Ecobee has introduced the Apple HomeKit-compatible ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (pictured) and ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced. They’re thermostats built with bigger displays and radar for improved occupancy and motion detection.
Smart Thermostat Premium and Smart Thermostat Enhanced are redesigned with a glass face and “smooth waterfall edges,” according to ecobee Founder and CEO Stuart Lombard. ecobee’s new radar technology can detect motion and occupancy from further away and around corners. Plus, unlike an infrared sensor, it can be hidden inside the thermostat without a visible lens in the corner, for a sleeker and smoother design, all while improving energy saving capabilities.
Lombard says a more responsive display is 50% larger than previous models and boasts more colorful and vibrant resolution, while the refreshed user interface embraces ecobee’s signature squircle shape and improves ease of navigation. Larger temperature sliders make changing the temperature a breeze, and an easy-to-find menu helps users discover and engage with new features, he adds.
The flagship ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium packs an air quality monitor built right into the device. The thermostat displays data about indoor air quality, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), estimated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, and relative humidity. ecobee will alert customers through the app when indoor air quality is poor and provide tips on how to improve it.
ecobee smart thermostats understand when families are home, away, awake, or asleep to optimize their comfort and savings, according to Lombard. With SmartSensor for doors and windows and a Smart Security plan, ecobee works even better by understanding more about what is happening in the home to protect against break-ins, fires, and frozen pipes, and to automatically pause heating or cooling when a door or window is left open, he adds.
The Smart Thermostat Premium also comes with ecobee’s signature SmartSensor in the box, which can be placed anywhere throughout the home to detect motion and provide a more accurate reading of the home’s occupancy and temperature to help manage hot or cold spots.
By signing up for Smart Security Complete with professional monitoring (US$10 per month), currently available in the U.S. customers can purportedly save up to an additional 10% on their monthly home insurance.
The $249.99 ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium and $189.99 ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced are available to purchase on ecobee.com, through select retail partners including Amazon, Lowe’s, Home Depot and Best Buy, via an ecobee certified installer or local utilities.
