Ecobee Unveils HomeKit-Enabled Smart Thermostat Essential for $130 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Ecobee Unveils HomeKit-Enabled Smart Thermostat Essential for $130

by

Smart home accessory maker Ecobee has announced the Smart Thermostat Essential, a more affordable alternative to the Smart Thermostat Premium and Enhanced models in its lineup.

ecobee smart thermostat essential
Priced at $129.99, the Smart Thermostat Essential includes a full-colour touchscreen, and features Ecobee's standard scheduling and comfort settings that adapt to household routines, optimizing energy use when nobody's home. With the device, Ecobee claims customers can save up to 23% on annual heating and cooling costs, covering the cost of the device in just six months.

The unit integrates with the Ecobee mobile app to allow remote control of heating and cooling. Users can receive automatic alerts when potential issues are detected, as well as Home Energy Reports that provide insights into energy use. The thermostat can also be paired with optional Ecobee SmartSensors to further optimize household comfort in the rooms that are used most.

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is compatible with most major smart home ecosystems, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, and will be available from major retailers and at ecobee.com from March 2025.

Tags: CES 2025, Ecobee

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Rumored Colors

What's Coming in September: New iPhones, Apple Watches and More

Thursday August 13, 2026 4:20 pm PDT by
Apple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV. iPhone 18 Pro The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting ...
Read Full Article • 25 comments
iPhone 17 One Year Later Thumb 1

Should You Buy an iPhone 17 Now or Wait for iPhone 18?

Friday August 14, 2026 12:15 pm PDT by
For the first time since Apple started selling standard and "Pro" iPhones, we're not going to get an entry-level iPhone model this fall. Apple doesn't plan to release an iPhone 18 in September, and will only launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra. The lower-cost iPhone 18 won't come out until spring 2027. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Read Full Article • 106 comments
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Sunday August 16, 2026 8:24 pm PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. As usual, the event is expected to take place in the first half of September. Labor Day falls on September 7 this year. The last time the holiday was on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the...
Read Full Article

Top Rated Comments

powaking Avatar
powaking
21 months ago
Here's a link if you want to know the differences between the 3 in their lineup. https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/smart-thermostat-essential-ces/
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
Tagbert
21 months ago

I unfortunately bought one of these. It’s crap. The software is ridiculously complicated and unintuitive. And now it just “checks out” periodically and doesn’t regulate my system’s functions until I disconnect and reboot it. And even then it’s a crapshoot as to whether it’ll comeback. I hate it.
I've had an Ecobee Smart thermostat for about 3 years and it has been easy to use and rock solid. Perhaps something is wrong with your unit?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
turbineseaplane
21 months ago

I will check them out, thanks! I don't really care about any extra bells and whistles. As long as I can set a schedule with whatever degree temps I want, I'm good. :)
I honestly interact with mine fully with Apple Home now that it's set up -- it's really outstanding

I'm perhaps a little biased by the value, as I got it for "new open box" for $50 (not the $170+ it retails for)

It's been as low as $150 on Amazon it looks like, but I'd check your local area. Thermostats are always something being sold for mega discounts by folks who change their mind, or didn't realize it won't work for them (no C-Wire, etc) or missed a return window...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
turbineseaplane
21 months ago

Which brand do you recommend?
Ecobee is outstanding
You'd think it's an Apple product (in a good way)

Which ecobee depends upon what of their features you want/need (extra sensors, etc)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
L
leonmckee
21 months ago
Installed a Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium in a rental that had a dumb thermostat with electric strip based forced air heat. Big bills! The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium has paid for itself many times over. Also increased comfort. Impressive product.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Z
zsrh
21 months ago

Does it support Thread so it can operate without being directly on a Wi-Fi network?
Based on what their support team told me, they are working on this. Unfortunately, they could not give me an ETA for when it would be available. Hopefully soon.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments