Best Smart Thermostat Overview - Nest vs. Ecobee, Honeywell & Wyze - 1 Year Later

[@leroybrown9143]

I installed the Honeywell featured here a month ago. I had an old, two wire connection with no C wire. I called a few HVAC guys near me, most wouldn't give a phone quote but of those that did the best quote was 350.00 or more, depending on difficulty. So I went to Home Depot, bought 50 feet of 18-5 thermostat wire for $22, tied the new wire to the old one and pulled it through the wall myself. The entire job took about 1.5 hours but saved me AT LEAST $330.00 and future proofed the house in the event of thermostat innovations or HVAC upgrades. The thermostat itself is great. Two things I notice is that it wants to be at 72, just like it shows on the box. On my old unit 72 was too cool and I'd always have to adjust the temp up to 74 or 75. Not so with this one, 72 IS comfortable and it holds 72 without my constant input. So I assume it just read temperature more accurately than the old unit could. I actually only touch the thing a couple times a week now. But when I do it responds much faster than the old unit. For instance if I wanted to go from 72 to 75 on the old unit I'd have to wait a few minutes for the furnace to kick on after I changed the temp, but with the Honeywell the furnace kicks on within seconds of me inputting the temp. It is a sleek unit, it's nice to be able to see the outside temp and the outdoor and indoor humidity, even though I live in Denver so checking humidity is like checking for rain in Phoenix.

[@Titelmadchen]

By far the most thorough and useful video explaining heat pumps and wiring. Putting the thermostat and control boards wired with color code was the most helpful part of your video. 👍🏻

[@mikeobaugh8128]

Sorry, the constant and incredibly monotonous background music had me dropping out at the three minute mark. And I agree with Ryan, you don't need a 30 second intro for an eight minute video. Good topic though, just couldn't stay focused on what you were saying.

[@Mechaos]

Why did you leave the intro music play through the ENTIRE VIDEO? It leaves the listener distracted, annoyed and unable to clearly hear what it is you're trying to communicate. I didn't even make it to 2 minutes. You lost me.

[@Abesta83]

I've had an ecobee for 5 years now. Absolutely love it. One problem, 3 years ago, we installed a new dual stage unit with variable speed blower. Summers in Houston sucked, the house was either freezing or too humid. Last month, after talking to a hvac friend of mine, we decided to go with a trane 824. The advantage it has is it's ability to fully control the variable speed blower. I cannot begin to tell you how fantastic it feels in the house now. My humidity never goes past 55 and now we can go to sleep at 71 degrees vs 68 degrees. Unfortunately none of the aftermarket suppliers can control variable blowers. Otherwise i wouldn't run anything but ecobee. The remote sensors are the bees knees.

[@freedomisfromtruth]

Have you noticed having to reset the router often due to loss of control from phone app, had this with older honeywell and now the nEst

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Nope, perhaps there is an issue with your router or more devices connected than it can handle

[@NaNa65.]

What happens if your internet is out? Just a month ago, mine was out for 2 days.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Then they just work as normal thermostats, you’d need to walk up to the wall to make changes but all the schedules run as normal

[@dirtrider88]

3:51 it comes in the box? does it come in the box for both versions of the ecobee? also, why the hell dont they just use batteries if its only to power the unit? thats what my fairly basic programmable thermostat does

[@mele2259]

Which one is better with a heat pump and oil furnace combination

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

The more expensive versions of Nest & Ecobee might work but be sure to check the box

[@Crusader1984]

Can all these smart thermostats work without Wi-Fi? What if the Wi-Fi goes out?

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

yes, then you just manually control it at the wall

[@FletchPayne]

Hi, is it possible to control just the HVAC fan on any of the smart thermostat with just the app?

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Yes, absolutely

[@markwys]

I have the WYZE stat for over a year. I am going to replace it because it is consistently non-responsive. As I sit here waiting for the furnace to kick on....stat set at 72, house is 65 and nothing is happening. Most of the time it works fine, but how many times will I give it a pass when it does nothing at all. No more, it is coming off the wall today.

[@FletchPayne]

Thank you, another question please. Will any of the smart thermostats turn on just the HVAC fan without the AC or heat, in order to balance the rooms? If so, which one?

