What's the best smart thermostat that supports Alexa?
There are several reasons why you might want to automate your home heating and air conditioning systems with one of the best smart thermostats for Alexa. Connected smart thermostats are an excellent investment whether for convenience, energy efficiency, or that "cool" factor. If you are in the Amazon ecosystem, there are a growing number of great options. The ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control is our top choice because it has Alexa built-in, includes a room sensor, and is easy to use.
Best overall smart thermostat for Alexa: ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control
Believe it or not, it's only been a couple of years since ecobee launched the ecobee4 with Alexa built-in. Before that, we had to talk to Alexa from another device, like cave people! But in all seriousness, the concept was a hit. And now, ecobee has followed up on the success of the ecobee4 with its newer SmartThermostat with Voice Control, which is comparable to the popular Google-friendly Nest Thermostat.
So what's new or better, you may ask? It's got a more modern, cleaner design with a more vivid touch display. It has a quad-core processor (yeah, in a thermostat!) and far-field voice recognition, so you don't have to shout to lower the AC. And with that built-in Alexa goodness, you can ask the ecobee SmartThermostat for weather or news updates or even play your music with Spotify connect. Are we living in the Jetsons' age or what?
Pros:- Faster processor
- Far-field voice recognition
- Alexa built-in
- Room sensor included
- Pricey
- Complicated interface
Top-of-the-line thermostat
This device has pretty much everything you'd want in a connected thermostat. Alexa integration, music controls, and a smart sensor included!
Next best smart thermostat for Alexa: ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat
The ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat may be a few years old at this point, but it's still a great value. While it doesn't have fancy features like the Smart Thermostat with Voice Control, you can easily use your existing Alexa devices to monitor and manage this smart thermostat.
The ecobee3 doesn't include any smart sensors in its base configuration. Still, there are bundles available with them, and it works with any of the individual ecobee sensors you may have or purchase. Of course, you can also just march right up to it and tap away on its touchscreen to change the settings whenever you're up for it.
Pros:- Works with any ecobee sensors
- Touchscreen
- Pairs easily and quickly with your existing Alexa devices
- Wires directly into your home
- Great value
- Getting long in the tooth
- Even on sale, there are cheaper alternatives
- No smart sensors included
Alexa for less
If you've already got an Alexa-enabled device and want to save a few bucks, you won't be missing much with this one.
Best color screen smart thermostat for Alexa: Emerson Sensi Touch
Emerson is another one of those names like Honeywell, well-established in the HVAC world, so it should come as no surprise that it is also in the smart thermostat game. The Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat is a great option for any home, thanks to its large, bright touchscreen and compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, and Apple HomeKit.
This device will monitor your home's energy usage and provide historical data to help you make better heating and cooling choices. It can also send you smart alerts to detect extreme temperature swings or unusually high humidity levels. You also get automatic upgrades, so you don't have to worry whether your unit has the latest features to keep your system running smoothly.
We really like that the Sensi's color screen will change to reflect its status (heating or cooling), but the display unit's large size might not fit in with everyone's home decor. And while we certainly appreciate that it works with Alexa, some reviewers have commented that the Alexa integration is a bit limited. For example, you can ask the assistant to change the temperature but not set a different mode or schedule.
Pros:- Huge, colorful touch display
- Screen color changes to indicate its status
- Can track your home's humidity
- Smart alerts and automatic upgrades
- Alexa controls are limited
- Rather large display may not suit all decor
Color-coded comfort
The Sensi touch lets you know what's going on with your HVAC system by changing color, and it can detect humidity too.
Best alternative smart thermostat for Alexa: Honeywell RTH9585WF1004
ecobee and Nest may get all of the headlines, but they're not the only game in town when it comes to smart thermostats. Honeywell has been building great thermostats for decades, so it stands to reason that it would have several strong entries when it comes to smart devices. The RTH9585WF1004 (wow, that's a mouthful!) is an excellent alternative to ecobee and Nest and works with most major voice assistant platforms, including Alexa.
The design of the RTH9585WF1004 is more reminiscent of a traditional thermostat panel, albeit with a modern flair. It has a monochromatic touchscreen display, and you can change the background color to suit your tastes. At 4.5 inches, you get more display area than other similar devices. This allows you to see more data at once, such as a five-day forecast and humidity levels for indoors and outdoors. It will send you intelligent alerts on screen and in-app to know when your system needs service. It also learns your heating and cooling preferences with its Smart Response Technology to optimize temperature controls at the right time.
