REASONS TO BUY
Very accurate
Subdued design
Very easy to set up
REASONS TO AVOID
Limited color options
Display is harder to read
Nest Thermostat E Review
Our favorite for price-conscious shoppers who still want a top-tier product
The Nest Thermostat E.
Credit: Nest
By David Wise ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ September 26, 2017
Contributions From: Austin Palmer
RELATED: The Best Thermostat of 2025
Our Verdict
Earning the second-highest score of the entire group, the Nest Thermostat E is an awesome, all-around product that we would happily recommend. This smart product retails at a fraction of the price of our top recommendation, the Nest Learning Thermostat and performs almost as well. It's accurate and easy to install, though it's a little harder to read and only comes in a single color. This is a great product to consider if you are searching for a smart thermostat on a budget and would prefer it to blend into your wall, rather than making a style statement.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Nest Thermostat E is eclipsed by its sibling, the Nest Learning Thermostat, for the top spot in this review. While these products performed astonishingly similarly in most aspects, the Learning Thermostat is slightly easier to use, primarily due to its exceptionally high-visibility display. However, the Thermostat E has a much more visually appealing display than the Honeywell Smart. Although the Smart does offer a wide variety of color choices to match your home, it contrasts with the frosted white appearance of the Thermostat E.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Credit: Austin Palmer
Ease of Use
Setting up the thermostat is extremely simple once it is mounted on the wall, with a helpful series of prompts guiding you through the process. You can set the initial time and date when completing the setup prompts, or they will adjust automatically when the thermostat is connected to WiFi. Setting a schedule is identical to the Nest Learning Thermostat — a process that can be a bit annoying with the rotating dial as the only interface method. However, you do have a very fine level of control, able to set the temperature of your home in 15-minute increments. We did find the lack of a back button to be another slight annoyance, but you can also set the schedule from the mobile app if you are frustrated by using the outer ring.
It's easy enough to scroll through and adjust the advanced settings using the menus on the device itself, but we found it to be much easier to adjust them through the mobile app. It is exceptionally easy to adjust the current temperature; simply rotating the outer ring will manipulate the current temperature. It will then maintain that temperature until you adjust it again or until the next scheduled time.
The display will show the current temperature and the set temperature, but we found the display of the Nest Thermostat E to be substantially inferior to the Nest Learning Thermostat.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The display is not high-definition and is much harder to read, especially when viewing the thermostat at an angle.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Install & Support
Nest isn't terribly helpful when it comes to installation questions, instead referring you to a Nest Pro for installation help if you are struggling with a DIY install. However, they do respond very quickly. They were also exceptionally helpful when it comes to product malfunctions. We could not get the first Nest Thermostat E to connect to a network and Nest immediately agreed to express ship us a replacement that did work.
The included documentation is very thorough and easy to follow, with additional videos available online if you are having difficulties.
For the actual installation process, there is a built-in level on the backplate of the thermostat — a surprisingly handy feature. However, we were disappointed by the lack of an included screwdriver, like the Nest Learning Thermostat, but costs apparently had to be cut somewhere.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Remote Access
We evaluated the ease of using the mobile app, as well as setting a schedule and adjusting the temperature remotely to determine scores.
The mobile app is very intuitive and easy to use, even more so than the thermostat itself. You can lock the base to prevent unauthorized access, as well as set a temperature range that the thermostat will automatically maintain. However, setting a schedule with the app is still quite frustrating and isn't particularly intuitive.
The Nest Thermostat E did redeem itself slightly in our final test for this metric, as it is one of the easiest models to adjust the temperature remotely. You can drag and drop to the desired temperature or use the up and down arrows on the screen. You also have access to the fan settings.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Accuracy
The Nest Thermostat E scored very well, tying for the top score of 9 out of 10. Similar to the other Nest thermostats, the E was always within about 0.5°F of the control thermometer.
Value
The Nest Thermostat E is a solid value, earning our Best Buy award. While this product isn't the best choice for those shopping on a very tight budget, it offers a fantastic compromise between cost and performance for those who want a top-performing smart thermostat with all the expected features, but don't want to spend over $200.
Conclusion
Performing very similarly to the Nest Learning Thermostat, the Nest Thermostat E is an all-around excellent product at a great price. While it lacks the high-definition display and the variety of color options, it is highly accurate and very easy to install. It's a product definitely worth considering for those that want a smart home on a budget.
—David Wise and Austin Palmer
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