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Advancement in smart technology has also intruded into thermostats. Smart thermostats are devices capable of handling all of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements. They adjust temperatures which will suit you and yet, they are able to save on energy bills. These thermostats generally cannot be regarded as luxurious items but rather an essential need for todayâs living.
These sensors can perfectly optimize temperatures in your house, learn your schedule, enable you to take control of your home when away, etc. Some of them are even capable of learning your style and habits and then programming themselves for future.
And, with features such as voice control, where digital assistants like Cortana, Alexa, etc. support; these smart devices become really useful and a necessity for your property. Interestingly, some of these smart thermostats come at a further service and may enable you to control lights, take notes, order groceries, read the news, etc.
This article focuses on three major smart thermostats currently available in the market; Glas, Ecobee4 and Nest Learning. The article gives general information, sheds some light on key features, critically compares all of these three thermostats and then finally gives a conclusion.
General Comparison
Smart thermostats are usually small-sized with a display unit in front. Their size may be compared to a mid-sized mobile tablet. Some of these devices require a power supply, some require a C wire and some come with a built-in battery.
When choosing a smart thermostat emphasis should be given to the following factors:
- HVAC compatibility
HVAC compatibility ensures that your current appliances will be controllable via the smart thermostat. The compatibility can be checked simply online.
- Auxiliary connection allowance
Auxiliary devices such as ventilators, humidifiers, dehumidifiers can be connected to some smart thermostats. This allows the smart thermostat to control your extra appliance.
- Built-in digital assistance or support to other digital assistants
Digital assistants
- Room sensors support
 A room sensor allows having different parameters adjusted for different locations of a property. This can save a lot on energy bills.
Usually, these sensors will need to be purchased separately. The thermostat should be check for compliance with the sensors.
- Energy savings
It is important to understand how much your thermostat will be able to save on energy bills. Normally, thermostats can save around 15-25 % on energy costs.
- Price of the thermostat
Price of the smart thermostats varies based on the brand and the features it offers. Smart thermostats may range anywhere from $175-$500.
- Customer satisfaction
Customer reviews can give an idea of the usefulness of the product. Official website of the device and various other websites over the internet may list down customer reviews.
The following table shows a tech detail comparison of Glas, Ecobee4 and Nest Learning smart thermostats.
Tech detailed info
|
General Comparison |
GLAS | Ecobee4 | Nest Learning |
| Size |
30 mm x 140 mm x 127 mm |
109 mm x 109 mm x 44 mm |
84 mm x 84 mm x 31 mm |
| Weight | 8 ounces | 1 pound | 1 pound |
| HVAC Compatibility | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auxiliary Terminal | Yes | No | No |
| Compatibility Checker | Can be checked via the following link. | Can be checked via the following link. | Can be checked via the following link. |
| Amazon Alexa | Yes | Yes | No |
| Google Assistant | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Homekit | No | Yes | No |
| Microsoft Cortana | Yes | Yes | No |
|
What other things are included in the box? Â Â *apart from |
·  Paintable backplate ·  Screws and drywall ·  anchors ·  C-wire adapter ·  Air seal ·  Wiring stickers |
·     1 room sensor & Stand ·     Power Extender Kit ·     (for Homes w/o a C-Wire) Hardware Pack ·     Larger Trim Plate ·     Wire Labels |
·  1 room Sensor ·  Mounting screw ·  Installation card |
| Warranty | 2 years | 3 years | 2 years |
| Price | $319.00 | $249.00 | $249.00 |
Glas Vs. Ecobee4
Glass and Ecobee4 are leading smart thermostats in the market. Both are well regarded for the features they offer and the energy savings they can bring about.
Both of them do not require a battery to operate. This has the advantage of having a reliable power source to your thermostat at all times.
| Key Features Comparison | GLAS | Ecobee4 |
| Room Sensor | No | Yes |
| Built-in Alexa | No | Yes |
| Built-in Cortana | Yes | No |
| OLED Touchscreen | Yes | No |
| Air Quality Monitor | Yes | No |
| Requires Battery | No | No |
Glas Thermostat
Glas can be used both indoors and outdoors and has by default a built-in air quality monitor. This monitor gives critical information on various parameters and could be very useful. These parameters include equivalent carbon dioxide (eCOâ? levels, allergens (tree pollen, grass pollen, ragweed pollen, and mould), UV index, etc.
Glas provides great flexibility to users as it has an in-built Alexa and is compatible with several other digital assistants as well. Ecobee4, on the other hand, has an in-built Amazon Alexa but is not compatible with other digital assistants. Both the thermostats are well known for saving substantially on energy bills. Ecobee4 in this aspect is Energy Star certified and is capable of reducing heating and cooling costs by 23 %.
Ecobee4 thermostat
One aspect which really differentiates Glas and Ecobee4 is that Glas lacks room sensors support. This greatly undermines its usefulness when different areas of the property need to be controlled. Ecobee4 supports a room sensor and enables setting different temperatures at different areas of the house. Currently, Ecobee4 comes with one free room sensor in the packing.
Installation
The installation process is simple for both the thermostats and can be done within a few minutes without a lot of complications. When all the required wires are identified, it is just a matter of plugging them in at their specific slots.
 Control
Glas thermostat comes with a built-in Microsoft Cortana assistant. Glas also has compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The thermostat is fully controllable through the GLAS smart thermostat app.
