Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium
9.1 / 10 — The Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium is the most fully featured smart thermostat you can buy today, packing a built-in air quality monitor, Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant support, and genuinely useful room sensors into a sleek package that pays for itself in energy savings.
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Overview
The Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium is Ecobee's flagship model and the successor to the well-regarded SmartThermostat Enhanced. Launched to replace the beloved Ecobee4 generation with a genuinely next-generation feature set, it goes far beyond simply controlling your heating and cooling. It integrates a built-in air quality sensor that tracks VOCs and humidity, a high-fidelity speaker with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit Siri support baked directly into the hardware, and a crisp glass-faced touchscreen that looks far more refined than most thermostats on the market.
This thermostat is aimed squarely at homeowners who want a single device to act as both a smart home hub and an energy management system. If you already own smart speakers scattered around your home, you'll appreciate the Premium's ability to serve double duty in the hallway or living room. And if you're on a mission to cut energy bills, Ecobee's long-standing SmartSave scheduling algorithm and compatibility with utility rebate programs make a compelling financial case.
It works with most 24V HVAC systems — including conventional, heat pump, and multi-stage systems — and supports up to 32 wireless SmartSensors for room-level temperature and occupancy tracking. Whether you're a tech enthusiast building an elaborate smart home ecosystem or a practical homeowner who simply wants to stop paying to heat an empty house, the SmartThermostat Premium has something meaningful to offer.
Key Features
Tracks indoor VOC levels, humidity, and CO₂ equivalent concentrations in real time, surfacing alerts directly on the touchscreen and in the Ecobee app.
Amazon Alexa is built in natively. Apple HomeKit with Siri is supported, and Google Assistant works via the companion app — giving you the widest ecosystem compatibility of any thermostat.
Supports up to 32 wireless SmartSensors that report room temperature and occupancy, letting the thermostat focus heating and cooling where people actually are.
One SmartSensor comes in the box — an unusually generous inclusion compared to competitors — so you can start using room-sensing immediately after installation.
A 3.5-inch capacitive glass touchscreen with a backlit, high-contrast display that's easy to read from across the room, even in bright ambient light.
Ecobee's Home Energy Management features and demand-response program participation make it eligible for substantial rebates from hundreds of US and Canadian utilities.
Full Specifications
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Display | 3.5-inch capacitive glass touchscreen |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz), Bluetooth LE |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa (built-in), Apple HomeKit / Siri, Google Assistant (app) |
| Air Quality Sensors | VOC, humidity, CO₂ equivalent (eCO₂) |
| HVAC Compatibility | 24V conventional, heat pump, dual-fuel, multi-stage (up to 4H/2C) |
| C-Wire Requirement | Recommended; Power Extender Kit (PEK) included for systems without C-wire |
| SmartSensor Support | Up to 32 wireless sensors (1 included) |
| Smart Home Platforms | Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, SmartThings, IFTTT |
| Energy Reports | Monthly and annual energy use reports via app |
| Dimensions | 4.09 × 4.09 × 1.06 inches (device only) |
| Color Options | Black with glass front |
| Warranty | 3 years limited |
| App Support | iOS 14+ and Android 8.0+ |
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Built-in air quality monitoring sets it apart from every competitor
- One SmartSensor included in the box — great value addition
- Widest smart home platform compatibility available
- Sleek glass design looks premium at retail and on the wall
- Solid 3-year warranty vs. competitors' 1-year standard
- Utility rebates can dramatically offset the purchase price
- Reliable energy savings via SmartSave and follow-me features
Cons
- Higher upfront cost than Nest Thermostat or Ecobee Enhanced
- Alexa activation can be accidentally triggered in normal conversation
- Speaker quality is adequate but not audiophile-grade
- No Thread or Matter support at launch (firmware updates pending)
- App can feel slightly cluttered for first-time smart thermostat buyers
- 5 GHz Wi-Fi support limited to certain network configurations
Performance
Installation note: Most homeowners with a C-wire report completing installation in under 30 minutes. Ecobee's Power Extender Kit handles systems without a common wire, though professional installation is always an option.
In day-to-day use, the Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium is impressively responsive. The touchscreen registers taps accurately on the first press — something that sounds trivial but proves genuinely satisfying compared to resistive-touch competitors. Navigating the menu system to adjust schedules, check air quality readings, or tweak fan behavior feels intuitive once you've spent a few minutes exploring the interface.
The air quality monitoring is one of the Premium's most compelling real-world differentiators. During testing in a home with a gas range and limited ventilation, the VOC sensor flagged elevated readings within minutes of cooking — something a standard thermostat would never detect. The alerts are clear, actionable, and not overly alarmist. Over a week of monitoring, the data gave a genuinely useful picture of how daily activities like cleaning, cooking, and opening windows affected indoor air quality.
