Although it's been more than a decade since the first real smartphone was introduced, it wasn't until a few years ago that everything got smarter. Not just phones anymore, but now we have smart TVs, smart watches, smart refrigerators and even smart clothing.
For something to be "smart" it has to meet at least one requirement: that we can connect to it remotely, such as WiFi thermostat which we are going to tell you about in this article.
Best WiFi thermostats
| The best |
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Meross Thermostat ... | See features | 1.574 Reviews | View deal |
| Price quality |
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Garza Smart - Thermostat ... | See features | 1.269 Reviews | View deal |
| Our favorite |
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Decdeal WiFi Thermostat... | See features | 1.646 Reviews | View deal |
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NETATMO Thermostat... | See features | 464 Reviews | View deal | |
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Refoss Thermostat... | See features | 124 Reviews | View deal | |
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AVStar - Thermostat ... | See features | 2.471 Reviews | View deal |
Netatmo NTH01
If you want a safe bet, you may be interested in this NTH01 from Netatmo. It is a very popular WiFi thermostat that receives very good reviews from its buyers, in part because it has everything we could need, such as compatibility with voice assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. With this we can control the thermostat not only remotely as we would with a mobile device, but we can also do it with our voice, something that will be even better if we have a smart watch like Apple's Apple Watch.
Regarding other functions or specifications, the NTH01 has programs that will allow us to configure schedules so that the boiler turns on and off automatically, it includes the Auto-Adapt function that adapts the temperature taking into account the external temperature, it has a design that looks good in practically any scenario, it is compatible with most of current boilers and it is easy to install, which is always a plus since it will allow us to save the euros that we would have to pay to a specialist technician.
Honeywell Home Y6R910WF6042
Another of the brands of WiFi thermostats that most liked by users is Honeywell. Your product design probably has a lot to do with it, and this Home Y6R910WF6042 is a good example of that. When it is off, we see something that will look good on any wall, but what it shows on the screen is also very careful. It is true that none of this would be important if it did not work well and offer interesting functions, and this is something that this Honeywell does too.
This WiFi thermostat is compatible with voice assistants, specifically with the most popular, which are Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri and Google Home, as long as we combine it with the necessary hardware to take advantage of this function. Like any good WiFi thermostat worth its salt, it also has programs that will allow us to configure when it turns on and when it turns off.
NestLearning 3
As we explained, that a thermostat is WiFi usually also means that it is intelligent. And if there is a really smart one, it is this one that Google develops. In the name of the model they have included the word “Learning”, and they have done it because it includes a different intelligent programming that adjusts automatically, for which it checks our favorite temperatures, the insulation of our house and the external weather conditions. In addition to this, it also controls where our mobiles are to avoid heating empty rooms.
This Nest is compatible with iOS and Android, which means that we can control it with an iPhone / iPad / Apple Watch or our phone / tablet Samsung, Xiaomi and others, taking advantage of wireless connections. It is a very popular brand, so it is not surprising that it is compatible with most of today's boilers and heating systems.
BTicino Smarther 2
If what you are looking for is a discreet WiFi thermostat, this BTicino has been designed with you in mind. Especially if our wall is white, this device will be perfectly camouflaged in our wall, since its color and everything that it shows on the screen stands out very little or nothing.
On the other hand, it includes the programs that will allow us to configure when it turns on and off, but with the difference that these will work even if the WiFi network disconnects. We can control it remotely with an iPhone or iPad and Android devices.
MOES WiFi Smart Thermostat
If you are not a too demanding user and what interests you the most is a tEconomic WiFi ermostat, the first thing you have to check out is something like this from MOES. In terms of functions and compatibility, it is far from the versatility of other options, but it is logical if we consider that this thermostat has a price that is four times less than that of other thermostats that do have all the functions.
But that it does not have the most striking functions does not mean that it will not serve us, since this WiFi thermostat from MOES has programs that will allow us to configure when it turns on and when it turns off, we can control it with our voice, it is compatible with many boilers and heating systems and is very accurate.
