Ecobee4 Review: A Smarter Thermostat, A Valuable Friend

Eocene, the pioneering smart thermostat developer, has a new, innovative product: the Ecobee4. Currently up for pre-order, the versatile device started shipping on May 15. So, how will it measure up in your home?

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The Ecobee4 can easily connect to your Wi-Fi setup. Once it is, you’re granted quick access to it through its apps on mobile and computer platforms. The web app’s layout offers a more comprehensive overview, although they’re otherwise identical. Regardless, the convenience of adjusting the temperature through your Android or iPhone is appreciated.

Furthermore, the Ecobee4 strives to offer compatibility with some of your favorite services from other providers. Amazon’s Alexa is automatically built-in to the Ecobee4, and the functions you’ve grown to know Alexa for can be replicated. However, CNET’s reviewer notes a weakness in Alexa’s implementation: the Ecobee4 lacks Amazon’s ESP, so it will still react to you even if there are other Alexa devices within your radius.

Nevertheless, it supports other modules, too. Samsung SmartThings, Apple HomeKit and IFTTT are among the amenities that work with Ecobee’s latest offering. If configured, you can use Alexa or Siri to verbally interact with the Ecobee4. Also, should you be inclined, it can read you the day’s news or heed other commands.

The Ecobee4’s sensor, which can discern whether people are in the house or not, helps determine the temperatures of the rooms in relation to each other. By utilizing its statistics, Ecobee’s creation can also fine-tune the temperature in your home and supply you with monthly statements detailing all the energy you’ve saved and how you can be even more efficient. Finally, the model is sleek and aesthetically pleasing.

The Echobee4 costs $249. It comes with a 30-day warranty and, if you’re dissatisfied, it also has a 30-day money back guarantee. While the Ecobee4’s enhancements are well-done and place it over its predecessors, the Ecobee3 or Ecobee3 Lite might be preferable options if you don’t need the smartest thermostat. However, if you want the cream of the crop the medium has to offer, this is what you’ve been looking for.