A smart thermostat was one of my first home automation purchases, and it changed how I think about heating and cooling. But most thermostats are just remote controls for your HVAC. The Ecobee Premium actually adds value beyond letting you adjust temperature from your phone.
At around $250, it's not the cheapest smart thermostat. But it's the best one if you care about Apple Home, and honestly, it's the thermostat I'd recommend to anyone who's serious about home automation.
What Makes It Premium
The standard Ecobee is fine. The Premium version adds two things that make it worth the extra money: a built-in air quality monitor and a built-in Alexa speaker.
The air quality sensor measures volatile organic compounds—stuff like formaldehyde, benzene, and other nasties that off-gas from furniture, paints, and household products. You see the reading on the thermostat and in the app. If air quality is bad, you could automate your ventilation to run harder, or just crack a window.
Real talk: I don't obsess over the air quality reading. But it's there, it's accurate, and it gives you data you didn't have before. Some people will care about this deeply. Others won't. It's a nice-to-have, not essential.
The Alexa speaker is more useful. You walk past your thermostat and say "Hey Alexa, what's the weather?" and get an answer. Or set reminders, control other Alexa devices, all from a speaker that's already mounted on your wall where it's useful.
Neither of these features is revolutionary. But together, they make the Ecobee Premium feel like a hub, not just a thermostat.
The Hardware
The design is clean. Zinc metal body, generous touch screen, modern look that doesn't screech "smart home gadget" at your guests. It looks like something you'd expect to see in a well-designed home, not a tech demo.
Installation was straightforward. I turned off power to the HVAC, disconnected the old thermostat, and wired up the Ecobee according to the included diagram. Everything was labeled. No mysteries. Total time: 20 minutes.
If you're not comfortable messing with electrical wiring, hire someone. It's worth the $100-150 to avoid creating a problem.
The screen is responsive. Navigation is logical. Setting up automations in the app is intuitive. After a week, the interface feels natural.
The Smart Sensors
Ecobee includes one SmartSensor—a small wireless temperature sensor for another room. Place it in your bedroom, and the thermostat can be programmed to prioritize your bedroom temperature during sleeping hours, then shift to the living room during the day.
This is genuinely useful. Most thermostats measure temperature wherever the thermostat is mounted, which might be a hallway. If your living room is naturally warmer or cooler, the system overcompensates. The SmartSensor fixes this.
You can add more sensors (at extra cost) and get really granular. But one included sensor is enough to solve the "my bedroom is freezing while the living room is hot" problem.
HomeKit Integration
Ecobee is one of the few thermostats with native HomeKit support. That means Siri control, automations that work within HomeKit, and the Home app is actually useful for temperature.
You can tell Siri "Set the temperature to 72 degrees" and it works. You can create automations like "When I leave home, set the temperature to 68." Geofencing and time-based automation all work natively.
The geofencing is particularly useful. Your location triggers temperature changes automatically. Leave for work and the thermostat drops to eco mode. Arrive home and it warms up. This actually saves money without the hassle of remembering to adjust the temperature manually.
HomeKit integration means you're not locked into Ecobee's app. You use the app if you want, or you control everything through HomeKit. That flexibility is part of why the Premium is worth it.
Alexa and Google Integration
Alexa works natively. Google Home works through HomeKit, which is slightly slower but reliable.
If you're an Alexa household, the built-in speaker is a nice bonus. You already have Ecobee's voice assistant integrated—one fewer device on your nightstand.
The Comparison
vs. Nest Learning Thermostat: Nest is slick and Google owns it, but it doesn't support HomeKit at all. If Apple Home is your platform, Ecobee is the only real choice.
vs. Honeywell T9: Cheaper than Ecobee, supports HomeKit. But the interface is more clunky, the app is less polished, and it feels like feature-parity without the refinement. If budget is everything, T9 is fine. If you spend any time actually using the interface, Ecobee is noticeably better.
vs. Ecobee standard: Save $50 and skip the air quality sensor and Alexa speaker if you don't care about those. The standard Ecobee is still a solid thermostat. But the Premium's extras are thoughtfully integrated, not slapped-on features.
What You're Actually Getting
This isn't about saving money on your heating bill, though you might. It's about never thinking about your thermostat because it just does the right thing.
You set up automations once. Wake up and the house is comfortable. Leave for work and it adjusts automatically. Come home and it's already the right temperature. In winter, it preheats your room before bedtime. In summer, it cools your living room during the afternoon heat.
That's the real value of a smart thermostat—it removes friction from temperature control.
The air quality sensor is a bonus. The Alexa speaker is a bonus. The real win is a thermostat smart enough to manage your comfort without asking you every day what you want.
My Take
If you use HomeKit, buy the Ecobee Premium. It's the best thermostat for your platform. The air quality sensor and Alexa speaker are genuine additions, not gimmicks.
If you use Alexa but not HomeKit, the built-in speaker and Alexa integration make it worth it too.
If you're budget-conscious and you just want basic smart thermostat functionality, the standard Ecobee is $50 cheaper and does the essential job.
But if you're willing to invest in the right thermostat for your home automation platform, the Premium is where you should spend your money. A thermostat runs 24/7. It's worth getting right.
Buy Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium on Amazon
After two months with this thermostat, my HVAC is quieter, my home feels more comfortable, and I haven't thought about manually adjusting the temperature once. That's exactly what a smart thermostat should feel like.
