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ecobee lite Smart Thermostat

Last updated: January 2, 2020


Some thermostats will only work with electric heat, but the ecobee lite Smart Thermostat boasts compatibility with gas, oil or electric, as well as dual-fuel heating and cooling. You'll also get easy installation, thanks to a power extender kit that eliminates the need for a c-wire. Remote sensors allow the thermostat to detect activity throughout the home to ensure your heating and cooling keep up.

ecobee lite Smart Thermostat
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We looked at the top Smart Thermostats and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Smart Thermostat you should buy.

DEAL
ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat - Programmable Wifi Thermostat - Works with Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant - Energy Star Certified -...

ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat - Programmable Wifi Thermostat - Works with Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant - Energy Star Certified -...
BUY ON AMAZON
$100.00
$149.99

Product Details

Key Takeaway: The ecobee lite Smart Thermostat works with every type of heating and air system, as well as multiple smart home devices.

In our analysis of 124 expert reviews, the ecobee lite Smart Thermostat placed 6th when we looked at the top 9 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

Live better. Save more. With its beautiful design, easy-to-use touchscreen display, and up to 23%* savings on heating and cooling costs*, the Ecobee3 lite is the smarter thermostat that helps you live better and save more. It also now pairs with room sensors to help manage hot or cold spots in the home, delivering comfort to the rooms that matter most. And because they track occupancy, they make your home even smarter about saving energy when you’re away. Ecobee3 lite pairs with up to 32 sensors. Works with echo, apple home kit, Samsung SmartThings, wink, and fits. We want you to love our products as much as we do, so your Eco bee comes backed by a 3-year .

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Our Expert Consultant

Vicki Liston 
Home Improvement Expert

Vicki Liston writes, produces, and narrates “On The Fly…DIY,” an award-winning home improvement and DIY show of unique project tutorials for the casual DIY’er.

Home improvement and all things DIY have been Liston’s passion since she bought her first house in 2007 and she started making video blogs in 2014. She’s performed hundreds of DIY projects, from small ones to major, wall-smashing renovations and can teach you how to make a trendy DIY barn door for cheap. The proceeds earned from “On The Fly…DIY” are donated to no-kill animal shelters and rescue organizations.

Expert Reviews


What reviewers liked

The ecobee3 looks shockingly like the ecobee4, which I’ve also reviewed. It’s black with a 3.5 inch full color LCD touchscreen in 230 by 480 pixels. The ecobee3 lite will work in your home whether you have gas, oil, electric, or dual fuel heating and cooling, and a c-wire is not required— that’s why the ecobee3 lite includes a Power Extender Kit.
- Security Baron
Excellent app integration allows you to control the temperature straight from your phone. Interface is easy to see and use.
- BestReviews
A responsive touchscreen and integrations with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Wink and IFTTT give the lower-priced $169 Ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat serious appeal.
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The ecobee3 lite's most unique feature is its optional remote sensor; no other thermostat brand in our comparison has anything like it. Remote sensors wirelessly communicate with the thermostat to detect temperature and motion in other areas of your home, giving it more complete information.
- Top Ten Reviews
An Ecobee without room sensors is still a superbly designed thermostat with a great user interface and a terrific app—but so is the Honeywell Lyric T5, which you can buy at Amazon for just $110.
- TechHive
Using the Ecobee3 Lite is as simple as you'd hope. Just slide a finger up and down on the right side of the 320-x-480 display to adjust the temperature of whichever mode you're in: heat, cool or auto.
- Engadget
I like that Ecobee’s base plate has a small leveling bubble, to ensure that you’re not installing it on an angle. Next, attach the face to the base plate, and the Ecobee3 Lite should power up.
- Tom's Guide
All-cause with the savings, you would make. Sensors send information to the thermostat about various factors like your presence in the room or the temperature.
- All Listings
Has password protection to prevent unauthorized changes using the thermostat - app remains fully capable.
- Consumer Reports
You will like the way it reads and transmits the data to your phone remotely. This makes it reliable.
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The thermostat works with room sensors helping maintain a constant temperature throughout. It can measure both the occupancy of the room and temperature to switch comfort mode when at home and help save energy when away.
- The Top Pro
Comes with an easy to change built-in schedule, so there’s no “learning” period to go through
- Smart Thermostat Guide
The installation is pretty simple, Installation guide comes in a box with the device and if that is not enough there are more instructions on the Ecobee website or in the mobile app, and for those aren’t handy, there is telephone technical support which guides you step by step or you can even schedule a professional to come and install Ecobee3 smart thermostat for you.
- Thermostats Advice
We love the way Ecobee3 Lite Thermostat reads and teaches itself to adjust home temperatures. In its ​primary mode, the Ecobee3 lite takes readings from all the sensors and averages them out, making sure all parts of the home are equally warm.
- Great Smart Gadgets
There is a special ecobee app for the users of Android and iOS devices. They can control the temperature and operate the machine from remote locations through a smartphone.
- 10 Unbiased
Ecobee3 is the most suitable smart thermostat to help you save energy (and money).
- Energy Destination

What reviewers didn't like

Reliability is questionable in the event of a power failure.
- BestReviews
Smart" is a bit of a stretch for the Ecobee3 Lite, since it doesn't rely on activity-tracking sensors or any other sort of adaptive tech to learn your routine. $169 is still a lot to spend, especially on a programmable thermostat.
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It does not come with a remote sensor.
- Top Ten Reviews
Being a budget-minded device, the Lite lacks the terminals required to control advanced HVAC components, such as humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and ventilators
- TechHive
Missing from the Lite is a component that some of the flagship's more advanced features relied on: remote sensors.
- Engadget
No native geofencing
- Consumer Reports
HomeIQ reports could use some improvements, such as being able to see them in realtime instead of having to wait for a full month to finish
- Smart Thermostat Guide
You only get two sensors with the initial purchase. Requires you to buy more.
- Great Smart Gadgets
Some of the features are very complex to understand.
- 10 Unbiased

Smart Thermostat Rankings

Nest Learning Smart Thermostat

1. Nest Learning Smart Thermostat
Honeywell Color Touch Smart Thermostat

2. Honeywell Color Touch Smart Thermostat
Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

3. Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat
Mysa Smart Thermostat

4. Mysa Smart Thermostat
Emerson Sensi Touch Smart Thermostat

5. Emerson Sensi Touch Smart Thermostat
ecobee lite Smart Thermostat

6. ecobee lite Smart Thermostat
Honeywell Color Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

7. Honeywell Color Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat
Emerson Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

8. Emerson Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat
GoControl Smart Thermostat

9. GoControl Smart Thermostat
View our Smart Thermostat buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.

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