The Best Smart Thermostats of 2026

• Smart home compatibility: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Nest, Insteon, Nexia
• C-wire required: No
• Dimensions 3.3-inch diameter, 1.21-inch deep

Google's Nest Learning Thermostat is one of the most prominent names in the home heating space, partly because it was one of the first well-designed connected thermostats on the market. Even a decade after its introduction, it's still the best smart thermostat for most people, thanks to its sleek, intuitive design and robust set of smart features.

If you've ever used an iPod, the Nest Thermostat will be familiar to you—in fact, it was designed by Tony Fadell, the designer of the original iPod hardware.

Once it’s hooked up to your Wi-Fi network, changing the temperature is as simple as rotating the thermostat's dial. You can use the app to set a traditional time-of-day schedule more easily than most non-smart thermostats. You can also let the Nest learn your daily habits and automatically adjust to a comfortable temperature.

This feature is great for those who don't want to put in any effort, but it might be a bit too confusing for people who like to fine-tune their schedules. You can turn it off if you wish.

Like many other smart thermostats, the Nest can utilize its built-in sensors and your phone’s location to determine when you’re not home, and automatically adjust your home temperature to save you money and energy. It's also compatible with the energy-saving plans and rebates offered by many utility companies. You can adjust it with your voice using Alexa or Google Assistant and even get reminders when it's time to change your HVAC filter.

Nest offers sensors that you can place in different rooms to adjust the temperature based on your location at any given time. Sensor functionality is limited compared to competitors like Ecobee and Honeywell. Still, overall, the Nest’s ease of use more than makes up for that slight shortcoming.

Our only other gripe with the Nest—besides its heftier price tag (which, again, rebates can help with)- is its setup. The actual process is quite easy, and the Nest app will walk you through it step-by-step if you've never installed a thermostat before. However, to stay simple and compatible with a wide variety of heating and cooling systems, the Nest employs a workaround to draw power in homes without a common wire (or C-wire).

The thermostat will function normally in most cases, but can cause problems with certain HVAC systems. Suppose your home doesn't have a C-wire. In that case, we recommend having an HVAC professional install one, or using a thermostat like the Ecobee Smart Thermostat, which uses a slightly more complex (but reliable) conversion kit to power itself.

Read our full review of the Nest Learning Thermostat (third-gen).

• Smart home compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings
• C-wire required: Yes
• Dimensions: 3.25 X 5.6 X 0.77 inches

Sensi isn't a household name in the smart thermostat space (even among tech nerds like us). Still, it occupies a good niche: The Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat is similar to a traditional thermostat in terms of ease of use.

The Sensi Touch 2 is the most high-end Sensi model. Installation requires a C-wire, and the app guides users through the setup process. The terminal blocks feature push connectors, similar to those used by Nest and Ecobee, making wire connections faster and easier.

The unit uses an intuitive touchscreen control. The styling isn’t as sleek and compact as some other smart thermostat options, but the larger screen may make the controls more accessible for some users. The menu system is easy to navigate when adjusting temperature settings.

On average, the unit sensor was slightly off by a degree compared to our NIST-calibrated thermometer. This isn’t a major issue, as not many users would likely notice that level of discrepancy.

The Sensi Touch 2 can be integrated with extra room sensors, available for purchase separately. These sensors monitor temperature and humidity at a separate location, independent of the base unit. They can be wall-mounted using the screw and drywall plug provided or used freestanding with the included plastic stand.

Remote sensing provides a more accurate representation of average conditions, especially in larger homes. You can connect up to 15 extra sensors to the base unit. With temperature averaging across the sensors, the system accuracy improved to within 1 degree of the measured temperature.

The thermostat also has a dehumidification mode. It doesn’t do this via a dehumidifier (unless one is integrated into your HVAC system); instead, it uses an approach called overcooling. If you activate this mode via the app, the thermostat will run up to 3 degrees cooler than the set point. Cooler air holds less moisture, so cooling will make the space feel less humid as the absolute humidity will drop slightly.

The Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat is a replacement for the Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Thermostat, which we previously tested back in 2017. This older version is still available for purchase (for now). However, thanks to its improved touchscreen interface and additional room sensor pairing (not available on the older Touch), we think this is the one worth buying.

Read our full review of the Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat.

• Smart home compatibility: Google, Alexa, Apple Home, Matter
• C-wire required: Yes
• Dimensions: 30-inch x 8 inches x 6 inches

If you’re on a tight budget and/or want an entry-level smart thermostat, the Honeywell Home X2S Smart Thermostat is a stellar pick for just over $50. Despite its modest price tag, it boasts several welcome features, most of which are unlocked via the Resideo First Alert companion app.

