We live in the age of connectivity. Technology has allowed us to connect with people halfway across the world, all from the comfort of our own homes.
Yet more and more people are making their homes more connected through smart devices.
One such device is a smart thermostat.
RANK | IMAGE | PRODUCT NAME | RATING | |
1 | 
 | Honeywell T6 Smart Thermostat | ||
2 | 
 | Ecobee SmartThermostat (5th Generation) | ||
3 | 
 | Emerson Sensi Touch | ||
4 | 
 | MySa Smart Line Voltage Thermostat |
A smart thermostat is a gadget that allows you to control the heating and other temperature apparatus in your home or property through a Wi-Fi connection.
Not to be confused with smart meters, you are free to install whatever smart thermostat you want.
And because Apple users generally like to maintain all their devices within the Apple ecosystem, it’s important to find a smart thermostat that supports Apple’s HomeKit.
That’s why we’ve selected the five best smart thermostats that are compatible with Apple Homekit.
Benefits Of A HomeKit-Compatible Thermostat?
Apple has such a loyal customer base, who will tailor their lifestyle and shopping trends to fit the Apple ecosystem of products and services.
So, what better way to complete the Apple ecosystem than by installing a Homekit-compatible thermostat.
For Apple users, integrating a Homekit-compatible thermostat will help to enhance the functionality and inter-connectivity of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Allowing you to operate your thermostat via your go-to Apple devices.
A HomeKit-compatible thermostat can also let you use your voice to control your HVAC system using Siri.
For example, if you want to turn on the heating, you can use the Siri voice command “Turn on the heater”, to heat your house from your phone.
This functionality is particularly useful when you regularly communicate with Siri.
It’s important to note that all the thermostats in this list pair directly with Homekit.
Despite making some of the best thermostats on the market, popular manufacturers Nest and Hive won’t feature in our list because they do not offer native or direct integration with Homekit.
You would need a Homebridge hub or additional device to link Homekit with their thermostats, excluding them from our recommendations.
Honeywell T6 Smart Thermostat
Honeywell is one of the best-selling thermostat manufacturers out there because they stick to a formula that works! This is most evident in their T6 Smart Thermostat.
The T6 preserves the classic design and a simple user interface of previous models, which customers have come to recognize and love.
Compatibility
The T6 is fully compatible with the Honeywell mobile app and can integrate directly with smart home assistants such as Homekit, but also Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT.
Features
As far as functionality is concerned, the T6 offers geofencing functionality.
This function allows your smartphone to detect your smartphone’s GPS location to manage your home’s temperature when you are away or warm up the house as you approach.
Once the thermostat detects your absence by reading your GPS signal, it will set itself in the “Away” mode to conserve energy and save you money.
Installation
Installation is relatively easy if you follow the instruction manual, taking approximately 45 minutes to install – although this may vary depending on the layout of your home.
To finish the setup process, you’ll need to pair the T6 to your iPhone by downloading Honeywell’s Lyric app from the App Store.
Form within the app, you then go to the ‘Global Drawer’ menu, select ‘Add a New Device’, and follow the instructions to connect the thermostat to your HVAC system and Homekit.
Pairing the thermostat with the Honeywell app is fairly straightforward but the app’s interface can be a little clunky.
Perhaps the main critique of the T6 is its design. Although some may prefer the traditional thermostat look, others consider the design outdated and the build quality is sometimes questioned.
Put it this way, there are sleeker, more modern thermostat models on the market.
T6 Smart Thermostat also doesn’t have humidity sensors to measure the humidity levels.
Pros
- Familiar Interface makes it easy to use
- Supports multi-stage heating/cooling.
- Geofencing to keep the heating off when you’re not home and save energy.
- Compatible with multiple smart assistants
Cons
- Bland Design
- No humidity sensor
Ecobee SmartThermostat (5th Generation)
Ecobee’s latest Smart Thermostat is the 5th generation of its flagship series of Smart Thermostat – succeeding the highly rated ecobee 4 – and is crammed with features and improvements!
This time ecobee has ditched the numbering scheme of previous generations, simply naming this model the SmartThermostat.
Almost to say that this is their apex thermostat, or that they’ve attained a final form or full maturity.
And the SmartThermostat certainly has the specifications to back it up.
Ecobee SmartThermostat is faster, has improved audio quality; has an improved glass panel design, and is generally a more capable thermostat than its predecessor, the Ecobee 4.
According to ecobee, you can achieve energy savings of up to 23% annually, which is considerably more than most competitors.
Compatibility
The thermostat’s Wi-Fi connectivity allows for direct integration with Apple Homekit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and other smart hubs.
Features
This feature-filled thermostat uses self-learning geofencing technology to further understand your energy usage patterns; voice controls for alternative interaction, and it comes with an additional room sensor – something most other brands do not include out the box – to manage any hot orcold spots in your home.
