Thermostats are among the most useful smart home devices out there, and there are tons of great smart thermostats to choose from, with more worthwhile choices hitting the market regularly. Not only are we fans of staying comfortable and saving on energy bills, but we also love user-friendly voice control, courtesy of the wildly popular Google Assistant.
Some of our most revered smart home HVAC controllers are also fully compatible with the Google Home ecosystem. So whether you’re looking for in-depth multi-sensor monitoring or just something you can use to access your heating and cooling when you’re not at home, there are plenty of great options to consider. With that said, we’ve also got you covered if you need a quality Amazon Alexa-compatible thermostat.
The best smart thermostats for Google smart homes
Google Nest Thermostat
Best overall
Strikes the perfect balance between features and usability
There’s a lot to like about the Google Nest Thermostat, which is streamlined perfectly with the Google Home ecosystem. It’s remarkably easy to use, does nearly everything you’d need from a smart thermostat, and has plenty of functionality. It’s especially worthwhile if you can find it on sale.
- Straightforward operation
- Looks great
- Has a versatile selection of smart features
- Relies pretty heavily on the app
While it’s not exactly new, the Google Nest Thermostat has been at the top of many lists for a while due largely to its simplicity and straightforward effectiveness. To be clear, it’s not the most comprehensive smart thermostat available, but the features it lacks tend to be the least popular ones, like support for external sensors. It’s based on the increasingly convenient Google Home app, and although the setup process and initial instructions should be a bit clearer, it’s as user-friendly as they get once installed.
If you’re looking for your first smart thermostat, the Google Nest is an excellent choice because it’s as reliable as an old-school, non-smart unit but works perfectly with voice control and remote access. If you want to upgrade your current smart thermostat to a more advanced one, though, consider a more premium option.
Sensi Lite
Best value
Good-looking, capable, and recently released
Emerson’s latest budget-friendly smart thermostat, the Sensi Lite, lets you control your heating and cooling from afar but doesn’t flood you with complicated options or setup procedures. It’s the perfect choice for people who want a recent, dependable Wi-Fi thermostat but don’t need high-end features.
- Reasonably priced
- 10-minute setup process
- All the important smart features
- No external sensor support
There’s not much to the Emerson Sensi Lite, which is a large part of why it’s so great. Anybody not concerned with advanced learning algorithms but instead focused on consistent temperature readings and foolproof usability should have it on their list. It lets you set multiple schedules, monitor energy usage, and access it remotely wherever your phone or tablet has internet access.
Take note that, like with many smart thermostats, whether you need a C-wire depends somewhat on your particular HVAC setup. Homes with separate heating and cooling will probably need a transformer and adapter, which you might need professional help installing. Its only other drawback is minimal onboard control, but the recently revamped app makes that not really an issue.
Google Nest Learning
Premium pick
Use machine learning to control the indoor climate
There’s no other like the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. Through the magic of future-proof planning and recurrent software updates, it remains the best high-end smart thermostat on the market despite being relatively ancient in smart technology terms. It’s hard to top if you’re in search of a premium experience with as little user input as possible.
- Unmatched learning algorithms
- Premium fit and finish
- Top-of-the-line versatility
- Costs quite a bit
- Won’t support the upcoming Matter standard
Google knocked it out of the park with the third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, so much so that it’s still the best premium option several years after its release. It boasts unrivaled pattern recognition algorithms to help it learn your habits over time, so it requires less and less input for the perfect climate control as time goes on. There’s no better option for large homes that need multiple remote sensors to ensure everybody’s comfortable.
If it’s so great, you might ask, why isn’t it a slam-dunk purchase for every reader? Quite simply, it’s still incredibly expensive, even though it’s been around for a while. Even the roughly 25% discount we usually see it at doesn’t make it a worthwhile upgrade if you don’t plan on taking advantage of its dynamic learning algorithms and high-end features. But if you do insist on the best, this is it.
Honeywell Home RTH9600
Thorough programming options
Up there with the best in terms of capabilities and user-friendliness
In hands-on testing, few competitors score as highly as the Honeywell thermostat in terms of feature sets and day-to-day usability. Whether you’re using the app or working directly on the unit, you’ll have several settings to choose from. You’ll also be especially confident in its precision and reliability.
- Extensive feature set
- Easy on-unit programming
- Especially convenient remote access
The biggest selling points of high-end thermostats are that they have a bunch of novel features and are easy to manage. The Honeywell Home series — particularly the premium Wi-Fi Smart Color model (the latest release is model number RTH9600) — does an excellent job at wide-ranging HVAC control without too much fuss.
Unlike some of our favorite thermostats, the Honeywell Home gives you an impressive level of control right on the unit, in case you don’t want to rely on your phone. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support external sensors, so you’ll need something like the Nest Learning Thermostat for a multi-room setup.
