Nest Vs Ecobee: Differences You Should Not Overlook

Things are a lot easier now than before. Convenience has been better in so many aspects. People can control almost everything by tapping on their mobile phones. You can even activate things with your voice. One of the most useful things that are now very convenient to use is smart thermostats. The best-connected thermostats offer flexibility and will help you save money on energy. There are so many thermostats available in the market. That makes it challenging to make a choice. Researching is vital before you buy anything. Let us take a look at Nest VS Ecobee, two thermostats at almost the same price, and see which one suits you better.

These two may be at the same price, but they are not equally-created. They are the two leading smart thermostats, and people often wonder which is a better buy. They have a lot of differences you should consider. Here, we will show you how they are different in appearance. We will also discuss their various functions and compatibility.

Affordability

The Nest Learning Thermostat and Ecobee 4 both have an initial retail price of $249. Ecobee then dropped its retail price on its website. It is now available to the public at $199. You can also buy the Nest Learning Thermostat on Amazon at a lower price, too. But, with a cost of about $225, it is still more pricey than the Ecobee.

Energy-saving benefits

Smart thermostats help you cut down on utility bill costs. Both the Nest and Ecobee can help you reach your energy goals, but one of them is a bit more convenient to use. You will know when you can save on energy when you adjust the temperature in the Nest. A leaf icon will appear on the thermostat, indicating the energy savings. The leaf will appear if you use the Nest Thermostat for heating and setting it to sixty-two degrees or lower. You will also get the said icon if you use the gadget and set it to eighty-four degrees or warmer to cool your home. The Nest Learning Thermostat is worthy of its name. It can learn the household’s preferences over time. The leaf will appear every time you choose temperature settings that save energy.

One of the downsides of the Ecobee 4 is that it is a hard-wired smart thermostat. The Nest Learning Thermostat is at an advantage because of that. You can still use the Nest even without the home’s electricity or batteries. It is helpful in case of a power outage.

Appearance

Both the Nest and Ecobee have rounded shapes. The difference is that the Nest is perfectly round while the Ecobee is a bit more squared.

The Nest is available in stainless steel and polished steel. It is also available in black, mirror black, white, brass, or copper. It also has a far sight feature that lets it spot you across the room. You have fewer options when it comes to the Ecobee. It has a black front piece with a blue stripe at the top. It does not have any color options like the Nest.

Thermostat adjustments

The specifics of each device will show you their differences more. Their similarities end with their appearances. Making temperature adjustments are different from the two thermostats.

You turn a dial mechanism when you change the temperature using the Nest. The Nest Learning Thermostat is a great choice. Especially for those who prefer the same temperature-adjustment technique used for conventional thermostats. You can also buy Nest Temperature Sensors. These will let you specify your desired temperature in a room at a particular time of the day.

The Ecobee 4 has a touchscreen where you can adjust the temperature. This device is better for people who want to use touchscreens on their devices. It makes it a natural extension of their activities. What is good with Ecobee is that you can buy more wireless room sensors that detect occupancy. These can adjust room temperatures on their own. There is only one sensor in each Ecobee. You can also change the warmness or coldness to the average of selected rooms with sensors. You cannot find this occupant-sensing feature in the Nest.

Compatibility with other devices

Both devices can connect well with other energy devices. The Ecobee 4 recognizes a ventilator and uses cooler outdoor temperature. The dependence on your home’s air-conditioner gets reduced. The Ecobee 4 can also regulate the humidity level indoors when you have a dehumidifier. It prevents the build-up of frost in colder weather.

The Nest has a feature that people with heat pumps and auxiliary heat in their homes will find useful. The Heat Pump Balance allows you to choose the amount of extra warmth to use. The Nest also figures a lot of things into the mix with the Heat Pump Balance feature. These include the efficiency of the heat pump and the weather forecast. It also considers the current weather. It determines the best auxiliary heat usage using data.

Connectivity to a voice assistant

Both thermostats work well with Google Assistant and Alexa.

An Amazon Alexa device lets you control your Nest thermostats with the Alexa app or with your voice. You can ask Alexa to turn the heat up or down. The Ecobee has built-in Alexa Voice Service that understands voice cues. It also has more capabilities aside from those related to room temperature. You can even use Ecobee to listen to music and set timers.

You can also use Google Assistant to adjust your Nest thermostat or Ecobee 4 temperature. You can give simple commands such as, “Google, make my home colder.” You can also say, “Google, change the temperature to sixty degrees.”

Both thermostats are almost equal but not quite. Most people prefer the Ecobee when comparing Nest VS Ecobee. One of the primary reasons is its built-in Alexa capability. Another is the occupant-detecting feature of its room sensors. Each person has different needs. Always make sure you weigh the pros and cons first before you make any decision on which one to buy.