The smart thermostat market has literally boomed as of late not just in the US, but all over the world. Tens of thousands of homeowners are coming to understand the unique benefits of wifi thermostats and are eager to invest a hundred couple of dollars or more in one of these devices. However, like millions of other homeowners eager to capitalize on the benefits of smart thermostats, you are probably eager to find out which are the top rated thermostats available on the market so that you don’t throw your money out of the window.
Nest Learning Thermostat, 2nd Gen
Of course, Nest Learning Thermostat 2nd Generation is your 
starting point. Being known as one of the top rated thermostats in 2016, this is also the device with the highest number of sales this year, in the thermostat category.
It is worth mentioning that the Nest, 3rd generation is mainly a cosmetic upgrade over the second generation, with a larger and crisper display. However, in a Nest Gen 2 vs Nest Gen 3 battle, the Nest 3 have also added a great innovative feature called FarSight. This feature picks up human activity from afar, and thus it increases the energy savings by up to 10% and reduces carbon blueprint considerably. However I would still lean a little towards the 2nd generation unless you really would like the latest.
After looking at several digital thermostat reviews, we can conclude that other wifi thermostats such as Honeywell Lyric T5 and T6, Ecobee 2 and 3, and Venstar hve their own features and advantages.
There are several types of thermostats, so you need to know the difference between them if you want to choose the appropriate wifi smart thermostat for your needs. To do that, keep reading this article and discover how each wifi thermostat compares to its counterpart and the competitors.
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Nest 2nd Gen vs Honeywell Lyric T5
| Nest 3rd Gen | Honeywell Lyric T5 |
|---|---|
  |   |
At the moment, Nest 2nd generation goes head to head with its competitor from Honeywell, Lyric T5. Both are fighting for the supremacy in the industry. Despite the obvious advantages for Nest, Honeywell Lyric T5 has its own say in this. Overall, both devices offer compelling features and come with clear advantages over the competition.
- Overall Review
Here is a quick summary of the benefits of each device over the other.
Nest is more usable, perfect for people with “normal” routines, smarter and comes at a better price. Conversely, Lyric is equipped with the geofencing feature, is easier to set up and has an overall better design.
- Core Features
Both of these advanced smart thermostats are guaranteed to have the first or second place when it comes to features. While Nest 2nd generation was the first smart thermostat to come up with truly intelligent or “smart” features, Lyric Honeywell has been slowly catching up.
Nest stands out of the crowd by being able to auto-learn your heating or cooling patterns and thus optimize its behavior based on your unique preferences. The learning process continues over the months. In less than one year, this thermostat is able to know exactly when the heat needs to be turned up or down, based on your work schedule, weekend program and time off preferences.
Another great feature of the Nest 2nd or 3rd generation is auto-away. Thanks to this capability, the device is able to recognize when no one is at home and automatically reduce heating or cooling level. As a result, you can enjoy up to 90% energy savings thanks to this feature alone.
Another interesting feature is called airwave. Use it to manage cooling and humidity in order to take your home temperature to a comfortable level. The Nest Leaf function enables you to go green and make smarter climate choices that protect the environment. You can control your device remotely via your tablet or smartphone. Some other great features of the Nest thermostats are:
– Heat pump balance: limits the use of auxiliary heat in order to maximize the efficiency of your heating system
– Filter reminders: this function gives you insights on when to change your HVAC filters
– Usage reports: this feature is not offered by Lyric
– True Radiant: another unique feature that implements a unique schedule of heating
Before moving further and taking a look at what Lyric brings to the table, it is worth mentioning that Nest, 3rd generation is mainly a cosmetic upgrade over the second generation, with a larger and crisper display. However, in a Nest Gen 2 vs Nest Gen 3 battle, the Nest 3 also added a great innovative feature designed, called FarSight. This feature picks up human activity from afar, and thus it increases the energy savings by up to 10% and reduces carbon blueprint considerably.
On the same note, we need to tackle the lyric t5 vs lyric t6 issue. Both have similar features. However, Lyric T5 is aimed at consumers, while T6 at contractors who need a more affordable and easy to install version of the device. Lyric T6, which is more expensive than T5, has been available for since December 2016. Lyric T5 has been around for several months.
What are the most important features of Honeywell Lyric:
– Geofencing: this technology is patented by Honeywell and at the moment is not used by any 
other smart thermostat. Lyric can determine when you are physically home by detecting your app location and by tracking you using GPS location, so that it heats or cools the house accordingly. Users who tried both this technology and Nest’s third generation Far Sight declared that the geofencing is slightly more accurate. However, this feature works only for users with the app installed.
– Set sequences of heating and cooling based on your house occupancy patterns
– Smart cues feature that provides you with notifications about your HVAC systems, including potential issues and enhancement tips
– Fine tune: this function enhances the indoor humidity based on your own preferences in order to ensure you feel perfectly fine
In the features category, Nest wins by a slight margin, although Lyric is not far behind.
- Performance
The Nest thermostat compatibility is clearly superior when it comes to performance. At the heart of this remote sensor thermostat lies a self-learning algorithm that can automatically adapt to your behavior and can learn and understand patterns in order to save more energy in time. From a performance standpoint, Nest can easily communicate with the app. Still, it has some bugs.