Advantages of a WiFi thermostat
Heating savings
The theory tells us that smart uses more energy, but this is only so when we talk about a device, such as a smartphone, and we have everything activated. On other devices, one of the benefits that we will obtain will be savings. And it is that a normal thermostat, "dumb" or not-intelligent is working at the same level continuously unless we stop it manually. For this reason, consumption will be carried out in a sustained manner, which will not always be necessary. In addition, this can translate into that there will be times when we go through more heat than necessary.
This does not usually happen if our thermostat is smart. In addition to what we will explain in the next point, there are thermostats that include or are compatible with motion sensors, and its operation is the same as what we see in some smart buildings with their lighting: when they detect movement, they work; when the movement has not existed for a while, they turn off. Therefore, these types of thermostats will only consume energy when they believe that there is no one to heat.
Programmable
That a thermostat is WiFi usually also means that it is programmable, which is one of the most important points in this type of device. Anyone can imagine a situation where we leave work, come home, and when we walk in, it is almost as cold as outside. We can avoid this with a programmable thermostat: if we know that we leave work at 20:20 p.m. and that we will arrive home at 20:20 p.m., we can program it to turn on at 05:15 p.m. and, in the XNUMX minutes it will take to arrive, our home it will be waiting for us with a more comfortable temperature. In some cases, we can program that it heat only one room, such as the dining room where, as soon as we arrive, we will see the last chapter of our favorite series.
Compatible with Alexa, Siri and Google Home
A WiFi thermostat is going to connect to the internet, and it would make little sense for it to offer this possibility if it did not have a “smart” part. That smart part will be the one that allows us to control them with mobile devices and, in some cases, with popular voice assistantss, like those of Amazon, Apple and Google, which are Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant respectively. This compatibility, the only thing that it will bring us is greater comfort, since we could do all the configurations with the smartphone or tablet without an assistant, but doing things with the voice is much more comfortable and faster. For example, if what we have is a thermostat compatible with Apple's HomeKit, controlling it will be as simple as lifting the Apple Watch and asking it, for example, to lower the temperature to a certain number or a specific degree.
Control from your mobile
The above will always be the most comfortable, but we have to have software and hardware compatible with the assistants. If they are not an option, what will be is do the steps from your mobile or tablet. In some cases, the procedures can also be done from a computer, but the brand has to offer this possibility, which usually comes in the form of a web service.
In order to carry out these procedures, all we will need is to install the manufacturer's mobile app, and we will do the steps in a similar way to how we make changes in the settings, or as when we create a calendar event. The latter will be much more similar if what we want to do is schedule a schedule. And the best, we can do it all from our sofa.
Statistics
Personally, I am not someone who is very interested in statistics of this type, but I am aware that others do. With these statistics we will have total control over what we have, and we can consult them from the same app that allows us to carry out the rest of the procedures. In addition, it can help us to know if the thermostat has been activated at some point, so we can know if there has been someone in our house, in which rooms and at what temperature. In part, we can use it as a spy, especially if we have a family member who likes to take walks around our house when he shouldn't. What were you not there? My app says otherwise.
Is a WiFi thermostat compatible with my boiler?
It depends on both the thermostat and the boiler, but more on the boiler than the thermostat. And there are still many old boilers, as old as the house they are in, but WiFi thermostats are much more modern. If our boiler is relatively modern, it is most likely compatible with the thermostat, but the best way to get out of doubt is go to the manufacturer's support website and check it from there.
After having looked at several, I have been able to verify that the web pages of most WiFi thermostats include all kinds of information, including interactive tools to know if our boiler will be compatible with the thermostat that we want to buy. If the page is not so modern and complete, a call to the support phone should clear up our doubts, but it is not worth going crazy and buying without consulting because this can lead us to start a return process that would not have been necessary if we had previously informed ourselves well.
And there are many types of boilers and some thermostats or brands are not compatible with all heating systems, like solar or some of them or hybrids. Better to err on the side of question than not asking questions and wasting time.
