Ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control Review

While the SmartThermostat couldn't quite claim one of the top spots overall, it did stand out by its more impressive set of smart features. This thermostat features Amazon's Alexa calling, messaging, and Drop-In features, placing it on par with other Echo Devices or Alexa-enabled home speakers. We also liked that this thermostat can connect to both 2.4 GHz. and 5 GHz. wireless networks, allowing you to take advantage of the added speed 5 GHz offers when calling or streaming music through this device.

Ease of Use

This thermostat is one of the easiest to set up and run once it's installed on a wall. It prompts you through the entire process, guiding you through each step. It automatically sets the date and time as soon as you connect to your network, although you must manually select the time zone you reside in.

We found the various settings and options menus to be very intuitive to navigate through and we particularly liked that you have the option to adjust the brightness of both the active and standby screens.

Unfortunately, we found the scheduling and temperature adjustment functions to be somewhat user-unfriendly. You still can't set a specific temperature for blocks of time in the schedule, only “comfort settings”. You do set the temperature that the comfort settings for home, away, and sleep correspond to, but it still feels more confusing and restrictive than thermostats that let you set the temperature for each block of time in the schedule.

We were also not very enamored with the slider interface for adjusting the current temperature.

It only lets you adjust with four degrees on the screen without holding to expand the range and the layout and font size make it just a little harder to read from a distance than many of the other models we have tested.

Install & Support

The Ecobee SmartThermostat performed exceptionally well, thanks to its helpful support team and pain-free installation.

We received a response from the support team exceptionally quickly, which was also extremely helpful in resolving our issue. We asked what to do if the old thermostat was gone and there were only bare wires protruding through the wall. The Ecobee team walked us through the solution and responded quickly to any follow-up questions we had.

You have the option of following either the app or the paper installation guide when installing the SmartThermostat. Both are fairly thorough but we found the paper guide to be a bit more verbose than the app, with the app occasionally glossing over some steps.

Finally, the actual installation process is straightforward, with the trim plate featuring an integrated level, ensuring it is installed correctly. The quick-connect terminals are easy to use and don't require a screwdriver and there are plenty of helpful instructional videos if you need some extra guidance. The thermostat also includes a power extender kit if you don't have a dedicated “C” wire, increasing the ease of installation and a standalone room temperature sensor. This sensor can be placed away from the thermostat if it is installed in a location that is significantly warmer or cooler than the rest of the room to try an even out your heating or cooling.

Once it is installed, it's quite easy to connect the Ecobee to your network simply by selecting your network and typing in the password, though it can be slightly tedious if you have a longer and more complex password.

Remote Access

The companion app for this thermostat is decently intuitive, being an interface that is just a tad bit more user-friendly than on the actual device. It feels a bit more responsive to use your phone than the touchscreen on the device but you are not able to adjust any of the settings remotely.

Remote scheduling is very similar to scheduling on the thermostat itself but we vastly preferred using a phone to do this. You have a larger amount of the schedule on the screen at a time and the color coding for heating and cooling is much easier to differentiate.

It's a similar story when it comes to adjusting the temperature, with your phone offering a much larger range to choose from because of the larger screen.

Accuracy

This thermostat varies from our control thermometer by about two degrees. However, it was fairly consistent, and you do have the option of adding an offset to this thermostat to account for this. This wouldn't make it perfect, as the Ecobee wasn't always off from the control the same amount when we measured, but would get it closer.

Value

On its own, this model is a so-so value and there are other products out there that give you a better bang for the buck. However, it makes it a decent value if it saves you having to buy a separate smart speaker for Alexa capabilities for your home.

Conclusion