Skip to main content

Nest expands offerings further with new $39 temperature sensors

Nest adds new $39 temperature sensors, now available for purchase

Nest Hello lifestyle
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nest has come a long way since its simpler days as a smart thermostat creator. The Alphabet-owned company announced a slew of new products, including a full-blown home security solution, in September 2017. The launch — which included the Nest Secure alarm system, Nest Hello video doorbell, Nest Cam IQ outdoor security camera, and corresponding software and services — doubled the company’s portfolio of hardware, and helps show some of what Google is getting from its $3 billion investment. Now Nest has unveiled yet another new product — a $39 Temperature Sensor that works alongside the existing smart thermostats to help keep your home at a comfortable temperature.

After being made available for pre-order in April, the Nest Temperature Sensor can now be purchased from the Nest website, as well as the Google Store. The handy device can be placed on a wall, shelf, or anywhere else, and can be added to your Nest system in the Nest app. Simply set the temperature you’d like to maintain, and the sensor will communicate with your Nest Learning Thermostat or Nest Thermostat E to ensure that temperature is honored.

The sensors can be positioned a maximum of 50 feet away from its associated thermostat, and a single thermostat can be paired with up to six temperature sensors. Of course, your home probably doesn’t need to be kept at six different temperatures, but hey, to each her own. You can buy one for $39, or a three-pack for $99.

Recently, Nest also announced that its new security system could store all of the footage it captures for five days for just $5 a month as part of the Nest Aware plan. The Nest Secure alarm system includes the Nest Guard, Nest Detect, and Nest Tag. The Guard — touted as the hub, or “brain,” of the operation — promises to serve as an all-in-one security base, providing the alarm, keypad, and motion sensor, as well as the voice behind the system. The Guard has a keypad but also can be controlled via a fob.

Then there’s the Detect, a magnetized sensor that senses both motion and light movement. If you place it on a window, it’ll tell you when the window has been opened. If you place it on a wall, it will sense motion in a room. The last component of the alarm system is the Nest Tag, a fob you can add to your keychain that allows you to easily arm and disarm the Nest Secure system even if you don’t have a pass code. All you have to do it hold the fob against the Guard. Nest promises that the setup is simple and will take 30 minutes or less.

The Nest Secure starter pack, which includes Nest Guard, two Nest Detects, and two Nest Tags, retails for $499.

Nest also offers a video doorbell, which combines the security and intelligence of a Nest Cam with the functionality of a doorbell. The Nest Hello features a built-in, 160-degree wide-angle lens that will show you footage of anyone at your doorstep in HDR-quality video with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

The doorbell also promises advanced person detection and intelligent facial recognition, as well as a built-in speaker and microphone. Customers can also access “Nap Time Mode,” which basically makes it so that your doorbell won’t chime at certain times during the day, as well as “Quick Response,” which allows you to play a recorded message anytime someone rings the doorbell. The Nest Hello began shipping on March 15, and is priced at $229.

Rounding out Nest’s new smart home solutions is the Nest Cam IQ outdoor security system, an outdoor security camera that promises to be tamper- and weather-resistant. You can buy one of these units now for $349.

In order to check out your security footage, Nest has previously offered two plans: one for $10 a month that allows folks to store 10 days of video history, and one for $30 a month that gives you 30 days of video history. But with the introduction of the $5 Nest Aware plan, the company is now offering even more wallet-friendly options.

On top of the cloud video recordings, you can also now teach your Nest cameras to set up “Activity Zones,” which will alert you to activity in certain areas, or create time-lapses.

“When we looked at the home security market, we saw a similar landscape to when we entered the thermostat market,” said Matt Rogers, Nest’s founder and chief product officer. “Just as people tend not to use programmable thermostats because of their complexity, the current home security offerings are also a huge pain to live with. We set out to design a product that isn’t just effective during a security incident, but is delightful and easy to use when people are at home with their families, living their lives, which is the vast majority of the time.”

Updated on May 3: Nest Temperature Sensors are now available for purchase. 

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Swann dives into home security with new video doorbell and window sensor
SwannBuddy Video Doorbell

Swann has long been a name in the home security space, but now the company is taking its first steps into the smart home arena with the introduction of two products: The SwannBuddy Video Doorbell and the Swann Alert Sensors.

The SwannBuddy Video Doorbell is designed for people who want DIY home security, and it works whether you're in your own home, in an apartment, or even for a small business. The SwannBuddy Video Doorbell works with both iOS and Android, and comes with a lot of different features like two-way talk, night vision, and both heat and motion sensing.

Read more
How does a window sensor work?
comcast xfinity home door window sensor

Window sensors are a critical part of any home security system. When cameras fail, a window sensor becomes your last line of defense. Install them on all your windows, and you will know when an intruder attempts to access your house using one of your windows.

Some window sensors use loud chimes or siren-like alarms, while others send a notification to your phone. Regardless of how they alert you, most window sensors work the same way. Knowing how these window sensors work will help you install them properly, so they don't fail you when you need them the most.
What is a window sensor?

Read more
Google has three new Nest Cams, but there’s really only one you should buy
A hand adjusting the Google Nest Cam (battery).

If you didn’t know yet, Google announced a trio of new security cameras in its Nest Cam lineup. The upgrades were long in the making given that the original Google Nest Cam was released in 2015, followed by the outdoor variant in 2016 and subsequently two cameras in the Nest Cam IQ series -- the Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Outdoor in 2017. The toughest part about Google’s new Nest Cams is that they’re all similarly named, but they essentially break down to a battery-powered model, another with a floodlight, and an indoor cam that requires a wire for power.

While the indoor model is Google’s lowest-priced security camera ever with a $100 sticker price, I would actually vouch for choosing the battery-powered model instead. It’s without question the most versatile of the bunch. Here’s why.
Double duty security, inside and out
Google Nest Cam (Battery) Image used with permission by copyright holder

Read more