Greetings from Tucson, all. The local electric utility company is offering a free smart thermostat, and they’re allowing the customer to choose between these 2 options. This would be my first-ever home automation item. I do have WiFi, and I do have a (“budget”) smartphone (a Google Pixel 3a, as it happens). (I will probably be buying a new phone 1 year from now, unfortunately.) My home is a 793-sq ft, 1-bedroom, downstairs condo unit. I turned 50 this year, and I have come to value “buy it once for life” products. Any thoughts and experiences would be most welcome. Thank you for your time.

  • Loves_LV@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Gen 1 nest user here had lots of integration into other things but I ripped that fucker out a few months ago after google decided, “nah, we don’t want you to do that anymore” and have been very happy not being forced into google’s world. I got an ecobee for $25 (retail would have been $199 or something) from my utility company. Check out their website, they often sell them real cheap in exchange for being part of their use management program.

    • JeffGrant1973@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Hey, thank you for mentioning that. I never even considered my electric company might sell products. Thanks, again.

  • Madeofthefinestdust@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I’m considering a smart thermostat myself, and based on my research so far, I would definitely go with Honeywell. Honeywell… My final answer.

  • gfunkdave@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I don’t know the Honeywell, but I hated the Nest our house came with. It was just a bunch of minor annoyances like not being able to set and indefinitely hold a temperature. I replaced it with an Ecobee.

  • UnmotivatedGene@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I made this choice recently and after looking around went with Honeywell T9 + extra sensor. Haven’t got it yet to try. Plan is to use it with Home Assistant.

  • TheCarcissist@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    If those are my only choices I’d go Honeywell. Nest is easy to operate, but you’re married to Google where the Honeywell works with other home integration software.

    I’m pretty biased against Google and nest so take that with a grain of salt

  • sir_thatguy@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    My utility offers a rebate on any smart thermostat. I bought Ecobee, minor complaints but would buy again.

    I got to reading the fine print and by applying for the rebate you signed up for them to be able to control your thermostat during certain usage times.

    Pass.

  • NorthernMatt@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I agree with a few other posts suggesting an Ecobee, but between the two choices you have I’d go with the nest. I bought a Honeywell last year for my new home (the builders put in a regular 7 day Honeywell, and I found I could replace it with a smart Honeywell T9 without replacing the baseplate).

    About 1 week after I installed it, it factory reset itself and I had to go through the setup again. I pulled it off the wall immediately and returned it (thanks, Amazon), then ordered an Ecobee. I absolutely will not mess around with any kind of instabiity with a thermostat.

    I found out later that Honeywell had pushed a firmware update that had caused the factory reset, which is worse then a local glitch, as far as I’m concerned. Not touching them again with a 10-foot pole.

    I had a Nest Learning Thermostat in my old place and it was fine. I have a “Nest Thermostat Snow” in my garage (only had 2 wires, and the Nest power connector is nice). I hate the UI on the actual thermostat though - no touchscreen, you have to use a crappy touchpanel on the side. Not a big deal for me since I just use it via homeassistant.