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| Feature | Google Nest Thermostat | Sensi Touch smart thermostat | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 | $159.99 | Google Nest Thermostat |
| Rating | 4.1 | 4.5 | Sensi Touch smart thermostat |
| Warranty | 1 year | 3 years | Sensi Touch smart thermostat |
| Connectivity | 2.4 GHz WiFi, 5 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth | 2.4 GHz WiFi | Google Nest Thermostat |
| Sensors | Proximity / Motion, Occupancy, Temperature, Humidity, Ambient Light | Temperature, Humidity | Google Nest Thermostat |
| Alerts | Temperature Alerts | None | Google Nest Thermostat |
| Integrations | Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant | Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant | Tie |
| Screen | YES | YES | Tie |
| Energy Savings | YES | YES | Tie |
| System Health Monitor | NO | NO | Tie |
| Voice Control | YES | YES | Tie |
| Speaker | NO | NO | Tie |
What the differences mean
Presence and occupancy
The Nest Thermostat has proximity, occupancy and ambient light sensing, which is what lets it switch to eco when the house is empty without a schedule. The Sensi Touch smart thermostat has none of these and relies on schedules and your phone.
Screen and controls
The Sensi Touch smart thermostat has a 4.3 inch color touchscreen. The Nest Thermostat has a smaller 2.4 inch color display behind a mirrored lens and is not a touchscreen, which some owners find less intuitive.
Home Assistant
The Sensi Touch smart thermostat is fully supported in Home Assistant; the Nest Thermostat only partially. For Google Home, Alexa, HomeKit and SmartThings the two are equal.
Wi-Fi
The Nest Thermostat connects on 2.4 or 5 GHz and has Bluetooth. The Sensi Touch smart thermostat is 2.4 GHz only, which explains the pairing trouble some of its owners describe.
Warranty
Three years on the Sensi Touch smart thermostat against one year on the Nest Thermostat.
Which one to buy if
- your house empties out at unpredictable times
The Nest Thermostat senses occupancy and switches to eco without you touching a schedule.
- you want a proper touchscreen on the wall
The Sensi Touch smart thermostat has a 4.3 inch color touchscreen; the Nest has no touch display.
- you automate the house with Home Assistant
The Sensi Touch smart thermostat has full Home Assistant support, where the Nest is only partial.
- your router runs on 5 GHz
The Nest Thermostat joins 5 GHz networks; the Sensi needs 2.4 GHz.
- + Price: $99.99
- + Connectivity: 2.4 GHz WiFi, 5 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth
- + Sensors: Proximity / Motion, Occupancy, Temperature, Humidity, Ambient Light
- - Rating: 4.1 vs 4.5
- - Warranty: 1 year vs 3 years
- + Rating: 4.5
- + Warranty: 3 years
- - Price: $159.99 vs $99.99
- - Connectivity: 2.4 GHz WiFi vs 2.4 GHz WiFi, 5 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth
What owners say
Owners of both thermostats agree on the basics: easy remote control from a phone and an installation most people handle themselves. Nest Thermostat owners talk about money, reporting lower heating bills, utility rebates and an eco mode that uses phone location and the motion sensor to stop heating an empty house. Sensi Touch smart thermostat owners talk about the install itself, with an app that walks them through matching old wires to new terminals, and describe it as simple and reliable day to day. The complaints differ: Nest Thermostat owners mention the C-wire requirement, being limited to the Google Home app, a touch strip instead of a dial and an eco mode that can be over-aggressive, while Sensi Touch smart thermostat owners mention Wi-Fi pairing that can drag on with some routers.
Price history compared
Every price change of both, in the same store, so the gap between the two lines is what one costs more than the other.
- Google Nest Thermostat
- Sensi Touch smart thermostat
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Frequently Asked Questions
Sensi vs Nest: which is better, the Nest Thermostat or the Sensi Touch smart thermostat?
The Nest Thermostat for most homes. It adds occupancy sensing for automatic eco mode, temperature alerts and dual band Wi-Fi. The Sensi Touch smart thermostat is the pick for a color touchscreen, full Home Assistant support and a three year warranty.
What is the biggest difference between the Nest Thermostat and the Sensi Touch smart thermostat?
How they decide when to save energy. The Nest Thermostat senses whether anyone is home, while the Sensi Touch smart thermostat has no presence sensing and works from schedules and the app.
Is the Sensi Touch smart thermostat a good thermostat?
Owners describe the Sensi Touch smart thermostat as easy to install with guided wiring, simple and reliable, with a clear touchscreen and humidity readings. Its main complaint is Wi-Fi pairing, since it only supports 2.4 GHz networks.
Do both work with Google Home and Apple Home?
Yes. The Nest Thermostat and the Sensi Touch smart thermostat both work with Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit and SmartThings. Neither supports Matter.
Who should buy the Nest Thermostat?
Google households that want automatic eco savings based on who is home, and buyers with a 5 GHz router.
Who should buy the Sensi Touch smart thermostat?
DIY installers who want a color touchscreen, Home Assistant users and anyone who values a three year warranty.
Compare all 22 Thermostats side by side
You are looking at two of them. The full table lines up all Thermostats in the catalog with the same specs, so you can filter by what you need and sort by price or rating.
- 22 Thermostats
- 51 specs compared
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