The all-new Ecobee Essential smart thermostat Ecobee unveiled at CES this week delivers most of the features that we like about the higher-end Enhanced ($190) and Premium ($250) models, but at a much more wallet-friendly price of just $130.
With the Essential, Ecobee aims to simplify the path to smarter home temperature control for users who want comfort and convenience without overloading on complicated high-end features, such as radar motion detection and a display that streams video from Ecobee’s video doorbell and home security camera.
Ecobee
Buyers still get a full-color touchscreen, it’s just a bit smaller, and the manufacturer says they’ll still save around 23 percent on their energy bills every year, thanks to intelligent scheduling and efficiency features.
The Smart Thermostat Essential also delivers the ease of use that has made its pricier siblings so popular. Its adaptive learning technology fine-tunes your heating and cooling schedules based on your household’s routines, so your is at the perfect temperature when you’re there, and you’re saving money and energy while you’re away by not heating and cooling an empty house.
And if you decide you want to expand the system with Ecobee’s excellent SmartSensors that monitor room occupancy as well as temperature, you can purchase them separately. Interested in professional monitoring for your home? That’s an option, too..
The thermostat is built with broad compatibility in mind. It works seamlessly with major smart home ecosystems like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, allowing users to easily integrate the Smart Thermostat Essential into existing setups. While the hardware design is streamlined for simplicity, the accompanying app provides deeper control and insights. Ecobee’s Home Energy Reports detail energy consumption trends and suggest ways to improve efficiency.
With the Essential, Ecobee is clearly looking to appeal to budget-conscious buyers or those new to smart home devices who might have balked at the higher price tags on its more sophisticated offerings. Still, Ecobee emphasizes that the Essential’s build quality and materials reflect the company’s commitment to durability and sustainability. Like its higher-end siblings, the Essential is Energy Star-certified and comes in eco-friendly packaging.
Ecobee expects to ship the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential to retail in March 2025.
