Top 5 Heat Pump Thermostats

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If you have a heat pump, you’ll know what a life-saver they are.

They’re designed to either cool down or warm up your home so you can be as comfortable as possible in the one place you should always feel great in!

RANK	IMAGE	PRODUCT IMAGE	RATING
1		Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat With Built-In Alexa	5/5	Buy now
2		Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat	4.5/5	Buy now
3		Google Nest Learning Thermostat	4/5	Buy now
4		Emerson Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat	4/5	Buy now
5		Lux Products Programmable Large Touchscreen Thermostat	4/5	Buy now

But the sad truth is that if you don’t have the perfect thermostat to switch your heat pump on and off depending on its temperature, your pump won’t be as efficient and it’ll also end up costing you more money to run it.

This is because a thermostat lets the pump reach its target temperature one degree at a time, which takes away the need for expensive electric backup heating.

And they also work automatically, meaning you won’t need to remember to turn the heating on and off all the time!

So, if you want to save yourself some money and extra effort, do yourself a very big favor and go and invest in a heat pump thermostat! In this guide we’ve made a list of the five best ones for your pump.

Table of Contents

Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat With Built-In Alexa

This ecobee4 thermostat comes with a built-in Alexa, making it super easy for you to control – as anyone with an Alexa knows, all you have to do is speak your command out loud and the device will do exactly what you tell it to!

Not only that, but you can also control it using your iPad, Apple Watch, iPhone or Android.

And it allows you to download the ecobee4 cell phone app so you can adjust your thermostat that way too!

Alongside all the smart features, this thermostat does the job it was meant for extremely well and will save you up to 23 per cent on your heating and cooling costs every year.

It comes with a room sensor that manages hot and cold spots and can sense when someone is home, so it will automatically adjust the temperature to the correct mode for when someone is in the house/apartment.

The installation process is super easy as it comes with step by step instructions and all the tools you need for it, so you can set it up by yourself in around 30 minutes!

Pros

Built-In Alexa – means you can easily control it using your voice and it will do exactly what you want it to do!
Ecobee4 Cell Phone App – you can download an app for it and can control it from anywhere using your iPad, Apple Watch, iPhone, Android, etc
Does Its Intended Job Very Well – will save you up to 23 percent annually on your heating and cooling costs!
Room Sensor – can sense the temperature of a room and knows when someone is at home so it will then adjust to the correct mode accordingly
Easy To Install – comes with step by step instructions and all the necessary tools so you can easily install it within 30 minutes

Cons

Expensive – costs more than others available on the market and might not be the right choice for you if you’re on a budget

Also available at: ecobee

Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat

If you want a thermostat that fits in beautifully with the rest of your decor, this Honeywell Home one is the perfect answer for you!

You can change its background color to personalize it to your own taste and style, allowing you to match its color to the rest of your fixtures and fittings or to the paint on the walls!

An extremely clever thermostat, it manages to adjust your home’s energy usage based on either your own schedule or the energy prices in your local area (depending on which one you choose), which means you’ll never have to pay more than you need to in energy costs.

You can control the thermostat using Wi-Fi, but it also has an app available that you can download to your phone and you can operate it remotely.

Either way, it will then provide you with useful alerts to tell you information about filter changes or humidifier pad replacements.

Added to that, it will also give you monthly energy reports and provide you with personalized tips on how to reduce your energy use.

It’s super easy to install as it comes with a guide on how to set it up, which only requires you to have very basic DIY knowledge!

Pros

Customizable Background Color – you can change the background color to suit the colors of the rest of your decor in order for it to match your own personal style!
Intelligent Function – you can add your preference and it can then adjust your energy usage based on either your own schedule or energy prices in your local area
Wi-Fi Compatible And Phone App Available – you can control it via Wi-Fi or you can download the app to control it remotely
Useful Alerts – gives you alerts when you need to change the filter or humidifier pad replacements, and it provides you with monthly energy reports and tips on how to reduce your energy use
Easy To Install – comes with instructions on how to set it up and only requires you to have a very basic knowledge of DIY in order to install it properly

Cons

Not Compatible With Heat Pumps With Electric Baseboard Heat – isn’t compatible with electric baseboard heat, meaning you’ll have to double check what your heat pump runs off before buying it

Also available at: Honeywell Home

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

It’s fair to say that anything with the name Google associated with it is going to be a popular and good quality product, and this Google Nest thermostat is no different!

It has a smart feature that learns your schedule and what kind of temperatures you prefer in your home and programs itself accordingly.

But it also helps you save energy because it has a Home/Away assist that will automatically adjust itself to an eco temperature when you’re not at home.

You can control the temperature using your laptop, tablet or phone by connecting the thermostat to the Wi-Fi.

It comes with HVAC monitoring, which will send you an alert if something is wrong with your heating and cooling systems.

Plus, it will also send you maintenance reminders so you can easily keep your heat pump updated and working properly.

Another extremely smart feature with this thermostat is that it can sense when you walk into the room it’s placed in.

When it spots that you’ve walked in, it lights up and shows you useful daily things such as the time, weather and temperature.

It’s super easy to install yourself, only taking around 30 minutes, and it comes with instructions and the tools you need already in the box!

Pros

Smart Learning Feature – learns your schedule and preferred temperatures and programs itself accordingly
Home/Away Assist – helps you save energy with a Home/Away assist that will automatically adjust itself to an eco temperature when you leave your home
Wi-Fi Compatible – you can control it using Wi-Fi from your laptop, tablet or phone
HVAC Monitoring – will send you useful information and alerts regarding your heat pump
Has A Sensor – can sense when you’re in the room and will light up to show you useful information, such as the time, temperature and weather

Cons

Not Compatible With All Heating And Cooling Systems – only compatible with 95 per cent of heating and cooling systems, so you have to make sure you check your system to make sure it will fit

Also available at: Google Store

Emerson Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

This energy-star certified Emerson Sensi thermostat does the job it was intended to do very well indeed!

