We live in a world connected together by the best invention ever – The Internet. In the early days, the internet connected humans together via emails, chats and voice calls. Nowadays “gadgets” are being connected together, and the best part is they can communicate via internet. Think about turning your coffee machine ‘ON’ via a voice command to your smartphone! Well, internet enabled gadgets is the best innovation of our times. In this article, we write about internet thermostats – where we feature thermostats that can be controlled via internet.

Internet enabled thermostats are devices that can be connected to the internet and one can control the temperature level remotely using smartphones or laptops from anywhere in the world.

Just think about turning your thermostat ‘ON’ while you’re 30 minutes near your home, the rooms being cosy when you get inside, isn’t this so nice?  Internet enabled thermostats lets you do this and more! Internet thermostats – can be connected to the internet and controlled via mobile apps or your laptop (via web). 

How does an Internet Thermostat work?

Any internet enabled thermostat will have a built in WiFi module, which can be connected to your home WiFi system. Once you pair the thermostat to your home WiFi, the device will be connected to the internet readily.

Once the device is connected, download the respective mobile app (for your thermostat brand) and setup the device using the mobile app. You can control multiple thermostats in your home or office using one mobile app. You’ll need to setup each thermostat separately and create identification tags.

Once the setup is finished, you can control the thermostat using your smartphone app interface. You can adjust temperature settings, turn the device ON/OFF, create new programs/schedules, check energy reports, set away mode and more. Read our article on Smartphone Thermostats to get more idea on how to control thermostats using mobile apps.

Let’s see the best internet enabled thermostats out there!

Ecobee SmartThermostat

Ecobee SmartThermostat – the latest model from Ecobee is an improved version of Ecobee 4 with a much better sensor, and improved voice control. With Alexa built-in, you can control the thermostat using your voice commands. Responding precisely to simple voice commands is the best feature of this model.Also,all smart devices in your home can be controlled using simple voice commands.It works with Apple Homekit, Amazon alexa, Google Home and other smart home devices. 

The new sensor included in the pack having improved range and up to five years of battery life, this Ecobee model is super smart for its ability of detecting temperature and occupancy in the room.

Ecobee3 Lite

Ecobee3 lite is the budget friendly model among the two Ecobee thermostat variants. It can save up to 23% of annual energy usage according to studies. Ecobee 3 lite can be controlled from anywhere using your iOS and android devices. You can pair it with Smart sensors which detects both temperature and occupancy. Ecobee3 lite works with various smart home hubs like Apple Homekit,Amazon alexa, Samsung Smartthings, IFTTT, wink and more.

Nest Thermostats 

Nest has two thermostat models; Nest E and Nest 3rd gen. The best thing about nest thermostat is it saves energy to a great extent and that’s how it became the first thermostat to get Energy Star certified by EPA.  

Nest thermostats can program itself after the first few week’s usage. If you use the thermostat, by setting temperature by your own, for a few weeks, it can learn and program itself according to your needs, by learning what temperature you like and when.

Now what is the difference between the above said two models? Nest 3rd gen supports 95% of HVAC systems where as Nest E can only support 85%. But, if you are looking for a pocket friendly one Nest E is the best option.

Honeywell RTH9585WF Thermostat

Honeywell RTH9585 WiFi Thermostat is compatible with Amazon alexa, Apple Homekit, Samsung SmartThings, Google Home and supports IFTTT. It has a customizable colour touch screen with easily readable texts. The background colour can be changed as per your wish. The indoor and outdoor humidity,time and temperature are displayed on the screen. Also there is an option to adjust the temperature.

You can control the thermostat from anywhere using your smartphone as it is connected to your home’s WiFi. There are smart alerts for filter change reminders, temperature changes, status of internet connection and humidifier pad replacement. 

Emerson Sensi Smart Thermostat

Emerson Sensi is a budget friendly internet thermostat, and for the greater convenience of the user, current temperature, time, temperature settings, and WiFi connectivity are displayed on the LCD screen. You can remotely control your home’s temperature using Smartphone or other devices via the Sensi app. With its remote control capability, customized scheduling option and geofencing, Emerson Sensi can save upto 23% of energy usage annually.Emerson sensi thermostats works with Apple homekit,Amazon alexa, Google assistant and wink. 

Emerson Sensi thermostats can be installed and operated like a standard thermostat when not connected to WiFi.

Geofencing feature in thermostats

Geofencing is a virtual boundary created around a moving device such as a smartphone or laptop based on GPS signals. Using this particular technology, you can turn on or off the thermostats automatically (if geofencing feature is supported in your thermostat) according to your needs. In other words, if you are nearing your home from office, the geofencing feature will automatically adjust the thermostat settings to your desired program.

Benefits Of Internet Enabled Thermostats

The first and foremost benefit is the convenience of controlling the thermostats remotely. You can control thermostats using smartphone or other connected devices using the internet. This helps in saving energy and thereby cost.

          Ecobee 3 lite and Ecobee Smart Thermostats are the 2 models of Ecobee Smart Thermostats currently available in the market.

Conclusion

Internet enabled Thermostats can make your home more comfortable while making you more convenient. Efficiency in energy savings is  one of the best parts of using Internet enabled thermostat. Remote control capability adds to your convenience.