iPad using Siri.

Those who purchased an older Ecobee3 and want to use HomeKit features will accept to upgrade to a newer HomeKit-compatible Ecobee3; unfortunately, this will require purchasing a new Ecobee3 at its total $249 cost.

Setting up the HomeKit-compatible Ecobee3 involves an extra footstep from the installation described above. In the mobile app, you select the option to pair a HomeKit-enabled thermostat. If the app sees the thermostat on your network, it will appear on your phone. Then, a code will appear on the screen of the Ecobee. Enter that into the app, and the Ecobee will then be added to your HomeKit portfolio of devices.

If you want to use Siri to control your Ecobee3 away from dwelling, you'll also demand an AppleTV (Generation iii or later) running version 7.0 or college.

Using Siri to Change the Temperature

Once set, you tin use Siri to change the temperature in your domicile, whether you're there or not. It was prissy to exist able to say such commands as "Set my thermostat to 74 degrees" and have my air conditioner turn on immediately. If I was out of my home, I could also say, "Enable Ecobee3 Away," and the thermostat would change its mode accordingly. You tin besides inquire Siri what the current temperature is within your home. A list of commands tin can be found here.

Unfortunately, when using HomeKit, Auto manner -- the ability to automatically switch between heating and cooling -- is not available, so you'll need to remember to do this yourself when summer ends.

Overall, I constitute the HomeKit-enabled Ecobee3 to be a prissy actress feature. When more HomeKit-enabled devices are available, you volition be able to create scenarios that volition close off the lights, lock the doors, and change the temperature when you leave your home. Until then, if you already own a non-HomeKit-enabled Ecobee3, it's probably not worth the upgrade.

Verdict

Every bit much every bit I loved the Nest, it was tough getting my bedroom to a temperature I liked. The $241 Ecobee3 solves that problem well, making it my electric current favorite smart home thermostat. It has a modern look, an like shooting fish in a barrel-to-apply interface and useful features. While the installation was a little complex, I think mine was a special case; homeowners with a little DIY know-how should be able to install it themselves.

Taking nothing from the Nest Learning Thermostat, which has a corking design and works with a larger number of smart dwelling house devices, I adopt the Ecobee3 for the uncomplicated reason that it did a better job of keeping me warm at night. Isn't that what a thermostat is supposed to exercise?

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Michael A. Prospero is the deputy editor at Tom's Guide overseeing the home, smart abode, drones, and fitness/wearables categories, as well every bit all buying guides and other evergreen content. When he's not testing out the latest running lookout, skiing or training for a marathon, he'south probably using the latest sous vide car or another cooking gadget.