![]() ![]() How it compares: At less than a quarter of the cost of the flagship Nest, the Amazon Smart Thermostat falls short in just one category: build quality. It also happens to be the least expensive and is compatible with most 24-volt systems (most modern residential HVAC installations) - though it does require a C-wire (an adapter is available if your home doesn’t have one). ![]() And the Amazon Smart Thermostat might well be the most autonomous thermostat available, requiring less interaction than even the market pacesetter, Nest. What you need to know: Unlike most gadgets, the less you interact with a smart thermostat, the better. In fact, the more smart home devices you have in general, the better both Alexa and the Amazon Smart Thermostat will work. Though it doesn’t have a speaker or microphone, it can use one or more Alexa speakers to add to its functionality. Who this is for: The Amazon Smart Thermostat is for anyone looking for a thermostat that can automatically adjust their home’s temperature and who either lives in an Alexa household or is willing to adapt to Amazon’s smart home ecosystem. I can tell you this much: The Nest won’t be going back up. I disconnected the third-generation Google Nest I had been relying on to manage my townhouse’s heating and cooling controls for the past four years and replaced it with an Amazon Smart Thermostat, which I’ve been testing for over a month. And yet, Amazon’s thermostat is priced well below even the lowest-cost competitor from a renowned discount brand, the roughly $80 Wyze Thermostat. Used effectively, that can translate into energy savings and lower utility bills, all without sacrificing comfort. Like the market-leading Nest Learning Thermostat, which usually retails for $250, the Amazon Smart Thermostat can learn your habits and routines, then automate your home’s heating and cooling schedule to match. There is, however, one great big caveat, and its name is Alexa. Even better, it does so with surprisingly few trade-offs. The $60 Amazon Smart Thermostat pulls off a feat very few smart home devices can accomplish: It offers all the functionality of even the priciest connected thermostats at the lowest price. Your CNN account Log in to your CNN account ![]()
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