Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. News

EcoBee’s new smart thermostat can tell exactly what room you’re in

Drew Prindle
By

ecobee3 smart thermostat screen shot 2014 09 16 at 10 07 37 am
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Despite the fact that EcoBee has been in the business of making smart thermostats for years now, it’s been living in the shadow of Nest ever since the company’s iconic Learning Thermostat hit the scene. But EcoBee hasn’t been resting on its laurels. Instead, the company has quietly been planning it’s next move, and today it’s back with a new and improved version of its original thermostat.

Even amongst a rising tide of similar smart thermostats, the new EcoBee3 boasts a number of features that help it stand out from the crowd. First and foremost, in addition to all the requisite smart specs you’d expect from any card-carrying thermostat (smartphone connectivity, learning software, Wi-Fi, etc) EcoBee3 comes with an array of sensors you can place around your home. This enables the device to understand what room you’re in and adjust itself accordingly.

Recommended Videos

This extra hardware is pretty cool, and will likely make the system just that much more accurate, but EcoBee’s software is what really makes it shine. The company has been in the HVAC business for years, and the intelligent features make it show.

Related

Take the “Free Cooling” feature, for example. In homes with whole house fans or ventilators, Ecobee3 will recognize the temperature difference on cool summer evenings and will use the outside air to cool down your home instead of the air conditioner — saving you power and money in the process.

Related: Zen thermostat is a cheaper, simpler, squarer version of Nest

Another nifty addition is the ability to detect and adjust humidity. Ecobee knows that, depending on the amount of moisture in the air, 72 degrees might actually feel more like 80, so it takes relative humidity into account and tries to adjust so that your house feels just right at all times. For homes with humidifiers, ecobee3 can even regulate indoor humidity to prevent frost buildup on windows when it’s cold outside and warm/humid indoors. For homes without, the thermostat can use your air conditioner to lower indoor humidity in the absence of a dehumidifier.

And that’s just a taste. Check out the company’s website to get the full picture on features and specs. Preorders are open as of today, and you can lock down an EcoBee3 + one sensor for just $249. Additional presence sensors can be purchased in a package of two for $79. Find out more here.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Drew Prindle
Drew Prindle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
7 things you didn’t know your smart thermostat could do
Ecobee smart thermostat installed on wall next to woman walking down stairs.

At their core, smart thermostats can learn about when you're coming and going and adjust the temperature automatically. Over time, however, smart thermostats have leveraged their intelligence to do some interesting things well beyond that basic mission. Let's dig into some of the more obscure features we're seeing in the latest smart thermostats. Who knows? Maybe you'll learn something you didn't know your own smart thermostat could do.
Adjust for sun exposure
If your thermostat is exposed to sunlight, it can skew the ambient temperature reading. The little spot the thermostat inhabits could be a fair bit warmer than the rest of the home. This means either heating could be prevented from turning on automatically, cooling will be prematurely activated, or the overall data on your home's heating and cooling status will be inaccurate.

Some manufacturers, like Nest, have built in a feature that counteracts this artificial spike in temperature reading. Since many smart thermostats have light sensors to automatically adjust the display brightness, they can also be used to see if there's an overlap between when brightness increases and when an abnormal spike in temperature is read. Once it figures out how much the temperature increases in that span of time, it can automatically reduce the reading to get something more accurate for the rest of the house.
Talk to voice assistants

Read more
You can’t afford to miss this Nest Thermostat Cyber Monday deal
The Nest Learning Thermostat mounted on the wall.

If you want only a single smart home device that will have the most impact on your home, this Nest Thermostat Cyber Monday deal could be the one. It's currently $70 off its normal price, which means you can grab it for just $180. It's one of the single best Cyber Monday deals in the smart home sphere

Today's best Nest Thermostat Cyber Monday deal

Read more
How to check smart thermostat compatibility in your home
how to install a smart thermostat ecobee 4 wiring

You're about to take the plunge on a smart thermostat, but you want to make sure your home is ready for it. Typically this involves finding a c-wire to keep the smart thermostat powered constantly, but there are other factors to line up. Let's dig into what you need to know.
How do I know if my smart thermostat is compatible?

Smart thermostats have a lot going on inside, and figuring out compatibility can be a bit of work. A recurring theme among every smart thermostat is the need for a common wire, or c-wire. This wire provides an ongoing power supply to your smart thermostat so it can run in the background constantly. The always-on nature of smart thermostats is what allows them to learn when people are home and when to automatically make temperature adjustments.

Read more