Ecobee vs Nest: Smart thermostats have gone from a niche product to one that’s accessible to most homeowners. If you don’t have them installed in your home already, you’ve probably seen the small screens on walls at a friend’s house or on display at a local electronics store. While many companies are starting to produce their smart thermostat technology, the two most popular products were some of the first to hit the market.
The Nest, backed by Google, turns eight years old in 2019. Their main competitor, the ecobee, first hit the market ten years ago. If you’re considering installing a smart thermostat, you need to understand the significant differences between these two leading brands. The third-generation Nest and the ecobee4 are priced similarly, between $180 and $250 on Amazon, so an understanding of the devices’ unique features can help you make a choice.
EcoBee SmartThermostat
With Amazon’s Alexa assistant and support for HomeKit built-in, along with satellite sensors that detect not only the temperatures of different rooms but the people in them, the ecobee smart thermostat is a great all-around smart thermostat. We wish it was a little bit smarter and used batteries for backup power.
Pros
- HomeKit-enabled
- Works with Google Assistant
- Amazon Alexa support through built-in microphones
- The remote sensor included with the thermostat
- Remote sensors detect both temperature and room occupancy
Cons
- Does not learn from your behaviour
- Wired power only
Nest Smart Thermostat
What lets the Nest Learning Thermostat stand out is its capacity to learn your temperature preferences and set an automatic schedule accordingly. It also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for making manual changes using only your voice. The Nest is held back by its lack of HomeKit support and sensors that aren’t as functional.
Pros
- Learns your behavior, creating an automatic heating and cooling schedule
- Works with Amazon Alexa
- Works with Google Assistant
- Both wired and battery-powered
Cons
- No HomeKit support
- Remote sensors only detect temperature
Ecobee vs Nest – Basic Differences
There are many similarities between the ecobee smart thermostat and Nest thermostats, and both are great picks. But there are also crucial differences that are essential to be aware of. For starters, the Nest is a learning thermostat. It learns how you like your house to feel over time. Additionally, it can automatically set itself into Eco Temperature mode when you’re away from your home (with location data provided by the Nest app on your phone) to save energy.
The Nest Learning Thermostat will also offer suggestions for energy-saving settings that could help you save money on your heating and cooling bills.
Ecobee SmartThermostat’s most significant advantages come in the form of its available options. Like the Nest, the ecobee smart thermostat works with both Google Assistant and Alexa. Moreover, Alexa is built right into the ecobee smart thermostat, which features multiple microphones to hear your commands. Beyond those two assistants, the ecobee smart thermostat also works with Siri thanks to its support for HomeKit. HomeKit license lets you integrate the ecobee SmartThermostat with your other HomeKit accessories and scenes, something you can’t do with the Nest.
The ecobee SmartThermostat also has more reliable exterior room sensors than the Nest. These sensors identify not only the temperature of each room in which they’re arranged but also whether or not anyone is in those rooms, letting you deliver heating or cooling to those rooms as needed. With HomeKit, you can even use the motion/occupancy sensor to turn on and off the lights when activity is detected through automation.
Ecobee vs. Nest: Which One is Smartest?
So who comes out on top? As it turns out – they tied! Keep in mind, and this is just based on the six features listed above. There is still a lot more to consider when it comes to purchasing a smart device like a smart thermostat. Each of them is better suited for different applications for home automation.
The Nest Learning Thermostat is excellent if you want to install your smart thermostat and forget it’s there. Its learning capabilities make it so you don’t have to do much besides living your life as usual and save money in the process! It’s easy to use and has a great design.
The ecobee smart thermostat is best for those looking to take their smart home to the next level. It’s compatible with more intelligent hubs than Nest and has a built-in smart speaker. However, the ecobee app design is better for scheduling, too.
Overall, no matter which smart thermostat you pick, you’ll see lower electric bills. To cut your electric bill and carbon footprint, even more, consider installing solar panels on your home!
FAQs
Conclusion
There is no definitive winner. In some aspects — Design, Installation, Energy Saving, and Setting Family Accounts — Nest Thermostats are better. And in other factors — Settings Multiple Zones, Smart Home Integration, Voice Activation — Ecobee products have more significant advantages.
However, it is worth noting that the aspects in which Ecobee excels have more to do with functionality and usability. For example, Ecobee provides a better experience in motion detection, setting schedules, and setting multiple zones so each room can be monitored individually.