Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium Review

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is at least four smart home devices rolled into one: a learning thermostat, a smart home hub, an air quality monitor, and a security system base station. Talk about bang for your buck!

We’re still impressed even if we just focus on the Ecobee Premium’s smart thermostat capabilities, such as occupancy-based heating and cooling, air filter maintenance reminders, and energy-saving suggestions.

It’s the best smart thermostat Ecobee offers and one of the best in the industry. Let’s take a look at why the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is a worthy investment.

• Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
• Ecobee SmartSensor
• Optional wall adhesive for SmartSensor
• Mounting plate
• Wire labels
• Power Extender Kit
• Trim plate
• Screws and drywall anchors
• Quick start guide

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium joins an elite crowd of learning thermostats. Not to be confused with smart thermostats, learning thermostats program themselves by monitoring your habits and schedule. They’re hands-off yet accurate, letting you reap all the energy-saving rewards of a programmable thermostat without doing any extra work.

(Other examples of learning thermostats include the Google Nest Learning Thermostat, the Honeywell T9, and the Amazon Smart Thermostat.)

To help the Smart Thermostat Premium learn your ways, we recommend putting Ecobee SmartSensors where you spend most of your time. For example, you might put one in the home office and another in the living room. The Smart Thermostat Premium comes with one SmartSensor already.

Two types of Ecobee SmartSensors pair with the Smart Thermostat Premium: a table-top design called SmartSensor for Rooms and a contact sensor called SmartSensor for Doors and Windows.

• SmartSensor for Rooms enables a unique “follow me” setting so the thermostat only monitors occupied rooms. Your HVAC system won’t kick on to address a cold spot when no one’s around, thus saving energy.
• SmartSensor for Doors and Windows prompts the thermostat to turn off if a door or window is left open too long.

Both types of SmartSensors are at the heart of Ecobee’s optional security subscription. The SmartSensor for Rooms is a motion detector, whereas the SmartSensor for Doors and Windows works like a standard door sensor or window sensor.

The fact that the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium pairs with a remote sensor is something to celebrate. Many smart thermostats don’t offer this simple solution for reducing cold spots.

But what’s extra exciting is the sheer number of remote sensors that the Smart Thermostat Premium works with—32. To put this into context, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat, GE Cync, and Wyze Thermostat support just six .

You might need all 32 sensors if you want to cover every door, window, and room in your home.

Pick a random smart hub and the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium probably works with it.

In fact, it’s the only smart thermostat—aside from the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced—that works with all the following smart hubs and connection protocols:

• Amazon Alexa (also built into the Smart Thermostat Premium)
• Apple HomeKit (also built into the Smart Thermostat Premium)
• Google Assistant
• IFTTT
• Samsung SmartThings
• Bluetooth
• Dual-band Wi-Fi

Runners-up include the Honeywell T9 (no Bluetooth) and the Google Nest Learning Thermostat (no HomeKit).

Such wide-ranging compatibility is great news for smart home beginners. All the major smart home hubs remain viable options for you to buy in the future. 

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium works with Ecobee Smart Security, which starts at $5/month for self-monitoring and increases to $10/month for professional monitoring.

Subscribing to either Ecobee Smart Security plan activates the Smart Thermostat Premium’s built-in smoke alarm listener and siren.

The slightly cheaper Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced does the same thing, though. Learn more in our full Ecobee review.

The Smart Thermostat Premium is the only Ecobee thermostat that works with star terminals (also called ACC+/- terminals), which sync whole-home humidifiers or ventilators to the thermostat.

These terminals aren’t supported by many other smart thermostats. Other options include both Google Nest thermostats, the Wyze Thermostat, and the Alarm.com thermostat used by security companies Frontpoint, Brinks, and Link Interactive.

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is right up there with the Google Nest Learning Thermostat in terms of core thermostat features, performance, and ease of use. The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium emphasizes more smart home features (like Spotify streaming) than other brands. Alternatively, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat doubles down on critical maintenance alerts and a backup battery.

Aside from the Google Nest Learning Thermostat, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium’s main competitors are other Ecobee Thermostats. We think it’s worth paying for the Smart Thermostat Premium’s extra features for peace of mind and energy savings. However, budget-conscious buyers might prefer the Ecobee 3 Lite—especially if you’re looking for a thermostat with Apple HomeKit compatibility.

With tons of smart home goodies packed inside, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium offers exceptional value. It’s a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in saving energy with home automation.

Our Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium review hinged on our research into the best smart thermostats and our hands-on experience with earlier Ecobee thermostat models. We compared the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium to 20 other smart thermostats across over 30 specifications and features.

We also read user reviews to identify consistent feedback about the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium—both good and bad. Learn more about how we rank and review products on our methodology page.

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