Customer Ratings & Reviews

This thermostat was surprisingly easy to install and as long as you follow Ecobee's well-documented installation instructions AND you check to make sure it's compatible with your existing wiring, installation is a snap! Once wired up, it mounts nicely to the wall covering where the wires come out making for a nice flush mount to the wall. Setup is a snap with the app which is definitely a good way to start out though I think you could use it without though doing so would limit the a number of "smart features". What I love about this thermostat is how easy it is to use, and how it looks. No twisting a knob to navigate to just change a simple setting. When you connect it to your wifi, it does make it a bunch easier to configure your schedules and see your energy usage over time which is very insightful. It also has reminders for service/maintenance on your HVAC unit which is handy if you tend to forget that. I love that it detects your patterns and helps you set it so you can pre-heat/cool before a set time on a schedule or be set to help you maximize your energy efficiency which can save a ton on your bill. I haven't used this one long enough to put that to the test to see the result but based on the usage I'd say it works pretty good so far. This one is a great option, especially if you have an old-school thermostat or one that doesn't have the latest "smart" features. Some might say you don't need all that, but literally this thing could pay for itself in one summer or cold winter if you tend to leave your thermostat set and forget it, especially if leaving for any extended period of time where the savings really does add up. I'd highly recommend this one!

With stylish design, ease of use, and a privacy-first approach to data, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is a winner. While it may sound daunting to install a smart thermostat, with the Ecobee Essential it’s simple. First, you remove your old thermostat, carefully noting where each wire was attached. While they should be color-coded, it’s best to take a photo to ensure you have the correct wires. If, like me, you don’t have air conditioning, you may have to run an extra wire to the furnace, but even this step took less than 15 minutes. Next, you mount the Ecobee wall plate using the included screws. This is a snap, as the plate has a built-in level to help you get it lined up properly. Next, you attach the wires to the correct terminals. No tiny screws to worry about here, just snap the wires into the clips. Mount the thermostat and you’re ready to install the app. Once installed, the app is easy to use and guides you through each step to connect your thermostat to your Wi-Fi network and you’re ready to go. It really is that simple. With the app (or using Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant) it’s simple enough to set schedules and control everything remotely. I travel frequently, and having a smart thermostat allows me to set the correct temperature while I’m on the road and have a warm home when I return. The design is contemporary without looking either industrial or too techie. With a large readout on the display, everyone can see what the settings are with ease. Anyone who can use a standard digital thermostat can use the Ecobee. What you won’t get with the Ecobee Essential are things like multi-zone monitoring or motion sensing to determine if anyone is home. There are features that my previous smart thermostat included, and I never used them. What you gain with an Ecobee product is critical. Ecobee does not share or sell your private information. For me, this tips the scales heavily in their favor. If you care that third parties might know when you’re at work, when you go to bed, or when you’re out of town, it should matter a lot to you, too. If you’re looking for a solid smart thermostat from a known brand, this is a great choice.

Ecobee is the best of the best. I started with one of the original versions years ago as our main HVAC control and also had it running the heat recovery ventilator. At that time I liked Ecobee so much I took it with me when we moved and installed it on our main floor at the new house where it also runs the whole house humidifier. In our new place I’ve been running other smart thermostats in the garage and in our basement for the infloor heat, just never got around to upgrading them to more Ecobees. This new Ecobee Essentials ended up in my garage. Ecobee makes it very easy to install even for a novice homeowner. Scan the QR code and go step by step through the instructions and it will be a piece of cake. If you are like me and understand HVAC systems, wiring, etc, I’d still recommend following through with all the instructions. I’ve never found anything in the Ecobee system that I wanted to change/program that I wasn’t able to, all the scheduling options you could want are available. Alerts for filter changes based on run time, fan scheduling for air circulation, etc etc etc.. are all there. All the various reports and system monitor info you can look at to verify your system is running as you want / expect it to. Ecobee also ties in nicely with voice assistants. The overall look is attractive with the Ecobee and should fit in with any room / decor. The screen is nice, easy to read and responsive. In my typical use case with the Ecobee Essential, I normally keep the garage at 45 in the winter, just to keep things from freezing and melt snow off the vehicles. When I’m working in the garage I turn the heat up. So when I know I’m headed out to the garage to work on stuff, I just ask Alexa to turn the heat up in the garage. By the time I get out there it’s warmed up for me. Do my thing out in the garage and go back in the house. If I forget to turn it back down to 45, no worries, it will turn itself back down at the next schedule change or after 2 hours. Perfect and couldn’t be easier for me. No worries about heating the garage to 65 all night for no reason. I’ve tried other brands, but I wouldn’t recommend anything but Ecobee.

