Hey yall, it's Rose, and today, we're going to take a look at Nest Thermostat E, which
is an alternative to the Nest Learning Thermostat.
At $169, it's about $80 cheaper than Nest Learning.
Of course, cheaper means you're going to sacrifice features.
Fortunately, the features are more related to design than functionality, and there aren't
many of them.
First of all, Nest E is white, and it's plastic.
Nest Learning Thermostat is metal, and you can buy it in White, Black, Stainless Steel,
or Copper.
Second, the screen is smaller, the device itself is smaller, and it has a lower resolution.
And while it works with most heating and cooling systems, it doesn't work with as many as the
Nest Learning Thermostat.
That said, if your system is compatible with Nest E and you like the way it looks, which
I do, I would recommend E over Nest Learning.
So let's start from the top.
The thermostat includes everything you need for installation except for a screwdriver.
Installation was way easier and faster than I remember ecobee3 being.
Part of that is because Nest E isn't as customizable as ecobee, part of that is because the HVAC
system in my home is five years newer than the home I installed ecobee in.
To install, remove your old thermostat, take note of the wires to confirm compatibility,
disconnect the wires to remove your old base, mark where the screws go, install the Nest
base, connect the wires, and attach the display.
I felt comfortable doing it on my own following the instructions included with the unit, or
you can find instructions linked below.
Of course, you can always hire a professional to help out.
Once installed, it's hard to tell the difference between Nest E and Nest Learning.
Nest E lacks Farsight.
However, it still lights up as you approach.
The built-in presence sensor detected my movement even from across the room which is at least
17 feet away.
The screen will show your indoor temperature, target temperature, and the amount of time
it will take to reach your target temperature.
Other than that, E shares the same features as Nest Learning.
You can control E by pressing the Nest button and turning the dial.
From here, you can adjust your temperature.
You can swap the fan on and off, and you can also access the settings menu.
You can also control the thermostat using the mobile app or the web portal.
The two interfaces are identical and offer the same features as the thermostat itself.
Using the app, you can swap from cool mode to heat mode, adjust the temperature, and
of course, you can adjust the settings.
In my opinion, there are three keys features: learning, the ability to connect to other
devices, as well as energy-saving features.
Nest E will monitor your activity on a daily basis and use that information to create a
schedule.
You can also create your own schedule.
The thermostat can override your schedule via Home/Away assist, which triggers your
preset eco temperatures when it notices that you're not home.
That said, my schedule is weird, but there are parts of it that are consistent.
For example, I'm in bed most nights by 12:30, but Nest seems to think I need to stay up
later.
In Nest's defense, I've only been using it for a couple of weeks, and I've heard that
it does take longer sometimes for the thermostat to learn.
Nest E works with other Nest products as well as third-party devices and services including
IFTTT, Stringify, Google Home, and Amazon Echo, which I'm about to trigger.
“Alexa, what's the temperature in my family room?”
"The family room temperature is 79°."
"Alexa, can you decrease my family room temperature by 1°."
"Family room is off.
To change the temperature, turn it on in the Nest app or on the device."
That's a good excuse.
But, in general, I do prefer direct Nest integrations to third-party integrations.
For example, I really like the way that Nest Protect and Nest Thermostat work together.
If Nest Protect detects smoke, for example, it can shut down your forced air system to
reduce the chances of spreading smoke through your vents.
Finally, energy savings.
The energy history screen will help make energy savings possible.
From here, you can see the signature Nest Leaf on days where you used an eco-friendly
setting.
You can also see how long and how often your system ran - red for heat and blue for cool.
Finally, icons like cloud and Home/Away Assist will help you to understand usage variations.
For example, you can see a jump in consumption on the 8th, which according to the cloud icon
might be due to weather.
I'd give Nest E two thumbs up.
I was concerned that it might swap to away mode when I was actually just sleeping, but
according to Nest, that's something they've already addressed.
I was also worried that I wouldn't like the way it looks as much as I like Nest Learning
Thermostat, but I actually like it better.
It blends in with my white woodwork, and it doesn't show fingerprints.
I don't think I'm ready to call it my favorite smart thermostat because I do feel there's
a time and a place for ecobee, but if you're heavily invested in Works with Nest or Google
products, I think that Nest E is the way to go.
I've linked my full written review below which has more details and more information on features
if y'all want to check that out.
Of if you have questions, feel free to comment below.
And I appreciate you all spending time with me today, and I will see you soon!