It will save you around 23 per cent on HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) energy, meaning your energy bills won’t be so high when you add them all up at the end of each year!

You can adjust the temperature using geofencing, remote access or flexible scheduling, all of which are the best ways of saving energy in your home.

It comes with a smart maintenance feature called Sensi, which will monitor the performance and efficiency of your HVAC system and report back to you about your energy usage, whether any equipment needs changing, or whether any maintenance needs to be carried out – such as if the filter needs replacing, for example.

You can even download the Sensi cell phone app for your iPhone or Android so that you can control it from anywhere!

It’s also super easy to install, as there are step by step instructions on the app itself that you can follow, and you use the built-in level with easily illuminated click terminals to set it up – it will only take you a few minutes to do so!

Pros

Will Save You Money – will save you around 23 per cent on HVAC energy usage on an annual basis
Can Adjust The Temperature – can use either geofencing, remote access or flexible scheduling to adjust the temperature
Smart Maintenance Feature – Sensi allows you to monitor the performance of your HVAC system and will provide you with alerts and information about your system to make sure you can keep everything up to date
Cell Phone App – you can get the app on iPhone or Android and then you can control it from anywhere!
Easy To Install – only takes a few minutes as it comes with a built-in level with easily illuminated click terminals and provides you with instructions on the app itself!

Cons

C-wire Required – you need to have a c-wire for your heat pump for it to work with it

Also available at: Sensi

Lux Products Programmable Large Touchscreen Thermostat

This Lux Products thermostat is extremely affordable compared to other products, whilst still being of good quality and doing its job very well!

It may not be a smart product like the others, but if all you want is a simple thermostat – maybe you have an older heat pump that only fits with a basic one – this is the best choice for you!

The one advantage of it being so basic is that it does fit with almost all North American heating and cooling systems, so you don’t have to worry about it not working with your own system.

It comes with a large touchscreen display so you can see the readings extremely clearly and it’s easy to operate due to the fact it has a touchscreen, despite it being old-fashioned!

You can program it for between two to four different periods per day, meaning you have full control of what you want the temperature to be at certain points throughout day.

Plus it comes with a programmable touchpad to lock out anyone that hasn’t been authorized to use it, so you can guarantee it will remain on your own previously selected settings.

And, once again due to its basic nature, it’s super easy to install!

Pros

Affordable – very affordable due its basic design, but it’s still of good quality!
Fits With Virtually All Systems – an advantage of its basic design is that it fits with practically every North American heating and cooling system
Large Touchscreen Display – means you can see the readings and settings on the screen extremely clearly from wherever you are, and it’s easy to use because it’s touchscreen
Programmable For Different Periods – you can program it for two to four different periods per day so you can have full control of what temperature it’s at throughout the day
Programmable Touchpad – provides extra security as it won’t allow unauthorized users to access the settings so only you have control over it!

Cons

Very Basic – it’s not the ideal choice for you if you want a thermostat that has added features and smart control

Also available at: Ebay

Buyer’s Guide

Buying a heat pump thermostat may seem like an easy thing to do, but actually it can be quite difficult! This is because there are so many different ones to choose from.

There are so many available on the market that offer a similar variety of features, not all of which are even significant when it comes to the thermostat’s effectiveness or usefulness.

That’s why you need to understand exactly what to look for when it comes to buying the perfect one for you and your own personal needs.

For this reason, we’ve created a buying guide below so you can choose the right thermostat with absolute certainty!

Compatibility

What we mean by compatibility is you have to make sure the thermostat you buy is actually compatible with the heating and cooling system that you have in place.

A lot of thermostats will be compatible with most systems, but might not be compatible with all systems, so it’s extremely important you check the specifications of your system before you invest in a thermostat!

Another thing to mention is that a lot of smart thermostat models require what is called a C-wire, which is basically just a connection point for the thermostat to plug into the heating and cooling system.

You need to check whether your system already has a C-wire. If it does, you’re all set to buy the thermostat with no issues.

But if it doesn’t, you might want to find another thermostat or buy a separate C-wire adapter in order to make sure it will work.

Type

There are three main types of thermostat that you can buy for your heat pump. These are mechanical, electrical and smart thermostats.

Mechanical thermostats are the most basic ones you can buy and are also the cheapest.

However, they require the most effort because you have to operate them manually and they don’t come with any added features.

Electrical thermostats are also fairly on the basic side and are cheaper than smart ones.

With these, you can program certain settings, such as time, date and a schedule, for example for when you want the heating to automatically turn on and off.

Smart thermostats are the most expensive but also come with the biggest range of features, such as Wi-Fi compatibility and smartphone apps that allow you to control them remotely from wherever you are.

Which type you choose is entirely up to you and largely dependent on personal preference.

Price

As always, it’s important to consider the price of the product you want to buy, and thermostats are no different.

As touched upon in the section above, smart thermostats are the most expensive.

However, they’re often worth the extra expense due to the features they have, as they mean you can control them with minimum effort and their intelligence allows you to save money on your energy bills more efficiently.

But, of course, if you only require something more basic – for example if you have an old heat pump system that only fits manual or electrical thermostats – then you can save money on your thermostat, as they are generally far more affordable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Heat Pumps Need A Special Thermostat?

Yes, heat pumps need a special thermostat. This is because the thermostat has to have the ability to communicate with the reversing valve whenever it changes from heating to cooling.