Ecobee Premium
Premium room sensor support
A long-running favorite among smart home enthusiasts
While the Ecobee Premium is designed for use with Alexa, it works swimmingly with Google Assistant to provide an in-depth level of smart climate control. It’s packed with high-end features like highly customizable geofencing and remote sensor support, making it great for premium setups and pretty user-friendly. The only drawback is the cost.
- Powerful air quality sensor
- Particularly east to set up
- As expensive as they get
- Less precise measurement than most
The most prominent user-facing thing you’ll notice about the Ecobee Premium is that its app is notably better designed and easier to navigate than most competitors. For that matter, you can do nearly anything from the app as you can from the device, which few other models can say. Software convenience is a great place to start, but it’s hardly the only good thing about this popular thermostat.
There’s also the unit’s simple physical installation, which is geared specifically toward people who don’t want to mess around with a bunch of tools. Then there’s the air quality sensor and support for additional remote sensors, making it great for big houses. The only thing we don’t like about the Ecobee is that its temperature readings can be off by as much as 2 degrees, which isn’t terrible, but it is more than the others in its (high) price range.
Honeywell Home T5 Gen 2
Great entry-level
Another excellent yet low-cost choice for the discerning homeowner
Honeywell’s latest low-cost smart thermostat, the Home T5 Gen 2, is a pretty refined device. It has a decent selection of functions and most options that you’ll need for convenience and comfort all year long. It’s an especially good choice if you need a second thermostat for a separate heat pump or AC unit on a different floor from your main HVAC setup.
The Honeywell Home T5 Gen 2 isn’t the fanciest smart thermostat, nor does it try to be, which makes it an excellent alternative to the handful of superior yet affordable options we recommend. In fact, it’s ideal for use as a secondary unit for upstairs or downstairs heat pumps, even if your main thermostat isn’t a Honeywell.
So while it won’t automatically learn your heating and cooling tendencies and doesn’t support external sensors, it also won’t hit you too hard in the wallet. And since it’s easily integrated with IFTTT programming applets, it’s simple to tailor to your routine and the devices you use to control your smart home.
Emerson Sensi Touch 2
Great for commercial spaces
Supports external sensors and offers on-unit and app control
If your home or business is large, with multiple rooms that compete for HVAC attention, the Emerson Sensi Touch 2 is worth a look. It offers in-depth external sensor support with plenty of options for monitoring and managing them, and it looks about as professional as any thermostat we’ve seen. Just be prepared to shell out a decent amount of cash.
- Easy on-device configuration
- Powerful sensor support
- Premium fit and finish
- Requires C-wire or installed adapter
Emerson’s recently released Sensi Touch 2 is a great choice for advanced smart homes, shops, and other commercial spaces that need the functionality, security, and good looks. It’s as sleek as any other on the market and offers a quick one-button locking function to ensure only you can access it. It’s also one of the best regarding sensor support, with versatile remote sensors (sold separately) that work on a stand or the wall and give you various options for tracking and setting contingencies based on each room’s climate.
Picking the right smart thermostat for your home
The main considerations here are if you want basic smart features or all the bells and whistles, how willing you are to wade through a technical setup, and how much you want to spend. Naturally, the more complex your HVAC system, the more in-depth the setup and the higher the cost will be. But that’s not always a clear equation. Our premium pick, the Nest Learning Thermostat, is remarkably easy to install and use yet still offers the comprehensive control smart home enthusiasts need. Even if you don’t need the advanced learning algorithms it’s built around, you’ll find that it covers nearly every need, including multi-room sensors.
If you don’t need all those high-end functions, though, the standard Google Nest Thermostat is right up your alley and considerably cheaper. One of our few gripes is that it doesn’t look quite as fancy as the Learning model, which says a lot about its level of convenience and effectiveness. Then there’s the Sensi Lite, a newer and extremely capable low-cost alternative to the Nest.
We also want to offer a caveat regarding smart thermostat marketing. A decent number of them claim not to need a C-wire, but take that with a grain of salt. In some cases, what they don’t say upfront is that you don’t technically need a C-wire, but if you don’t have one, you’ll need to use an adapter. To be clear, although mated adapters are often available at a reasonable cost, there is an extra installation step that you need to be prepared for. As always, when installing hard-wired electrical appliances, make sure you’re comfortable turning off the electricity and doing a competent job at wiring; don’t hesitate to hire a professional if you’re unsure, as poor electrical work is a big safety hazard.
Google Nest Thermostat
Best overall
Perfect balance between features and usability
Google Nest Thermostat is the best entry-level to midrange smart thermostat out there, and it’s ideal for anybody who wants something capable but not complicated. With all the basic smart HVAC features most people need, coupled with a reasonable price, most beginner and intermediate smart home enthusiasts will be more than satisfied.