On the other hand, Lyric’s app works better, and the whole system has fewer bugs, but you still need the app installed in order to maximize your device’s capability. At performance, Lyric T5 is slightly better. However, at energy savings, Nest 2nd and 3rd generation beat everyone else.
- Installation
When it comes to the installation process, Lyric is slightly easier to install than its counterpart. The Lyric can create a 3-minute hotspot which automatically connects the device to your iOs device. On the other hand, the Nest learning thermostat 2nd generation takes up to one hour to install. I wrote a complete installation guide here.
| Nest 3rd Generation | Honeywell Lyric T5 |
|---|---|
Ecobee 4 vs Honeywell Lyric T5
Ecobee 4 and Honeywell Lyric T5, two extremely powerful top thermostats, are considered by many
the best wireless thermostats available on the market. Ecobee 4, the latest and more advanced version out of the two models from Ecobee, offers a more practical approach, relying on the sensor and on the touchscreen rather than the app.
This device is also the most expensive out of all smart thermostats. However, don’t be fooled by the price. It is the #1 seller in the HVAC Control category and has an exceptional rating of 4.2 stars out of 5. On the other hand, Lyric T5 has only 3.8 stars.
This smart thermostat comparison between Ecobee 4 and Honeywell Lyric T5 should definitely take into account the pros of each device. For instance, while Ecobee offers an improvement temperature management process, has three years of warranty and comes with better support, Honeywell has a better design, benefits of a more responsive touchscreen and more stable.
After reading several smart thermostat reviews, we have concluded that people still give an edge to Ecobee, because it is easier to set up and has a more innovative sensor technology. Nevertheless, Lyric is created by Honeywell, a 40-billion company with over a century of experience. That should say something.
One final word on this topic. Ecobee is the world’s first wireless thermostat equipped with the homekit function. Thanks to homekit, the integration of this device with other smart gadgets and appliances in the house becomes a breeze. You can actually control your wifi thermostat using Siri or Alexa, and set it to complement your lighting system. If you are a fan of making your home smart, then you should definitely consider buying this thermostat with remote sensor.
| Ecobee 4 | Honeywell Lyric T5 |
|---|---|
Venstar vs Nest 2nd Gen
Before we summarize the entire presentation, it is important to take a closer look at an exceptional wireless internet thermostat. The Venstar wireless thermostat is an ethernet thermostat, just like most of its competitors in the form of Nest, Lyric and Ecobee. Despite the installation problems that come out of the fact that Venstar is wifi thermostat without c wire, Venstar shines when it comes to design and usability.
- Design
Venstar has really considered the design of their product. No other smart thermostat has so
many beautiful colors embedded in the screen. You can choose from different faceplates in order to suit various color schemes and interior decorations. While the Nest learning thermostat is round and has a futuristic approach, the Venstar thermostat is rectangular and has a beautiful, child-friendly design.
Most programmable thermostat reviews out there consider that overall Venstar had done a better job with design.
- Energy Savings
Nest learning thermostat 2nd generation is still the king when it comes to energy saving due to its adaptability to change and its potential to pre-program itself. Even Honeywell Lyric T5 comes with a pre-programmed schedule for increasing energy savings. Unfortunately, Venstar does not include that.
- Usability
When it comes to the usability factor, Venstar has an edge over Nest. This model has been specially designed with ease of use in mind. Its extended range of features include:
– Controlling humidification & dehumidification
– Adjusting deadbands and timers
– Dual fuel capability
– Controllable using your smartphone, Kindle Fire or even Blackberry
– 3rd party accessibility
Featuring brilliant design and control, Venstar is a serious competitor to any other hvac thermostat available on the market. As a matter of fact, many people claim that this is the best wireless thermostat in 2016. We don’t want to go so far, especially as Nest, Lyric and Ecobee are strong competitors.
- Compatibility and reporting: of course, the nest thermostat compatibility is exceptional in its own. You can integrate it with a multitude of apps. You also have a wide range of reports available for your Nest learning thermostat 2nd generation or third generation. The 24 hour graphs will give you enough insights to know how your actual settings have affected the AC or heating usage, while the weekly or monthly reports will tell you how much you have managed to save.
The Venstar reports are good as well. Unfortunately, the reports made by Lyric or Ecobee do not even come close to the high standard imposed on the market by Nest.
Final Verdict
There are several types of thermostats available today on the market, but none can come close to what the main 4 brands can offer: Nest gen 2 and 3, Honeywell Lyric T5 and t6, Ecobee 2 and 3, and Venstar. Now that you know all the key differences between these smart thermostats and the benefits of each one of these products, you will hopefully be able to make a well-informed buying decision.
Do you want to buy a wifi thermostat with remote sensor that has a great design? You can choose between Nest and Ecobee 3 if you prefer futuristic layouts, or stick with Venstar if you love the kid-friendly, full-color style.
If you want ease of installation, Lyric is your best bet.
For performance, the nest learning thermostat 2nd generation is probably your best choice.
Do you need to save energy and stay in control of your spending by receiving detailed, regular reports? Nest 2nd and 3rd generation should be your main choices.
For usability and features, Venstar is probably the king, together with Ecobee.
Honeywell Lyric is great just at one thing – detecting when someone is around by tracking your gps location. If you want that feature, then Lyric T5 should be your choice.
