ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium vs. Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen): Who Wins?
Naila Syifa
Updated October 2024
Among high-end smart thermostats, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium and Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) are two of the most popular options. But who wins in a head-to-head comparison of design, features, and system compatibility? Let's find out!
Key Takeaways
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) wins due to its dynamic display design and more flexible HVAC system compatibility, but tied with ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium in features and loses out slightly on price. Feature-wise, Nest focuses more on energy efficiency and HVAC optimization, while ecobee offers versatility beyond traditional thermostat functions, including smart speaker capabilities and home security integration.
| ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium | Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 4.09” x 4.09” x 1.02” | 3.9” x 3.9” x 1.1” |
| Display | 540 x 540 pixels | 600 x 600 pixels |
| Touchscreen | ✅ | ❌ |
| Sensors | Radar Occupancy & Proximity, Temperature, Humidity | Soli, Temperature, Humidity, Ambient Light |
| Air Quality Monitoring | ✅ Built-in, Indoor | ✅ Outdoor |
| Auto-Schedule | ✅ | ✅ |
| Home & Away | ✅ | ✅ |
| Smart Home Integration | Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, IFTTT | Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, Matter |
| Additional Sensor | SmartSensor (included) | Temperature Sensor (included) |
| C-Wire Required | ✅ Power Extender Kit Included | ❌ |
| Terminal | 12 | 12 |
| HVAC Accessory Support | One 1-wire or 2-wire accessory | One 1-wire + One 1-wire or 2-wire accessory |
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
Versatile Energy-Saving Thermostat
✓ Schedule Assistant
✓ Built-In Indoor Air Quality Monitor
✓ Smart Speaker with Siri/Alexa Built-In
✓ Smart Security Hub
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Generation)
Intelligent Energy Saving & Comfort
✓ 2.7” Display with Dynamic Farsight
✓ Smart Schedule & Adaptive Eco
✓ Matter-Certified
✓ 12 Wiring Terminals
Design
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) has a circular borderless LCD with a 2.7-inch diameter and 600 x 600 pixels resolution. The display is not a touchscreen, you need to turn the ring to adjust the temperature or press down the screen to see more information.
What's unique about the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) is the customizable home screen, which allows users to choose from various display options such as temperature, weather, time, and more. On top of that, you can customize which information is displayed when you're far away and when you're up close to the thermostat, as the Dynamic Farsight feature can automatically adjust the display as you approach it.
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) also comes in 3 metal finishes – Polished Silver, Polished Obsidian, and Polished Gold.
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium has a rectangular display with only one color variant – black front glass with a die-cast metal frame made of zinc alloy. The touchscreen LCD measures 4 inches diagonally with a resolution of 540 x 540 pixels.
Though the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium also looks sleek and modern, it lacks the dynamic display options of its Nest counterpart, offering a more straightforward interface focused on temperature control and key information.
Winner: Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
Features
Common Features Shared by ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium and Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
- Both thermostats are equipped with intelligent learning capabilities. They analyze your routines to suggest schedule adjustments that improve energy efficiency and comfort in your home. This feature is known as Smart Schedule in Nest Learning Thermostat and Schedule Assistant in ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium.
- Both thermostats support Home/Away routines. They can adjust to energy-saving temperatures when the thermostat senses that nobody's home or when manually set to "Away" mode.
- Both thermostats have a built-in humidity sensor, which can read humidity levels and adjust your HVAC system accordingly to maintain optimal indoor comfort.
- Both thermostats offer energy optimization features that shift usage to periods when electricity is more affordable and cleaner. Nest accomplishes this through its Nest Renew function, while ecobee utilizes its Time of Use feature.
- Both thermostats can be controlled remotely via the app. Google Home app and ecobee app are both available on Android and iOS devices, but the ecobee app is also available on Apple Watch.
- Both thermostats offer integration with major smart home ecosystems, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and SmartThings. The Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) is also Matter-certified.
Exclusive Features of ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
- ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium includes a SmartSensor in the package, which can be placed in any room to extend temperature and occupancy sensing. While the Nest Learning Thermostat also includes an additional sensor, the Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd Gen) only senses temperature and not occupancy. In addition, when there are multiple SmartSensors in the house, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium can utilize its "Follow Me" mode, which prioritizes temperature adjustments based on which rooms are most recently occupied.
- ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium has a built-in indoor air quality monitoring. The thermostat can alert you when indoor air quality is poor and offer suggestions for improvement.
- ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is voice-enabled, thanks to the built-in speaker and microphone. With Siri or Alexa built-in, you can control the thermostat hands-free, stream music from Spotify, send intercom messages to other smart speakers in the home, and more.
- ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium can double as a security monitoring hub. If you subscribe to the ecobee Smart Security plan, the thermostat can display a keypad for arming and disarming your home security system, display live view from a compatible ecobee smart doorbell camera, send alerts when unexpected motion is detected, send smoke alarm notifications, activate the built-in siren to deter potential intruder, and send freeze warnings to prevent burst/frozen pipes.
Exclusive Features of Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
- Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) features Adaptive Eco, an intelligent function that balances energy-saving with quick comfort. This feature automatically adjusts the temperature to an eco-friendly setting when you're away, but not so much that it can return to your desired comfort temperature quickly within one hour of your arrival.
- Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) offers a System Health Monitor, which can detect and notify you of potential issues with the HVAC system. For example, when your AC is on but your home isn't cooling as expected, the thermostat can alert you to potential problems.
- Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) uses data from the Google Home app to know the air quality outdoors. When outdoor air quality is poor, the Smart Ventilation feature can automatically pause the ventilation. Note that this feature requires a compatible ventilation system connected to the thermostat.
- Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) offers a Natural Heating/Cooling feature that reacts to outdoor temperatures to optimize energy use. For example, it can automatically pause heating when it's a sunny day during winter.
Winner: Tie
System Compatibility & Setup
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
Both thermostats offer a generous 12-wire compatibility and support for most HVAC systems, including heating, cooling, heat pump, fan, power, humidifier, dehumidifier, and ventilation.
The 12 wire terminals offered by each thermostat include:
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium: Rc, Rh, W1, W2, Y1, Y2, C, O/B, G, ACC+, ACC-, PEK+
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen): Rc, Rh, W1, W2, Y1, Y2, C, O/B, G, AQ+, AQ-, *
As we can see, the terminal configuration of both thermostats is almost identical. To clarify, ACC+/ACC- on the ecobee is the same as the AQ+/AQ- terminals on Nest. They can be connected to either a 1-wire or 2-wire HVAC accessory, including a humidifier, dehumidifier, or ventilation.
The only terminal difference is the PEK+ on the ecobee as compared to the star (*) terminal on Nest. PEK+ on the ecobee is used to connect to the included Power Extender Kit, which is mandatory if your system lacks a C-wire. The Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) requires no C-wire, so it needs no similar adapter nor a dedicated terminal for it.
The star (*) terminal on the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) is a multi-purpose one. It can connect to a three-stage furnace, emergency heat, humidifier, or dehumidifier. This allows the Nest thermostat to be more flexible in its system compatibility and configuration options.
For example, with the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen), you can control both a humidifier and dehumidifier simultaneously by connecting the humidifier to AQ+/AQ- and the dehumidifier to * terminal, or vice versa. The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium can only support one HVAC accessory at a time using its ACC+/ACC- terminals, so simultaneous humidifier and dehumidifier connection is not possible.
Winner: Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
Price & Availability
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) and ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium are considered to be the high-end models among smart thermostats on the market today, so they are priced similarly in the premium range.
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) is slightly more expensive at US$280, just $30 more than the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium, which retails for US$250.
Buy the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium on Amazon here.
Buy the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) on Amazon here.
Winner: ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium vs Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
Final Thoughts
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) wins in terms of design and system compatibility, but it's tied with ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium in features and loses out slightly on price.
In terms of features, what each thermostat offers is unique and tailored to different user preferences and needs. While Nest's additional features primarily emphasize energy efficiency and HVAC system optimization, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium stands out with its versatile functionality. It not only serves as an energy-saving thermostat but also doubles as a smart speaker, indoor air quality monitor, and can even function as a home security hub.
We recommend the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) if you prioritize advanced energy-saving features and broader HVAC system compatibility, but prefer the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium if you value its multifunctional capabilities and integrated smart home features.
If you like to read more about Smart Thermostats, check out our other relevant guides here:
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium vs Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite vs Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite vs Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite vs Ecobee3 Lite
Ecobee Thermostat Enhanced vs Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
Nest Thermostat vs Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen)
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) vs Honeywell T9
Author
Naila Syifa
Content Manager at Synced. She crafts insightful content on the latest trends in technology, consumer electronics, and smart home gadgets.
Don't miss out on tech
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest tech trends and guides on the best gadgets around.