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

For sure I can turn on fan only with our Ecobee which is currently installed. I'd have to check on the others since they're all either in boxes or installed in other peoples homes

[@BryantBaudelaire]

I have two of the WYZE thermostats in my home and we love them!

[@MojoPup]

I had the Wyze Thermostat for a year, loved the way it worked but my energy bill went up...so I finally removed it.

[@TheNickybocker]

I want something I have total control over that has remote sensors and I don't have to log into a portal to access it (optional would be okay). I don't like the idea of being at the mercy of a web portal. I want it to be fully functional when its off line. Right now if the portal is down my thermostat loses some functionality or I have to worry if someone hacks into their system they could mess with my heating system. If someone has that, please let me know. Thanks!1

[@kennethgizmo1]

Have tried three of the 4 you reviewed i love nest and ecobee but the honeywell is the worst thermostat of all. It constantly comes on and off with every degree change from the setpoint. It has no deadband settings to allow for a plus or minus degree change. Made my utility bill higher. The ecobee problem was it was slower in responding to smart home adjustment because it goes to a server then back to the thermostat vs communicating directly with the unit. Nest customer service was the worst part of my experience with them

[@RaulMartinez-ku9cv]

So which did you pick?

[@boblansonfig3972]

So z …. which did you pick

[@dirtrider88]

like others have asked, which one did you pick???

[@kennethgizmo1]

So the nest is the favorite. Easiest to install smaller than Ecobee, respond to app and Google home faster than ecobee respond to Alexa.

[@lionintu]

​​@@kennethgizmo1please explain what deadband settings are! I have honeywell installed in my moms home apparently without issues and im trying to understand you. Edit: The deadband on a thermostat is the temperature range within which neither the heating nor cooling system functions. It's there to prevent the system from cycling on and off too frequently and to prevent the heating and cooling systems from operating simultaneously. You won't find a deadband on a manual thermostat that controls only a furnace or an air conditioner, and you definitely won't find it on an older electromechanical thermostat or any thermostat that you have to set manually.

[@any4003]

Ok but what if you don't have wifi or internet can these still be used and efficient?

[@any4003]

@@BrandonDoyleMN Hey appreciate the response! can the sensors work without wifi?

[@any4003]

@@BrandonDoyleMN also to be clear do you know if they'll still be energy efficient?

[@any4003]

@@BrandonDoyleMN good to know!

[@chainscdmc]

Do these thermostats auto switch from heating modes to cooling modes and vs?

[@chainscdmc]

@@BrandonDoyleMN gotcha. In spring and fall in east tn. We need heat overnight. AC in afternoon sometimes.

[@arevee9429]

Having had both Ecobee and Nest, I'd take the nest. The manual interface is much nicer and I found it easier to setup. Ecobee is supposed to be more functional, but I found it much trickier to use than the Nest. And I am not at all a fan of touch screens which are totally avoidable with the Nest.

[@Boswd]

we had both as well, liked both but we went with the nest we liked it better overall and it the eco saving "green leaf" function is superior to ecobee's eco savings and plus we have a nest protect and they work with each other in case of an emergency it will turn off the furnance and turn off the fans.

[@freedomisfromtruth]

Do you have to reset your router to get control back from the app?

[@bayodaman]

I heard Nest is the worst, I rather take the time to learn the thermostat and actually set it up to be energy efficient.

[@davekolp4552]

C wire power cannot use the adapter in the wall in my area. It is a electrical violation.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

in that case you'd need to leave it on the outside of the wall which certainly wouldn't look the greatest. I'd probably just go with a battery version, pull new wire to HVAC or use an adapter that attaches in the mechanical area

[@greenlegaciesrobertlaurist8737]

I have three different locations that have three different thermostats. I have Ness, Honeywell, and the Wyze. Although Wyze is the cheapest it’s best one.

[@MATTP545]

Great info in the video but that background music is down right annoying. I am one of those people where a phone in the other room could be vibrating on the counter and it distracts me from being able to concentrate on what I am doing so it was really tough to make it through the video. The music should only be used on cut scenes or breaks in information delivery

[@billgreen9678]

After the long intro, was there any savings, gas bill, from any of the thermostats? Oh, do any of the thermostats also control the humidifier that is built into the furnace?

