Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

Overview

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is Wirecutter's top smart thermostat pick, a position it has held since 2017. It earned the highest consensus score across 21 trusted review sources including CNET, TechRadar, and Tom's Guide. If you're going to buy one smart thermostat and forget about it, this is the default recommendation for a reason.

What makes it different from the Nest or the cheaper Ecobee models is the included SmartSensor. You place it in a room that runs too hot or too cold, and the thermostat uses occupancy detection to prioritize that room's temperature when someone is in it. If your upstairs bedroom is always 5 degrees warmer than the thermostat reads, the SmartSensor fixes that. No other thermostat in this price range does this as well.

It has 3,881 Amazon ratings at 4.3 stars. The Premium model adds a metal-and-glass build, a built-in Alexa speaker, and an air quality monitor over the cheaper Ecobee Enhanced. It works with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, and Matter.

Key Features

The SmartSensor is the killer feature. It detects occupancy and temperature in whichever room you place it, and the thermostat adjusts based on where people actually are instead of just reading the hallway where it's mounted. You can buy additional sensors for more rooms.

The built-in Alexa speaker works like a small Echo. You can ask for the weather, set timers, control other smart home devices, and adjust the temperature by voice. Siri works too if you're in the Apple ecosystem.

The air quality monitor tracks indoor air quality and sends alerts when levels are poor. It also monitors humidity. The 4-inch touchscreen has a 540x540 resolution, which is sharper than the Nest's display. The build is metal and glass with zinc trim, not plastic.

Eco+ is the energy-saving mode. It learns your schedule, turns down the temperature when nobody's home, and shifts heating and cooling to times when electricity is cheaper and cleaner. Ecobee claims customers save up to 26% on heating and cooling costs based on their internal analysis. Smart Home Wizards documented 17.8% energy reductions in their 6-month test.

The Power Extender Kit is included for homes without a C-wire, which is common in older apartments and pre-1980 houses. This saves you from having to run new wiring.

Performance

Wirecutter called it "the hands-down best performer at keeping the whole house consistently comfortable." The Smart Recovery feature learns how long your home takes to heat or cool, then starts the system early so your house hits target temperature exactly when you want it to.

Multiple Amazon reviewers report immediate benefits. One discovered their old thermostat was reading 10 degrees low, causing the heater to run constantly. Installing the Ecobee fixed it instantly. Another saved enough on their energy bill to pay back the thermostat within a few months.

The scheduling is more involved than Nest's "set and forget" approach. Nest learns your schedule automatically. Ecobee's Schedule Assistant watches your behavior and suggests changes, but you have to approve them manually. Some people prefer this control. Others find it tedious.

Installation takes about 15 minutes for standard setups. Amazon reviewers consistently praise the step-by-step app instructions. Ecobee's phone support helped one reviewer troubleshoot a complex wiring issue in detail.

Build Quality & Design

The Premium looks and feels like a premium product. The metal-and-glass construction with zinc trim is a clear step up from the plastic housing on the Nest or the cheaper Ecobee models. It's 4.1 x 4.1 x 1.0 inches and sits flush against the wall.

The touchscreen is responsive and clear. The interface is well-designed, though the sheer number of settings can be overwhelming at first. There are menus for schedules, sensors, eco modes, air quality thresholds, humidity targets, and more.

Long-term reliability is well-established. The Ecobee line has been Wirecutter's pick for 8+ years, and the Premium model launched in 2022 with no widespread hardware failures reported.

Value for Money

The Ecobee Premium is the most expensive mainstream smart thermostat, but the SmartSensor, Alexa speaker, and air quality monitor justify the price gap over cheaper options. The Amazon Smart Thermostat costs a fraction of the price but lacks sensors, voice control, and air quality monitoring. The Nest Learning Thermostat is similarly priced but doesn't include a remote sensor.

The energy savings claim of up to 26% is optimistic (that's the upper bound), but even 15-18% savings on a typical heating/cooling bill pays for the thermostat in under two years. Bob Vila includes it in their top picks for 2026 as well.

Who Should Buy This

Homeowners with multi-level homes or rooms that run too hot or too cold. The SmartSensor solves uneven temperature distribution better than any other thermostat.

Anyone who wants a single device that combines thermostat, smart speaker, and air quality monitor. The built-in Alexa means you might not need an Echo in that room.

Energy-conscious households. The Eco+ features, smart scheduling, and occupancy detection work together to reduce waste without sacrificing comfort.

Who Should Skip This

If you have a heat pump in an extreme cold climate (below 0F regularly), research compatibility first. Several Amazon reviewers report issues with heat pump aux heat switching. The thermostat may not handle the transition between heat pump and aux strip heat correctly in very cold conditions.

If you want truly hands-off automation, the Nest Learning Thermostat adapts to your schedule automatically. The Ecobee requires more manual setup and approving schedule suggestions.

If you're on a tight budget, the Ecobee Enhanced or the Amazon Smart Thermostat give you basic smart thermostat functionality for much less.