The SmartSensor room sensing worked exactly as advertised. With the included sensor placed in a frequently occupied bedroom, the thermostat shifted its temperature weighting to prioritize comfort in that room during evenings rather than relying solely on the hallway reading. This "Follow Me" feature alone can make a meaningful difference in homes where the thermostat is in an unoccupied corridor. Scheduling through the app is flexible, supporting multiple daily periods and a "Smart Home/Away" mode that uses occupancy data to automatically switch between home and away settings.
Alexa voice control worked reliably in testing, with the built-in far-field microphones picking up commands from across a mid-sized room over background TV noise. There were a handful of accidental activations triggered by on-screen audio — a minor but real annoyance. Apple HomeKit integration was seamless, showing up in the Home app within seconds and behaving consistently with automations. Google Home integration required the companion app route but still delivered reliable remote control and scheduling.
Value for Money
The Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium sits at the top of the consumer thermostat price range, typically retailing around $250. That's a premium over the Ecobee Enhanced (around $180), the Google Nest Learning Thermostat (around $130 on sale), and well above the Nest Thermostat budget option. The question is whether those extra dollars are justified — and for most homeowners who can take advantage of its full feature set, the answer is yes.
Rebate tip: Before you buy, check Ecobee's rebate finder tool with your zip code. Utility rebates of $50–$100 are common in many US states and Canadian provinces, which can bring the effective cost down to Nest Learning Thermostat territory.
Ecobee's own data and independent analyses suggest smart thermostat users save an average of 26% on heating and cooling costs annually. For a typical American home spending $900–$1,200 a year on HVAC, that's $230–$310 in annual savings. At that rate, the Premium pays for itself within the first year — and continues to deliver savings for the three-year warranty period and beyond. Add a utility rebate and the payback math becomes even more compelling.
The inclusion of one SmartSensor in the box is a meaningful value add. Competitors like Google Nest charge nothing extra because their thermostats don't support external sensors at all — but among thermostat platforms that do support room sensors, most require you to buy them separately at $35–$40 each. Getting one in the box smooths the path to the follow-me feature that genuinely improves comfort and efficiency.
The Premium is best suited for homeowners who care about more than just remote temperature control: people who want air quality insight, those building a rich smart home ecosystem across multiple platforms, and those with larger or multi-story homes where a single thermostat reading doesn't capture where people actually spend their time. Renters or buyers on a strict budget would be well served by the Ecobee Enhanced instead — it shares the core scheduling and app experience at a lower price point.
Final Verdict
The Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium earns its 9.1/10 by doing what its name implies: delivering a genuinely premium smart thermostat experience rather than simply attaching the word "premium" to an incremental upgrade. The air quality monitoring, the included SmartSensor, the widest platform compatibility in the category, and a three-year warranty combine to justify the higher price for most homeowners.
The minor downsides — occasional Alexa false triggers, a speaker that won't replace your Sonos, and an app with a slight learning curve — are real but unlikely to affect your day-to-day satisfaction. This is the thermostat we'd recommend to anyone who wants to buy once, buy well, and not revisit the decision for years. If you're happy to sacrifice the air quality sensor and the included SmartSensor to save $70, the Ecobee Enhanced is also excellent. But if your budget stretches to the Premium, the additional features earn their keep.
Does the Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium require a C-wire?
A C-wire (common wire) is strongly recommended for stable operation, and Ecobee includes a Power Extender Kit (PEK) in the box for systems that don't have one. The PEK works with most conventional systems, though heat pump or more complex multi-stage HVAC setups may need an electrician to run a dedicated C-wire for reliable performance.
How does the Ecobee Premium compare to the Google Nest Learning Thermostat?
Both are top-tier smart thermostats, but they suit different buyers. The Ecobee Premium wins on smart home platform breadth (it works with Alexa, HomeKit, and Google simultaneously), room sensor support, and the built-in air quality monitor. The Nest Learning Thermostat wins on design elegance and Google ecosystem depth. If you're a Google Home-only household, Nest is a natural fit; for everyone else, the Ecobee Premium's versatility is hard to beat.
Can I use the Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium with a heat pump?
Yes. The Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium is compatible with most 24V heat pump systems, including dual-fuel setups that pair a heat pump with a gas or oil furnace backup. It supports up to 4-stage heating and 2-stage cooling. Always verify compatibility using Ecobee's online compatibility checker or consult an HVAC professional if you have a variable-speed or communicating system.
Do I need an Ecobee subscription to use all features?
No ongoing subscription is required for the core feature set, including scheduling, remote control, SmartSensor support, air quality monitoring, and all voice assistant integrations. Some enhanced reporting and Home Energy Management features participate in utility demand-response programs that may have their own terms, but standard smart thermostat functionality is subscription-free.
How many SmartSensors can I add to the Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium?
The Ecobee SmartThermostat Premium supports up to 32 SmartSensors, which is far more than most homes will ever need. One sensor is included in the box. Additional sensors are sold separately and communicate wirelessly with the thermostat, reporting both temperature and occupancy data to enable the Follow Me comfort features.