[@dirtrider88]

the ecobee will control a humidifier, idk if the cheap version does it also or just the more expensive one.

[@SkjernoySon]

@@dirtrider88 The 3-lite version doesn't have humidity control, but all the others can.

[@KS_Husker]

jeeze. Longest intro ever...

[@wrthrash]

Thanks dudes, trying to figure it all out w a new install.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Thanks for watching!

[@rizierosorto5256]

EcoBee still has the advantage over Nest with the room sensors. With EcoBee sensors you can choose which sensors to use to maintain temperature. You can use only 1 sensor to maintain temperature in that particular room. Or you can use multiple sensors (2+) to maintain an average temperature between the selected rooms. With Nest sensors you can only maintain temperature in 1 room, not multiple. I am going from EcoBee with 2 sensors to Nest with 2 sensors. Again the ability to maintain temperature in multiple rooms with EcoBee is awesome but the operations or controls on Nest are more easier to learn to use. I'm sure a simple firmware upgrade can resolve my issue with the Nest sensors but I'm sure they will not jump on it right away just because of me. Had my EcoBee for about 8 years with no issues, great system. Today I switched to Nest, we'll see how that goes.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Having switched to nest I agree whole heartedly

[@celiaspiropoulos7596]

We had our neighbor help us install our Honeywell from Echo Heating and cooling. We did need an extra wire.

[@carn9977]

Thanks for the review of these. Nice job

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Thanks for watching!!

[@gacpac]

And wheres the comparison?

[@Dishtech48]

I had the Nest at first! Only to return it. It didn't have the 2 degree Differential temp, We called tech support to make sure, This was a huge set back for u. Was hard to wire in small place. We bought the Ecobee Smart Thermostat. This is far better than the Nest! We use the Smart sensor in bedroom too keep it to our comfort temp , when in bed. This also has Alexa, that works with our Home Elexa, and that is a plus. there is so much in this Thermostat A+ for this. Also this Thermostat can detect that we are off schedule , and was coming home early, and will set our temp, to warm up before we get home.

[@stbam1965]

I'm glad I have fast forward MY GOSH LONG INTRODUCTIONS. I WISH PPL WOULD STOP PUTTING ME TO SLEEP LOL LOL LOL

[@308sniper7]

So do these thermostats need a hub of some kind? Or can you connect to them via WiFi/Smart phone without having to buy an external hub (Alexa, Google, etc) Also, are there smart thermostats out there that don’t need a smart hub?

[@308sniper7]

@@BrandonDoyleMN ok. So no hub needed than?

[@308sniper7]

@@BrandonDoyleMN thanks guys!

[@marcopedro968]

Wich to choose between a Nest 3rd generation and a Honeywell Lyric T6R? Tks

[@Adrian.Oltean]

Have you decided? I have the same dilema.

[@marcopedro968]

@@Adrian.Oltean well... didn't bought any yet! lol But i think, because of the reviews i saw, the one from Honeywell is a better choice.

[@Adrian.Oltean]

@@marcopedro968 Leaning towards T6R as well....

[@nileshpatel3327]

Cant concentrate with that constant background music. Just a feedback - might affect other viewers.

[@LastSifu]

Every HVAC guy I’ve talked to says they hate the Nest and that Ecobee is better.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

I've gone back and forth on this but would agree that Ecobee is the way to go

[@bills6946]

Nest and Echo bee are consumer thermostats. I don’t know any certified HVAC techs that would recommend or install them. They are nothing but a guarantee for a call back.

[@tckexpat]

Nice video, background music is loud and distracting. Intro way too long ... IMO

[@-8_8-]

The way you phrased it makes it sound like you can access the wise from anywhere, but not the Honeywell.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Correct.

[@Crw1]

What about thermostats valves? So you get room per room control.

[@NotOurRemedy]

In what way do you mean? Most air conditioners should not have their airflow shut off randomly nor would it be a serious way to save money.

