I went all-in on Apple HomeKit about five years ago. Before that, my smart home setup was a mess—some accessories worked with Google, others with Apple and Alexa, and nothing felt unified. I wanted everything in one place, so I consolidated everything into the Apple Home app. My first major purchase was an ecobee3 lite, which I got at a discount through my local power provider. Since then, my Ecobee thermostat has been the heart of my smart home. So when Ecobee announced the budget-friendly Smart Thermostat Essential, I knew I had to try it. Here’s my hands-on experience with their latest smart thermostat.
The first thing I recommend when you get this is to download the Ecobee app. It will walk you through everything. It helps you find out which type of heating and air conditioning units you have, walks you through how to install everything and just makes the setup dead simple. I am someone who knows nothing about this and I was able to install it and have it full running in less than 15 minutes.
What you get and the installation
The packaging and contents are dead simple. You get:
- The Thermostat
- Wall mount back plate
- Screws
The installation process was relatively simple. Again, I would not consider myself a handyman at all. If anything, the first time I installed a thermostat, I was a bit intimidated, but my situation was simple. I just removed the old ecobee3 lite that I had, and I was able to make sure all the cables aligned and fit everywhere they were supposed to. It even has a built-in measure to ensure you aren’t misaligning anything. You will need a small screwdriver, and I recommend some sort of tweezer to help move and grab the different wires needed.
Details and specs
Since this is the budget-friendly version of the enhanced version, you are giving up a few things. But from my testing, if you just want a no-frills, easy-to-use experience, the Essentials thermostat does just that, giving you all the essentials.
Here is what you get:
- Made of glass display and plastic body
- 2.8in full-color LCD touchscreen
- Has temperature and humidity sensors
- Simplified scheduling on the device and through the app
- Works with all major smart ecosystems (Apple, Google, Alexa)
- Works with over 85% of HVAC systems out of the box (Power extender could be needed, but the app will let you know!)
- Home energy reports (My favorite part of the app!)
- 3-year warranty
This is what you are giving up:
- Smart Thermostat enhanced has a 50% larger display
- Includes the power extender kit mentioned above
- Gives video feed of other Ecobee security system hardware like cameras
So, you are saving at least $60 by omitting the power extender (which I didn’t need), and the screen size is smaller but I rarely interact with the physical thermostat anyway.
My thoughts
The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential delivers exactly what I wanted out of a smart home thermostat: a thermostat that just works. From the beginning, installation is simple, even for those without prior experience. The touchscreen makes on-device control straightforward, but in my experience, I barely actually did anything on the device itself; everything was done on the ecobee app. I did everything from simply changing the temperature to setting day and nighttime routines, using the vacation mode to make sure I wasn’t using too much energy while I was gone.
One of my favorite features is the Home Energy Reports, which provide deep insights into heating and cooling patterns. It even compares your energy usage to similar homes in your area, giving you a clear picture of how efficiently you’re managing your climate control. This feature not only helps you save money but also encourages smarter energy habits by adding a gamification layer to it. I think they should actually run with them and create some sort of leaderboard structure to incentivize better energy efficiency!
Pricing & availability
The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is available today for $129.99 on Amazon, Ecobee’s site, and other retailers. It comes in one color option and has one power extender add-on. So if you’re looking for a no-fuss, set-it-and-forget-it smart thermostat that integrates smoothly with Apple Home and delivers real energy savings, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is a fantastic option. It’s a reliable, well-designed, and user-friendly solution that makes temperature management feel effortless.
What do you think? Are you a smart thermostat user? Are you using any smart home accessories?
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