Making your home smarter just got easier when it comes to HVAC control. We recently moved to a home that has an HVAC system in it. Being that I am all about smart home control, I wanted to swap out the old control unit with something modern and wifi enabled. With so many smart thermostats on the market, it can be difficult choosing the right one. The opportunity came up to try the new Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential, so it was a no-brainer. In the box, you have just about everything that you need to install the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential, minus the tools. You have your hardware, the mounting plate, and the thermostat itself. You also get wire labels that come in handy to label each corresponding wire so you don't mess the installation process up. If you have never installed a smart thermostat before, it is a fairly straightforward process. Plus, the app has a great step-by-step installation process that is easy to follow. This was my first time setting something like this up, but it was super easy. One of the most important steps to follow is to power off you HVAC system. From there, label the wires so that you are able to install them in the correct place on the mounting plate. By the way, the mounting plate even has a built-in level to make sure you mount the Ecobee Smart Thermostat straight! That is really cool. For homes without a common wire, ecobee has you covered, and you can still use the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential. All you need to do is pick up their power extender kit and you will have your system up and running in no-time. One added benefit of having a smart thermostat is that there are utility companies that offer some sort of discount for it. That's an incidental bonus. Now that the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is up and running, I love having full control of our home's HVAC system.

I wanted to get one of these for a very long time, and I finally got one! When it arrived in the mail, and I took everything out of the box, I was worried I had to get an extra attachment. I called over my HVAC installer, and hooked everything up and tested it. After doing some work on my furnace and rewiring it from a previous mistake someone made, it was up and running ready to go! The first thing I did was download the app, and started the programming on my phone which didn't take much time. Once I figured out everything I needed to do I began setting up my thermostat to the way that I wanted it to be. One of my favorite things that the thermostat can do is the pre-programming your temperature for the week! I get hot really easily so I always have my thermostat program to 70°, but the problem is in the middle of the night around two and three in the morning, I get extremely hot and can't go back to sleep! So I would normally get up in the middle of the night, walk to my thermostat, and set it for 66°. Then I would lay in my bed for about 2 1/2 hours upset because I can't go back to sleep until the temperature drops. Now, the thermostat automatically drops the temperature at 10 o'clock every night to 66°! That in itself is worth the small price it cost! Listen, if you could afford the premium version, I would say go for it! I'm sure it has a lot more bills and whistles than this one does, but if you just want simple, this is perfect for you!

This is my second ecobee thermostat. I've tried other thermostats, but I believe the ecobee is the best. Setting things up can be a little complicated, but ecobee walks you through things, and they also have excellent directions on their website. And if you run into trouble, their support is really good. Once you get it set up, ecobee says you can save up to 23% a year on heating and cooling costs. I have no reason to doubt that since my HVAC costs have gone down since I installed the ecobee Essential. The default settings give you the most savings, but might not work out best with your schedule. But it's easy to make changes to the "Comfort settings" in the app. And putting the temperature on hold is as simple as a couple of taps, either on the thermostat, which is touch screen, on in the app. Their are 3 default settings that dictate temperatures, but you can add your own. Sensors detect when you're home and use the "Home" setting. But when you're away is where the magic happens. Why heat or cool your house when their is nobody home? I also love the way the app combines the ecobee video doorbell in the app. I wish there wasn't a subscription fee for monitoring and alerts, but $5/month is very reasonable. ecobee thermostats are feature-rich and save money. I highly recommend ecobee.