[@Crw1]

@@NotOurRemedy like the systen of tado or Honeywell. Where youbhavr a thermostat on every radiayor instrqd of 1 in a single room

[@jackkiller21]

Wad told Ecobee doesn’t support geofencing of multiple devices. Is that true ?

[@jackkiller21]

@@BrandonDoyleMN thank you for the reply. Appreciate it.

[@rajun1231]

We are purchasing a new home next month, and I am working on a plan to make it a smart home throughout. One of the devices I want to add is Nest thermostats. Currently we have Amazon Alexa in our home. Yesterday we found out that Nest will not communicate with Alexa, which is disappointing. More disappointing news is that Nest will not be compatible with the new Matter protocol to be released sometime this year. We really want a seamless and transparent smart home platform. Geofencing is also an issue because our family uses a mixture of Apple phones, iPads and Android devices. Maybe we are missing something in this process.

[@johnmelvin3603]

I loved the Nest until I found out about the issue where the Nest will not cool. It blows out warm air when on cool. Had an HVAC Tech come out and he told me this is an issue he sees a lot with Nest devices. If you are in warranty you still have to get an invoice to prove the nest is the issue. Without air for two weeks only to find out its not an issue with my unit nor freon but the nest. I did get a good 5 years out of it but was scared to get another nest. Maybe going with Ecobee. Oh yes the Hvac tech did show me how I can change the unit to only blow cool air. The nest not able to tell the unit to blow cool but the old unit i had works fine so Its 100% the nest device.. google nest not cooling you will see people had it 6 months when it started...

[@wonderwhat4]

I had a similar problems with my nest. It was a 2nd gen nest. What gen was yours? And did you use the C wire with it? My 2nd gen nest did not have the c wire connected and I think that is what may have caused my issue. I'm wondering if the Nest 3rd gen will not have this problem. Right now I have the latest ecobee with one sensor. And I do have a c wire now. I like ecobee because of the extra sensor it but rather have the Nest because it looks better and is simpler interface for renters to use I think. And the new nest has an extra sensor now. I'll have to investigate.

[@alanschornak2093]

I hate Nest thermostats! Everyone thinks they are the shit and buys them and asks me to install them. The best high dollar one is Ecobee or a communicating one for the brand furnace you have. The best budget one is Sensi. And I can’t believe you didn’t feature it!

[@Boswd]

let me guess you have a parntership to sell ecobee. Whenever a "hvac tech" says this one is crap buy this one, that is tell tale sign of who they have a partnership for selling a prduct. My brother in law works for an hvac and he laughs at these comments like "nest sucks buy this one." if your in HVAC and you seriously don't know about setting it up with a C wire than look for a new HVAC tech. That's the advice I get from an HVAC tech. that has no skin in the game.

[@EpicStays]

@@Boswd Interesting.. I just asked my borther-in-law the other week and he said Nest is utter garbage and to opt for the Honeywell T10. I wonder if HIS company has a partnership.. hmm..

[@JohnnyDeJesusRodriguez]

@@EpicStays why Nest is garbage? I have Nest for 3 years and really love it .

[@EpicStays]

@@JohnnyDeJesusRodriguez I don't remember what he said tbh

[@davidkirkham6497]

You are so right, Allan! Nest are”poo!”

[@Achillessteel]

Man everyone attacked the editor 😂😂😂

[@ronm6585]

Thanks guys. (no bad comments from me) 😉

[@Droptopporshe]

Thanks

[@robertgadson]

I thought the bearded guy was silent bob for the start.

[@davelevy4394]

Sorry guys, this did NOT help me to make any kind of decision.

[@davelevy4394]

@@BrandonDoyleMN The title of your video is "Best Smart Thermostat" but you don't really say which one is best. In fact, you don't offer enough information to help make an informed decision. You did provide one useful fact about the Wyze, which is that it is troublesome when setting up the app.

[@potion_brewer]

this wasnt even a review of any of the products

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

It's an overview video, not a product review. We've moved away from this format though, now the focus is really on home tours

[@sunalwaysshinesonTVs]

DO NOT PURCHASE AN ECOBEE! Somewhere buried in their code is a bug that drops the wifi connection. First you'll see it go off-line a few times then wont connect to your router at all. To add insult to injury, after sales support does not exist. Ive tried 4 times to get through. Been on hold for at least 6hrs total.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

We haven't experienced any connectivity issues with our ecobee thermostats in any of the homes we've owned. That's not good about support though, sorry to hear that you're having issues!

