The Amazon Smart Thermostat Cools Your Home with Alexa—A Features Review

Smart homes are now widely seen as synonymous with comfort, effectiveness, and eco-friendly living in our world of rapidly developing technology. Smart thermostats have been around for years, from Honeywell, ecobee, and Nest, to name a few, but none from Amazon⎯until 2021. 

The Amazon Smart Thermostat offers homeowners an intuitive experience and simple control over their HVAC systems thanks to its ENERGY STAR® certification, connectivity with Alexa, and learning capabilities.

The Features

The Amazon Smart Thermostat is a competitor to the Google Nest Learning Thermostat at a fraction of the cost. At just $79.99 to the Nest’s $250, it’s bound to at least pique your interest if you’re shopping for a smart learning thermostat. With plenty of smart features and energy/cost saving benefits, this smart thermostat is one to consider.

Control Hands-Free with Alexa

The era of setting your temperature manually is over. With the Amazon Smart Thermostat, Alexa takes control and regulates the temperature according to your preferences automatically. You only need to say a simple voice command, such as “Alexa, set the temperature to 68 degrees,” to create the optimum home climate.

Alexa Follows Her Hunches

Alexa can intelligently adjust the thermostat based on your routines even when you’re away or asleep and learns these activities⎯called hunches. You can use the Alexa app to set up Automatic Actions under Devices and Thermostat, then Alexa Automatic Control. There, switch on Set sleep temperature or Set away temperature and follow instructions. After that, Alexa will adjust the temperature for you when she has a hunch you’re out of the house or that you’re asleep. Now, how’s that for intuitive?

Easy Installation and Expert Assistance

The Alexa app guides you through DIY instructions to make installation simple. If you prefer to get it professionally install, Amazon Home Services or local HVAC specialists can assist you. There’s also 24/7 customer care by phone, chat, or email guarantees that any queries or complaints are immediately addressed. It only works over a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection.

Built with Honeywell Home Thermostat Technology

The Amazon Smart Thermostat is a synergy of Alexa and over 130 years of HVAC experience, as Amazon partnered with Honeywell to create this smart thermostat. A dependable, effective, and cutting-edge thermostat that maximizes comfort while consuming the least amount of energy is the product of this partnership.

Certified for Humans

The Amazon Smart Thermostat is part of the “Certified for Humans” line of products, which aims to make smart devices usable by anyone, regardless of technical proficiency. Connecting the device to Alexa is quick and easy, with automatic software updates. 

An Eco-Friendly Thermostat

Being environmentally conscious is now a much larger part of the typical consumer experience than it used to be, and for good reason. The Amazon Smart Thermostat is another step toward sustainability:

• Renewable Energy: In coordination with Alexa, the thermostat can prioritize energy use during times of lower CO2 emissions.
• The product and accessories are made from 33% post-consumer recycled plastics, which demonstrate Amazon’s dedication to environmentally friendly procedures.
• 93 percent of the materials used in the packaging for the gadget are made from wood fiber and come from responsibly managed forests or recycled materials.
• Energy Efficiency: This thermostat is created to be energy-efficient, lowering your carbon impact, and has earned the ENERGY STAR certification.

Amazon Second Chance

As with all electronics and appliances, there will come a day that you’ll replace the Amazon Smart Thermostat. Perhaps with an updated model, or with another brand. When it’s time, Amazon has a program called Amazon Second Chance to make sure everything gets recycled and properly disposed of.

Control with Ring or Alexa App

Control of your thermostat isn’t limited to just voice assistant and the Alexa app—the Ring app works, too. You can configure up to seven time periods each day of the week when scheduling, there’s energy dashboard monitoring, indoor humidity sensing, emergency heat mode, vacation mode, automatic air filter ordering (within the Alexa app), and energy saving incentives.

Energy Savings That Count

This is an ENERGY STAR certified product. According to the EPA, the Amazon Smart Thermostat is expected to save yearly energy costs by an average of $50. There may be even more savings available, such as energy savings rebates, through your electricity provider, so definitely ask. If your company has energy saving incentives, you may snag even more savings all year round. You can find more details in the Alexa app.

The Smart Learning Thermostat from Amazon

The Amazon Smart Thermostat is a steal of a deal at $79.99. With the Google Nest Learning Thermostat retailing a bit less than $200 more, this model from Amazon is certainly one to look at and compare. It doesn’t have as much ability to control hunches as the Nest does to control its learning style, as Nest tracks your habits throughout the day and night and creates its temperatures settings based on that, sometimes simplicity is what you’re looking for. 

Who needs a smart learning thermostat, versus a multi-feature smart thermostat? Learning thermostats are best for those who have more consistent schedules. If you’re all over the place, as in, your weekday schedules vary from week to week, then a learning thermostat may have your AC turning on when you’d prefer it to be off. This was the case for me when I had a Google Nest Learning Thermostat. Our Editor, Art Feierman, went with an ecobee over the Nest because his schedule is inconsistent. Do you have a semi-consistent schedule, or do you rebel against schedules, like us? 

If you’re part of our crowd, you might prefer a multi-feature smart thermostat rather than a smart learning thermostat. In this case, the price is so decent at $79.99 that even if you don’t use the Hunches, it’s still worth comparing to the other smart thermostats in your cart. Did the Amazon Smart Thermostat piqued your interest? Check it out on Amazon.