Ecobee4 comes with a built-in Amazon Alexa assistant. The thermostat is fully controllable through the Ecobee mobile app.
Final Word
Glas and Ecobee4 are almost nearly at the same ranks when comparing their features and usefulness. However, Glas provides data on air quality which is not offered by the Ecobee4. This makes Glas at a slightly higher standing. Price wise Glass ($319) is slightly higher than Ecobee4 ($249). Overall, Glas is at a better rank and is recommended.
Glas Vs. Nest Learning
| Key Features Comparison | Glas | Nest Learning |
| Room Sensor | No | Yes |
| Built-in Alexa | Yes | No |
| Built-in Cortana | Yes | No |
| OLED Touchscreen | Yes | No |
| Air Quality Monitor | Yes | No |
| Requires Battery | No | Yes |
Glas and Nest Learning are amongst the pioneers in smart thermostats in the industry. Both of them are known for their useful smart features and energy saving perks. An independent study showed that Nest Learning thermostat alone can save up to 10-12 % on heating costs and 15 % on cooling costs.
Glass thermostat
Both Glas and Nest are capable of programming themselves. They adapt to oneâs style and seasons as well and then automatically make changes for the future. Glas on other hand monitors air quality and reports key parameters for both indoors and outdoors. It can report relative humidity, total volatile organic compounds, and equivalent carbon dioxide (eCOâ? levels.
And, for the outdoors, GLAS provides reports on allergens (tree pollen, grass pollen, ragweed pollen, and mould), UV index, and the air quality index, which includes ozone levels.
Nest thermostat
On the flip side, Nest Learning has the capability to have different temperatures for different rooms. This is possible by adding a temperature sensor in different rooms of the property. The main thermostat can be then be instructed to have the desired temperatures at different locations and even at different times of the day.
Nest also comes with safety features where it can alert a user if the temperature drops too low and a pipe can burst or for instance if the furnace is getting too hot. Furthermore, it can also sense if there is a Carbon Monoxide leak from the heating system and consequently shut it down. Also, if there is smoke, Nest can sense that too and turn the fan off to stop it from spreading in the house.
Although, both Glas and Nest thermometers are among the leaders in the market there are some aspects through which we can judge on their usefulness. Apart from the tremendous features they both offer, the downside of Glas is that it does not support room sensor while Nest has a downside where it lacks integrated Alexa, Cortana or any other digital assistants.
Installation
Both the thermostats offer an ease in the installation process and are basically âDo it Yourselfâ?or self-explanatory.
To put it simply, identifying the correct wires and then plugging them in at the right slots is all that is required.
Control
Glas thermostat comes with an in-built Microsoft Cortana assistant. Glas also has compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The thermostat is fully controllable through the GLAS smart thermostat app.
Nest Learning Thermostat is fully controllable through the mobile app. However, it lacks any built-in digital assistant.
Final Word
To put into conclusion, Glas thermostat offers slightly more flexibility in using the thermostat as it has the built-in digital assistant and is compatible with other platforms as well. With just a slightly higher price (Glass $319 and Nest $249), it is a worth considering option.
In Summary
| Overall | Pros | Cons |
| GLAS |
·  Stylish transparent screen ·  Full OLED touchscreen ·  Indoor/outdoor air quality monitoring ·  Built-in Microsoft Cortana digital assistant |
· The app may be buggy & frustrating · Complex usability · Slightly costly · No web portal · Does not support room sensors |
| Ecobee4 |
·  Built-in Alexa digital assistant ·  Room sensors supported ·  Features âFollow Meâ?mode ·  Provides energy reports |
· C-wire required · Does not have a fully functional Alexa · No backup battery |
| Nest Learning |
·  Room sensors supported ·  Learning ability ·  Provides energy reports |
· Small screen · Does not have any built-in digital assistant · Room sensor cannot detect occupancy |
Overall, smart thermostats can be best referred as devices which monitor all of your temperature needs in energy saving mode. With so many brands in the market, landing on an appropriate choice could be a troublesome process.
And, as emphasized earlier, factors of HVAC compatibility, auxiliary connection allowance, built-in digital assistance or support to other digital assistants, room sensors support, energy savings, the price of the thermostat and customer satisfaction should be taken into account. These factors can help in narrowing down and easing the selection.
Glas thermostat has the advantage of having a built-in digital assistant and compliance with several other digital assistants. Furthermore, it is hard-wired powered. The thermostat itself is designed in an exceptionally stylish manner and features a large transparent screen.
On the other side, Ecobee4 is a decent product as well, delivering almost all the features a smart thermostat would normally do. The best aspect about it is that it supports wireless room sensors which can be placed at different locations of a property. This enables having different temperatures set at different places.
Like Ecobee4, Nest is also able to support room sensors. But, the downside is that it requires a battery which may last for just up to 10 hours and also it does not have any integrated built-in digital assistants.
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conclusion
From the three options in this article, Glas ranks high in the features and the flexibility it offers to users. It has an integrated air quality monitor, which is not present Ecobee4 or Nest. Furthermore, Glas is supported by several well-known digital assistants, which also gives it an edge.
And, with features like arrival anticipation and occupancy detection, it is definitely all in one smart thermostat. The only downside is that it lacks a room sensor which can allow having different temperatures at different locations at a property. But, overall, Glas is a purposeful choice.
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