Having used a few different smart thermostats over the years, including ecobee, I was excited to test out this model. It's purpose is to offer an entry level model into the smart thermostat world without the features or cost of the higher end models. This means ecobee has 3 smart models at varied price points. I wonder if they will continue a 3 model approach or plan to phase out the middle option. Key takeaways: -Good option for basic entry into smart thermostats -Will have to pay extra if you don't have a c wire, typically an issue on older systems -App is easy to use -I do believe it gets better at adapting to behavior over time, but this is limited when you don't have additional sensors -No additional wall plate so you might have to pay extra or do some refinishing -Much cheaper than the most expensive model with sensor, but overall there's nothing amazingly special about this model. Setup: This should be fairly easy for most beginners. I installed this in a home without the c wire, so if that's you, you'll need to pay extra for the kit. I also opted to get the wall plate because the refinishing job would be more than I was up for. After it's up and mounted, you move to the app. App: It's simple, has multiple features and modes. Pretty standard stuff for a thermostat. I enjoy the different modes I can set, such as sleep, home, and away. This has been helpful since this home has some serious issues with upstairs/downstairs heating and cooling. You can easily share access with others. Screen: I think it's big enough, colorful, and easy to read. Overall, I don't need a huge thermostat wall decorum. Glad they made a smaller version but I prefer the non-plastic version. It tells you things like humidity, weather, air quality, and reminders. In conclusion, I would recommend this as an entry level smart thermostat, but it's nothing mind blowing. They sell reliable products and the user interface on screen and in app are very good. Also, look in to local rebates to help offset some cost.

After using the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential for almost a week and being a previous user of the ecobee line of thermostat products I was no let down. Ecobee has a way of creating a User interface design that is just so simple and easy to use. The ability to set limits and lock outs for rental properties or even for your own house is one of the best things to control your utility bills. The installation of the thermostat was easy. Granted you need to ensure that your appliances and HVAC systems play nice with the Ecobee. Luckily I had no issue with compatibility which made installing the thermostat easy and simple. Once I installed the thermostat and trim kit it was a seamless interface set up. I know I already mentioned the beauty of this interface but it really is simple and intuitive. The first time I ever used this thermostat I wanted to not read the manual to see how easy it was for someone who never used the user interface to see where the issues would come up with functionality. There weren't any. Everything made sense. The icons and colors lead you precisely to the functions that you need. It is a fantastic device and I would reccommend anyone looking for a Smart Thermostat upgrade to look no further than Ecobee for a all-in-one thermostat solution that has smart features to make your life as a homeowner or landlord a breeze.

As an owner of a premium model which I installed on the first floor of our house, I will try not to compare much to that one as this is the Essential model which has fewer features than the former. While it misses some features that I like, the cost difference more than makes up for them. Especially because the essential features are almost all there. You can control and schedule using the touch screen or better yet, use the app on your phone which makes it much easier and intuitive. It also works with Alexa and Google assistant. If you never used a smart thermostat, you'll be very satisfied. Not only because it is easier to schedule when it should be colder or warmer, but because you notice the difference in your electricity bill very quickly. This Ecobee Essential will give you all that which is basically what they all do. Since I had installed one before, it was very easy. One thing to remember is to turn off the circuit breaker before starting the installation. The first time I did it, I didn't take that step because it was low voltage after all and paid a high price for that mistake. I didn't know what had happened and ended up paying $150 just to find out it was a 10-cent fuse which the technician left an extra one for me. So nice of him! There is one feature that is missing which I'm not happy about because I consider it essential: the occupancy sensor. That is the reason I rated it four stars. Without it, it will rely solely on scheduled tasks and the app or manual switching. In this case, the Essential in the name doesn't apply.

This is exactly what I was looking for. I love the modern, sleek, and simple design of the Ecobee Smart thermostat and it matches the decor in my home perfectly. Installation was as simple as I hoped it would be, and I was replacing another smart thermostat so I was done with the removal of the old one and install of this one in less than 10 minutes, which is perfect! I’m no electrician, and frankly, wires and electricity intimidate me, but this is super simple. Once install was complete and I flipped the breaker back one, setup was a breeze with the app. A few self tests and calibration and that’s it! Once I was up and running I began to setup my preferences and heating/cooling schedules which was also very simple and intuitive to do through the app. I could never go back to NOT having this since I’ve been using it! I love it. I love that I’m not wasting my money and dollars throughout the day heating/cooling an empty house and I love that my home is the perfect temperature every time my kids get off the bus or I get home from work.