Ecobee's smart thermostat knows conditions throughout your home
As clever as smart thermostats can be, they usually have only a limited sense of what's going on in your home. They may know that it's cool in the hallway, but not that it's roasting in the living room. Ecobee may have a better, more holistic approach with its third-generation climate controller, the Ecobee 3. Rather than gradually learn what conditions work best over time, it uses remote sensors to determine which rooms are occupied and whether or not they're at the right temperature. The more detectors you add, the more cozy you're likely to be -- you can have up to 32, if you're determined to warm up your mansion.
Whether or not you need that kind of detailed monitoring, the 3 is a welcome upgrade between its slicker design and a 3.5-inch touchscreen interface built to work like the smartphone in your pocket. Get ready to shell out extra cash if you want the most comfortable home possible, though. The $249 core kit will get you both the hub and one sensor when it ships on September 29th, but you'll have to spend $79 for every extra pair of additional sensors.