[@sunalwaysshinesonTVs]

Yeah.. fair enough. I cant expect one experience to be that of everyone elses. But here's the thing: after-sales support DOES NOT EXIST. If you ever attempt to speak to a person about your Ecobee, you will waste hours of your time on hold and unlikely will get through. That is something every Ecobee owner will go through.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

@@sunalwaysshinesonTVs that sounds terrible

[@freedomisfromtruth]

Ive had honeywell and Nest and you have to reset the router to regain app control again.

[@sunalwaysshinesonTVs]

@@freedomisfromtruth Yeah... only if it were the router's fault. It's not a router problem. The router was visible to every device I own EXCEPT the Ecobee. It's a code problem embedded in the Ecobee wifi. Something's causing a data flood on the memory. I went through the router reset many times, and many times more while on call with the Ecobee support. Since this post, Ecobee, to their credit replaced my stat, but not after attempting to blame my router, even after numerous re-boots and the Ecobee wifi not being visible at all to other devices even while the router was visible to all those devices.

[@TheDeadheadable]

As an HVAC technician. Nests and ecob are nothing but problems. Go with the honneywell. Honeywell dont sell your data and they dont change your tempature settings. If you want Google be in charge of your hvac system get the nest. If you want to be in charge get a honeywell.

[@Reddylion]

Nice…

[@czthor1]

Honeywell has the worst customer service and the worst way to connect the TH6320WF nothing but issues! That's why i'm her looking for a better WIFI or Blue tooth!!! spent 20 min on hold left Honeywell, the crap commercial on hold say press number 2 and we will call back this did not WORK, FYI when i called it said i would have a 4 hr wait.. and i could not tell if the voice was human or robotic but did they say Nvida would be the New NAME Change ? WT heck...

[@ryanhill4918]

Intro was too long. Otherwise great content. Thanks

[@reiniergarcia]

That hole in the wall looks horrible

[@jamali.8380]

Cut the music in the back next time

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Thanks, this video is from 2021. I am planning on publishing an updated version here at some point

[@martinrodriguez-nk7vx]

Personal opinion here: veeery long intro made want to hit the next one

[@martinrodriguez-nk7vx]

@@BrandonDoyleMN thank you for listenng and all youre doing I hope you guys male it big and grow, good luck

[@jason_v12345]

Do you guys even smart home? Lol. The Ecobee has a learning mode, so it isn't just the Nest that is "a learning thermostat." Also, if your music is coming through your Ecobee speakers, then you don't have Alexa configured right. Add it to a room and assign whatever speakers you want to play music to that room's configurations.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Do you lift bro?

[@jaxxbrat2634]

I remember the closeout bins had those early wifi units. Worthless

[@tbedgood]

I made it about 2 minutes before the music irritated me enough to say goodbye

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Thanks for the comment, we'll share your feedback with editor

[@NorthlanderMN]

I turned down the volume and it got rid of that music.

[@djhunt9828]

the intro is way too long, cut to the chase.

[@moa7510]

You don’t want an 8 year old operating a thermostat though 😏

[@Achillessteel]

😂😂😂😂

[@MrVelasquez]

Free falestine 🇵🇸

[@CCCC-tq8yo]

So boaring with music

[@borys444]

I started dancing during the video instead of listening. Cut the music broski

[@tubro007]

The most goofy reviews from two of the most goofy guys around... why guys?? Please Stop!

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

The channel has actually shifted to smart home tours, check out the latest videos and let me know what you think about the changes

[@hellokittyr]

useless video. So which one to buy? Make up ur mind.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Well after testing several and touring a ton of homes, talking to the owners etc. they’re all good options, my go to is ecobee and Colton prefers nest but did have some issues. It truly depends on your budget and needs

[@earthlifeus1656]

Honeywell suck!

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Some people swear by them, I'm partial towards ecobee & nest myself