ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite vs. ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

Naila Syifa

Updated October 2024

ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite vs. ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

From the names we can already tell that the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is the more advanced, capable, and costly option than the ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite. However, what exactly are the specific features and capabilities that differentiate these two models? Are the additional features of the Premium model worth the higher investment?

On our list

#1 Design

#2 Features

#3 System Compatibility & Setup

#4 Price & Availability

Key Takeaways

ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium can be self-installed, while the Lite model requires professional installation. The Premium model also has additional indoor quality monitoring, radar occupancy sensing, voice-enabled smart features, and ecobee Smart Security support. The Lite thermostat only offers basic temperature control and scheduling, humidity sensing, and compatibility with smart home systems.

	ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite	ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
Dimensions	3.62” x 3.62” x 0.91”	4.09” x 4.09” x 1.02”
Built-In Radar Occupancy Sensor	❌	✅
Built-In Humidity Sensor	✅	✅
Built-In Indoor Air Quality Monitor	❌	✅
Built-In Speaker & Microphone	❌	✅
Built-In Siren	❌	✅
Security Hub	❌ Coming Soon	✅
SmartSensor	Sold Separately	Included
Smart Home Integration	Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Alarm.com	Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, SmartThings, IFTTT
Terminal	10	12
HVAC Accessory Support	✅ 1-Wire	✅ 1-Wire or 2-Wire
Power Extender Kit	Sold Separately	Included
Wi-Fi	Single-Band	Dual-Band

ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite

Basic Programmable Wi-Fi Thermostat

✓ Temperature & Humidity Sensing
✓ Pro Installation Required
✓ Smart Home Integration
✓ Works with SmartSensors

Exclusively Sold at Local HVAC Installers

ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

The Smartest Programmable Wi-Fi Thermostat

✓ Radar Occupancy Sensing
✓ Built-In Indoor Air Quality Monitor
✓ Two-Way Talk with Siri/Alexa Built-In
✓ SmartSensor Included

Buy on Amazon

Design

ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium has a larger design with a more premium build. It comes in 4.09" x 4.09" x 1.02" dimensions and features a die-cast metal frame made of zinc alloy. The LCD touchscreen is large at 4 inches and has a high 540 x 540 pixels resolution.

Meanwhile, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite comes smaller at 3.62” x 3.62” x 0.91”. It features a white plastic frame and a smaller 2.8-inch LCD touchscreen with a lower resolution of 240 x 320 pixels.

Besides size and build materials, both models share a similar overall aesthetic design.

Features

ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite

ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite and Premium share most of the basic, essential smart thermostat features, including in-app remote control, a built-in humidity sensor, vacation scheduling, smartphone geofencing, off-peak energy optimization, and compatibility with major smart home platforms.

Both thermostats also work with ecobee SmartSensors, which can be placed in different rooms to ensure more accurate temperature readings and comfort throughout your home. The difference is while the Premium model includes the SmartSensor in the box, the Lite requires a separate purchase.

The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium also has a built-in indoor air quality monitor, which the Lite lacks. It allows for poor air quality detection and alerts, helping you maintain a healthier home environment.

On top of that, the Premium features a built-in radar occupancy and proximity sensor, which the Lite lacks. Occupancy sensing capabilities allow the Premium thermostat to automatically adjust settings based on whether someone is in the room. It can also learn your routine and suggest changes to the schedule to optimize energy efficiency and comfort.

The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is also voice-enabled, thanks to its built-in speaker and microphone. With Siri or Alexa Built-in, you can control your thermostat hands-free using voice commands, stream music from Spotify, send intercom messages, and access other voice assistant features directly through the thermostat.

ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

If you subscribe to ecobee Smart Security system, the Premium thermostat can also serve as a hub to arm/disarm the system, display a live view from ecobee Smart Dorbell Camera, send motion/smoke alarm/frozen pipe alerts to your phone, and activate the built-in siren to deter potential intruders.

The ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite currently doesn't support the Smart Security system, but is said to receive support for it in a future update. However, the features are still likely to be more limited compared to the Premium model. For example, it may not be able to display live view from a doorbell camera or activate a built-in siren due to hardware limitations, just like the ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced.

Read also: ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite vs ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite Enhanced

System Compatibility & Setup

ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite

ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium can be self-installed, while the Lite model requires professional installation. Installing requires a C wire, but the Power Extender Kit is available to provide power if your system lacks a C wire. The Power Extender Kit comes included with the Premium model, while the Lite requires a separate purchase.

The Premium thermostat also has more wire terminals than the Lite, offering 12 terminals compared to the Lite's 8 terminals. More terminals allow for greater compatibility with complex HVAC systems and accessories.

While the Lite thermostat only supports 1-wire HVAC accessories, the Premium model supports 1-wire or 2-wire HVAC accessories.

Below are the specific wire terminals supported by each model:
Premium: Rc, Rh, W1, W2, Y1, Y2, C, O/B, PEK+, G, ACC+, ACC-
Lite: Rc, Rh, W1, W2, Y1, Y2, C, OB, G/PEK, ACC

Price & Availability

ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is the smartest, most advanced thermostat from ecobee, so it retails at a premium price tag of US$249.99. It is available in major retailers and online marketplaces, including Amazon.

ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite is exclusively available through your local HVAC installer. The price may vary depending on the installer and any additional services provided.