Pros:- Affordable
- Huge display
- Intelligent alerts
- Works with most voice assistants
- There are cheaper options by Honeywell
- Doesn't directly support geofencing
Modern conveniences from a traditional player
This device builds on Honeywell's decades-long experience and adds all kinds of smart home functionality.
Best Nest smart thermostat for Alexa: Nest Thermostat (2020)
Even though the Nest brand is owned and controlled by Google, their smart thermostats can still work with Alexa and the Echo. The Nest Thermostat (2020) is the most affordable Google Nest thermostat and is arguably the easiest to use.
Smart voice control is not included in the device itself, so you'll need an Echo speaker to control the thermostat remotely. This device doesn't include all of the bells and whistles of more expensive Nest thermostats, but it does a great job of controlling the temperature of your home. So what else do you really need?
The Google Nest Alexa Skill is still available in the Alexa Skills store, but you can also try one of the many IFTTT applet recipes to connect your devices. Just look for the Alexa logo in the bottom right of each card or the Alexa wording.
While the Nest Thermostat (2020) is fairly easy to install, you really need to have a common wire to make sure it's getting the correct voltage to work as intended. It is also worth pointing out that you have to use the Google Home app to control this thermostat, and while we usually like the Google Home app, it's a less than optimal experience for controlling your Nest Thermostat. All the more reason to just ask Alexa!
Pros:- Affordable
- Simple, pleasing aesthetic
- Easy tap and swipe UI
- Sensors not included
- Have to use Google Home app instead of Nest app
- Requires a C-wire to work properly
Nest lite
If you have a smaller home or apartment, the Nest Thermostat is perfect for yours. It's also one of the most affordable Google Nest products.
Best basic smart thermostat for Alexa: Honeywell T5 Plus Smart Thermostat
The Honeywell T5 Plus doesn't have the screen real estate or display functionality of its bigger brother on this list, but this newer, more compact model does have a few tricks up its sleeve that the RTH958WF1004 does not. For starters, it includes the ability to do geofencing out of the box. This means you can set programmable routines to control the temperature based on where you are. So, for example, you can set the air to lower once you leave work or turn on the heat as soon as you are getting close to your neighborhood.
There are several features that this device carries over from the RTH958WF1004. It has smart alerts for maintenance, and it adapts to learn how long it takes to achieve the right temperature to adjust its schedule to suit your preferences automatically. It is also compatible with various utility rebate programs.
Pros:- Allows for geofencing
- Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri
- Smart alerts
- Alexa not built-in
- Basic touchscreen
Gets the job done
The Honeywell T5 Plus Smart Thermostat gets the basics right, with a touch screen, smart alerts, geofencing, and Alexa functionality.
Best budget smart thermostat for Alexa: iDevices Thermostat
If you are just looking to get into smart home controls, or you don't want to fuss with fancy touchscreens and features you may not really need, then this is the iDevice for you. The iDevices Thermostat looks like a traditional thermostat box, with familiar button controls and a small window that displays the temperature.
Well, even if you like things low-key, it is nice to be able to ask Alexa to lower the temperature by 5 degrees or turn on the heater in an app on your phone rather than getting up off the couch. For these users, the iDevices Thermostat works great, and it sits at a very comfortable price point as well.
Pros:- Very affordable
- Easy installation
- Works with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant
- Basic box
- No touchscreen controls
- No onscreen info beyond temperature
Back to basics
The iDevices Thermostat is a basic Alexa-enabled smart thermostat that can handle all of the smart things you need at an affordable price.
Bottom lineThe ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control is the latest and greatest, top-of-the-line, the best option if you want a thermostat that works with Alexa. There's a room sensor included to get a better feel for your home's temperature, and you can give voice commands directly to the thermostat since Alexa is built-in. It's a bit expensive, but it's an excellent investment to help you save money on your home.
There is an ever-growing number of smart thermostats that work with voice assistants like Alexa, and the Amazon ecosystem, in particular, is perhaps the largest and most robust. When weighing your options, we recommend looking for the Alexa devices that not only work with Amazon's assistant, but that can work across multiple platforms, as you never know if/when you might change assistants or sell your home to someone comfortable with a different ecosystem. Thankfully, the ones on this list have you covered.
Credits - The team that worked on this guide
Jeramy Johnson is proud to help to Keep Austin Weird and loves hiking in the hill country of central Texas with a breakfast taco in each hand. When he's not writing about Amazon products and services, he's defending his relationship with his side-chick Alexa to his family. You can follow him on Twitter at @jeramyutgw.