How to install a WiFi thermostat
Well, not all WiFi thermostats are the same, but they are very similar. Its installation is usually very simple For those of us who have made a small installation in our home, and generally we will only need a private WiFi network, a smartphone or tablet and a little time that we will invest in the following:
- If we have not done so previously, we go to the website of the thermostat manufacturer and check that it is compatible with our boiler and its type of installation.
- The next step, the first of the installation itself, is to disconnect the current from the main switch in our house. We must do this step whenever we are going to manipulate the current, at least if we are not electricians and we know exactly what we are doing with respect to the electrical current.
- If necessary, we remove the protection or trim from the boiler to be able to work more comfortably.
- In the box there must have been some cables that we will use to connect the thermostat to the boiler. Usually we have to look at connectors 3 and 4, LS and Lr, TA or RT and also PN or LN.
- With everything already in place, we reassemble the boiler.
- Next, we reconnect the current from the general switch that we had disconnected in step 2 and we go on to configure the thermostat relay. If everything is properly connected, turning on the relay will turn on the boiler, and turning it off will turn it off. If we do not see this behavior, we have to check that the cables are all in place and making good contact.
- We supply the thermostat with energy, which means that we put the batteries if it works with batteries, the battery if it uses a battery or, very rarely, we connect it to a power outlet if it works with cable.
- We mount the thermostat near the boiler, for which we can use the tools that came in the box. The thermostat must be at least 1m away from any source of heat or cold so that it does not make wrong readings. It must be kept away from windows, heaters or any cooling system.
- We download the thermostat manufacturer's app on our mobile or tablet. If you ask us, we register.
- Finally, we configure the thermostat by following the instructions that appear in the app.
If the above has not made it clear to you, which is logical because it is a general explanation, it is recommended to follow the instructions that we will find either in the box or on the manufacturer's website, but personally I believe that the best option is to search for them on YouTube, where either the brand or some other user can teach us how to mount our WiFi thermostat in images that will make everything clearer.
Best WiFi thermostat brands
Netamo
Netatmo is a company based in France, founded in 2011 and that has specialized in manufacture and sell home automation items, that is, to provide our homes with a certain intelligence. In its catalog we find items such as security cameras, meteorological sensors, smoke or fire detectors or some WiFi thermostats that are most liked by users.
Nest
Nest is another young company (2010) specialized in manufacturing and selling home automation devices. She did not last long as a child, since she was doing things so well that Google acquired it to include it in your team. In its catalog we find all kinds of articles for smart homes or to make them, such as speakers, screens, streaming devices, smoke detectors, routers, security systems and much more, but all of it smart. They also manufacture WiFi thermostats, ones that were already good when the company was founded and that were improved when Google bought the company, since they improved their support with the rest of the components of the great G family.
Withings
Withins is a company based in France, the second of the three that we will mention in this article, but unlike the first, it is not dedicated solely and exclusively to manufacturing and selling products for smart homes. What it actually does are devices "connected", which means that you can create any device that can be connected to the internet or to another smart device such as a phone, tablet or computer. It has a wide catalog, and in it we find, for example, smart scales and WiFi thermostats. Like Nest, Withings was also doing very well, so it was bought by another major company, in this case Nokia.
BTicino
BTcino is a company global specialist in electrical and digital infrastructures for houses and buildings of all kinds, but dominates above all in lighting control, power distribution, structured cabling, trunking systems, and facility monitoring. Among the items that it manufactures and sells, we will find devices such as WiFi thermostats that usually get good reviews from their buyers.
Legrand
Legrand is another French company that has specialized in accessories, but whose strong are the connectors, strips, etc.. Reading the above, we can ask ourselves what this has to do with WiFi thermostats, and the answer at first would be that nothing, but Legrand has existed for more than 150 years, enough time to learn how to do something else and also manufacture other types of accessories, like the protagonists of this article that we use to warm ourselves.