Hopefully, you have the right wiring to replace your existing thermostat with this smarter one. However, Resideo does a good job of helping you get started, with the manual, instructional videos, and free customer care phone access.

It may not have all the features you want, and it’s not much of a looker, but between its home-away automation, support for multiple smart home platforms (and smart speakers), and versatile First Alert app, it’s a smart device with a smart price. It’s also a Matter-certified thermostat and integrates seamlessly into various setups.

Unlike other Honeywell Home solutions (like the T9 and T10) and the smart thermostats on the market, this model doesn’t work with occupancy sensors. Still, not everyone wants or needs this extra component. Sometimes less is more.

For its price, this smart thermostat offers tremendous value.

Read our full review of the Honeywell Home X2S Smart Thermostat.

• Voice assistants: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings (via Matter)
• C-wire required: Yes (adapter available if needed)
• Dimensions: 0.96 x 5.24 x 3.54 inches

The Honeywell Home X8S is a feature-rich smart thermostat designed for whole-home comfort control. Starting at $219.99, it goes beyond basic temperature adjustments with indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, “feels like” temperature readings that factor in humidity, and detailed scheduling with proactive system alerts.

Motion-based automation helps optimize heating and cooling based on occupancy, while support for up to 20 optional room sensors allows for more precise comfort in specific spaces—prioritizing living areas by day and bedrooms by night. A redesigned 5-inch touchscreen and Matter compatibility round out its modern appeal.

Setup within the First Alert by Resideo app can be frustrating at first, but once installed, the X8S delivers reliable performance and robust smart home integration for households that want deeper control over their environment.

Read our full review of the Honeywell Home X8S Smart Thermostat

• Smart home compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Google Assistant, IFTTT
• C-wire required: Yes, may be able to get around with power extender
• Dimensions: 4.09 x 4.09 x 1.02 inches

While the Nest aims to be easy and hassle-free, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is more about creating an incredibly feature-rich system. This is a smart thermostat that can do far more than turn on the heating. It can even provide air quality monitors and use motion detectors to double as a home security system.

Its highly responsive touchscreen feels just right and gives you control of a plethora of settings. With a C-wire connection built in, this thermostat is designed for modern homes that have AC, heating, and a fan system wired in. It can even control other devices, like a humidifier.

Ecobee's scheduling may seem confusing at first, but it becomes easier once you get the hang of it. Instead of merely setting temperatures based on the time of day, you establish your desired "comfort zones" for different situations, such as setting the AC to 76 degrees when you're at home, 80 degrees when you're away, and 74 degrees when you're sleeping, and so on. Then, you schedule those comfort settings for specific times of day or assign them to Ecobee's external room sensors, one of which comes with the Premium model.

For example, you could set the Ecobee to switch to "sleep" temperature when your toddler is napping in the afternoon, and it will use the sensor in the toddler’s room to determine the temperature, rather than the thermostat's sensor in the living room.

Options like this make the Ecobee extremely powerful, alongside its geofencing features and other eco-monitoring options. Beyond its internal features, it’s also highly compatible with smart home ecosystems.

It includes Alexa and Siri voice controls built in, and provides additional compatibility with Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Google Assistant, and IFTTT. If you’re looking for a smart thermostat that can act as a hub for your whole home’s smart ecosystem, then this is the one.

Read our full review of the Ecobee Premium.

• Smart home compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Google Assistant, IFTTT
• C-wire required: Yes, may be able to get around with power extender
• Dimensions: 4.09 x 4.09 x .94 inches

The Ecobee Enhanced is a new mid-level thermostat from Ecobee, a slight step below the Ecobee Premium. The Enhanced has most of the same features as the Premium, minus air quality sensing and built-in Alexa/Siri. It also does not include an external room sensor, unlike the Premium model.

If you own an older home with a basic, heat-only, 2-wire system, you will not be able to install the Ecobee without first installing a C-wire. However, the Ecobee Enhanced smart thermostat is a dual Wi-Fi device that works on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. This means that you shouldn't have to worry about your type of home Wi-Fi when setting it up.

The thermostat's touch interface is simple and intuitive. We used a thermometer with a NIST certificate of calibration to verify the accuracy of the thermostat temperature setting and found it to be highly accurate. Switching between heating and cooling modes or adjusting preferred temperatures is easy.

The basic thermostat features a temperature sensor, as well as humidity and motion sensors. If you haven't added sensors, the thermostat is only monitoring conditions at the hardwired installation point. Extra sensing is potentially important in a larger home, but it’s not a significant concern in a smaller, open-plan space.

Read our full review of the Ecobee Enhanced.