The smart thermostat picks our NATE-certified Long Island techs actually install — broken down by what you want to spend. Skip to your budget below.
| Budget | Our Top Pick | Best For | Jump |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50 | Amazon Smart Thermostat | Alexa households on a budget | See picks → |
| Under $150 | Honeywell Home T9 | Whole-home comfort with one or two hot/cold rooms | See picks → |
| Under $200 | ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced | Most Long Island homes — best balance of features and price | See picks → |
| Under $300 | ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium | Two-story homes with bedroom/office hot spots | See picks → |
| Under $500 | Honeywell Prestige IAQ 2.0 | Multi-stage furnaces with humidifier + ERV | See picks → |
| Under $1000 | Carrier Infinity System Control (SYSTXCCITC01-B) | Carrier Infinity furnace + heat pump owners | See picks → |
Under $50 you're getting basic Wi-Fi control, app scheduling, and Alexa/Google Assistant — not learning algorithms or remote sensors. Great for a rental, second home, or anyone who just wants a phone-controlled thermostat.
Amazon (made by Honeywell Resideo)
The cheapest legitimately smart thermostat we'd put in a customer's home.
Wyze
Fine if you already live in the Wyze ecosystem; otherwise the Amazon unit is more reliable.
This is the entry-smart sweet spot. Touchscreens, geofencing, multi-stage support — everything most Long Island homes need without overpaying for room sensors.
Honeywell (Resideo)
Best entry smart thermostat for Long Island homes — handles every furnace, AC, and heat pump combo we install.
Emerson
The easiest install in this tier — and the only HomeKit-native pick under $150.
Under $200 you finally get a learning thermostat or a real ecobee with one room sensor in the box. This is where most homeowners should buy.
ecobee
Our most-installed thermostat. Pair with one $79 SmartSensor and you've matched the Premium for $130 less.
Google Nest
The set-it-and-forget-it pick. Less HVAC flexibility than ecobee but unbeaten learning.
Under $300 is the premium consumer tier. You get a room sensor in the box, radar/occupancy detection, and built-in air quality monitoring. Worth it if you have rooms that don't match the thermostat's reading.
ecobee
The thermostat we recommend most when a customer asks for 'the best one.' Worth the $60 jump over Enhanced.
Google Nest
Buy the ecobee Premium instead unless you're already deep in Google Home.
Under $500 puts you into pro-installed multi-stage and zoned-system territory. These thermostats talk to variable-speed equipment and zoning panels properly — something the consumer thermostats above can't do.
Honeywell (Resideo)
Best non-communicating premium thermostat. We install these on most multi-stage Carrier and Trane jobs that aren't full communicating systems.
ecobee
The DIY answer to comfort imbalance — covers 4 rooms beyond the thermostat.
This is communicating-thermostat territory: factory-matched controls that pair with variable-capacity Carrier, Trane, Lennox, and Bryant systems. They unlock full modulation and protect manufacturer warranties on premium equipment.
Carrier
If you own Carrier Infinity equipment, anything else costs you efficiency and warranty coverage.
Trane
The benchmark Trane communicating control. Required for full XV20i / XL20i performance.
Lennox
Required for full Lennox SLP99V modulation. Pair with hardwired Ethernet if possible.
Our NATE-certified technicians install 200+ thermostats a year across Nassau County and Western Suffolk. These rankings are built from real install outcomes — not spec-sheet comparisons.
Our Long Island techs install every thermostat on this list. We'll match the right one to your HVAC system and wire it correctly the first time.
The best smart thermostat under $50 is the Amazon Smart Thermostat. The cheapest legitimately smart thermostat we'd put in a customer's home.
The best smart thermostat under $150 is the Honeywell Home T9. Best entry smart thermostat for Long Island homes — handles every furnace, AC, and heat pump combo we install.
The best smart thermostat under $200 is the ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced. Our most-installed thermostat. Pair with one $79 SmartSensor and you've matched the Premium for $130 less.
The best smart thermostat under $300 is the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium. The thermostat we recommend most when a customer asks for 'the best one.' Worth the $60 jump over Enhanced.
The best smart thermostat under $500 is the Honeywell Prestige IAQ 2.0. Best non-communicating premium thermostat. We install these on most multi-stage Carrier and Trane jobs that aren't full communicating systems.
The best smart thermostat under $1000 is the Carrier Infinity System Control (SYSTXCCITC01-B). If you own Carrier Infinity equipment, anything else costs you efficiency and warranty coverage.
Most smart thermostats require a C-wire (common wire) for continuous power. Some models like the Emerson Sensi Touch 2 and Google Nest can run without one in many homes, but reliability is better with a C-wire. If you don't have one, our techs can add one in most Long Island homes for a flat fee.
For most Long Island homes we recommend ecobee — better multi-stage and heat-pump support, and SmartSensors solve the "one room is always wrong" problem. Nest wins if you hate programming schedules and have a simple conventional system.