You also don’t need a C-wire to power your SmartThermostat because ecobee models use a Pen (power extender kit) for homes without a C-wire.
Installation
Installing the Ecobee SmartThermostat is fairly simple, taking approximately 30-40 minutes mount, depending on your home’s setup.
Once it’s switched on, the device will walk you through the basic configuration process like setting preferred temperatures, scheduling etc.
To set up HomeKit with the Ecobee SmartThermostat you need to add the Ecobee SmartThermostat as an accessory in your iPhone’s Home app and tap on the option for pairing via a pairing code.
The ThermoStat will show a pairing code for you to enter it, and once you do, you’ll be good to go.
Although the build quality of the thermostat has improved from the last generation, the actual screen-to-body ratio is still poor.
With huge bezels around the screen that don’t offer any interactive functionality.
Pros
- Packed with features
- Additional room sensor included
- Reliable performance
- Improved speaker
- High energy savings
- Range of voice command and control features
- Easy installation and setup
Cons
- Large with big-bezel
- Expensive
Emerson Sensi Touch
Although, the Emerson brand is less known than Ecobee or Honeywell, you certainly can’t ignore Sensi Touch smart thermostat as an option that offers great value for the money.
If you’re looking for a smart thermostat that is compatible with Apple Homekit and has a proven energy saving track record, then look no further, because the Emerson Sensi Touch excels in both areas – at a more affordable price than its competitors.
Don’t be misled by the basic design, this thermostat can definitely hold its own and Emerson claims it can you as much as 23% on your energy costs. Not bad eh?
Compatibility
Emerson Sensi Touch offers native integration with Apple Homekit, as well as such as Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings.
Features
The Emerson Sensi Touch welcomes you with a large, functional, and responsive touch screen that is very well lit, diming itself after about 15 seconds to conserve energy.
Similar to the Honeywell T6’s geofencing feature, the Sensi Touch knows will switch off the heating in your absence.
But it will also detect your smartphone’s GPS location when you are within 3 miles of your home, to automatically start heating your home ahead of your return.
This useful function is essentially an alternative to scheduling – which the Sensi Touch also offers in case you were wondering.
Installation
The Emerson Sensi touch is maybe the easiest smart thermostat to install.
Surprisingly, the job is made easier when you already have an existing thermostat installed.
All you have to do is remove the old thermostat, install the Emerson Sensi Touch with the included base plate, attach the wires (the C-wire will be required), then secure the faceplate. This should take you approximately 30 minutes.
The setup process is very similar to the the previous Ecobee thermostat.
Just tap ‘Add Accessory’ from within the HomeKit app, then select the Sensi Touch when it appears.
Add it to your Network before scanning the eight-digit HomeKit pairing code that appears on the Sensi Touch screen with your camera – or just by inputting it in the Homekit app.
However, by today’s standards, the Sensi Touch has a fairly outdated design which isn’t exactly going to get the attention of potential customers.
Pros
- Good featureset at a relatively affordable price
- Large touchscreen interface
- Easy installation and set-up
- Reliable Performance
Cons
- Outdated design
- Requires a C-wire
MySa Smart Line Voltage Thermostat
If you’re not into flashy gadgets and you prefer a device that’s a little more low-key, the Mysa smart line voltage thermostat could be the one for you.
Drastically different in appearance when compared to the other thermostats on this list,
the MySa smart Thermostat doesn’t have a screen, instead it has capacitive bottoms above and below the temperature indicator.
Yet the minimalist approach does give it a sleek, modern feel, which allows it to assimilate into any decor.
Built for High/Line Voltage Systems, this MySa smart thermostat operates on direct electricity, working with 120-240V electric baseboards (see also ‘Everything You Need To Know About Electric Baseboard Heaters‘) and electric fan-forced heaters, and requires one neutral or second live wire to operate.
They’re commonly used in states where electricity costs are relatively low.
Compatibility
You can control your Mysa thermostat through your favourite smart home platforms and assistant.
Fully compatible with Homekit, as well as Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
Features
The lack of monitor doesn’t stop the MySa thermostat from integrating essential features such as geofencing, scheduling, energy savings, remote control via WiFi & internet, energy reports and many more features.
All these features are accessible via the MySa mobile application because of the monitorless design.
MySa also has a Zone Control feature which can group multiple MySa stats into heating zones, allowing you to control them together from inside the MySa app.
Installation
The installation process is slightly more intricate than the aforementioned thermostats because it works with line voltage systems. It will take you approximately 30-50 minutes to install.
The setup process is done entirely on the MySa app.
The capacitive buttons can be inconsistent.
Pros
- Sleek and minimal design
- Zone Control allows group controls
- Indepth mobile app features
Cons
- Monitorless design weakens functionality
The Verdict
Apple users are certainly spoilt for choice when it comes to HomeKit thermostats, but if we had to pick one, the winner would have to be the Ecobee SmartThermostat.
It’s simply the most advanced HomeKit-comptible thermostat.
