ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite

The ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite is the entry point into ecobee’s range. It covers the basics well: scheduling, remote control from your phone, and support for ecobee’s remote sensors.

What it leaves out is the sensing hardware in the thermostat itself. There is no air quality monitor, no radar occupancy detection and no built-in microphone or speaker, so the higher models remain the ones that respond to a room on their own.

What works in Apple Home

• Set the target temperature and the mode, and read the current temperature and humidity.
• Use the thermostat in scenes and automations, and control it with Siri.
• Read the remote SmartSensors as separate accessories.

Remote sensors

ecobee’s remote SmartSensors are the reason people choose this brand, and every model in the range works with them. A thermostat in the hallway does not know that the back bedroom is cold. A sensor in that bedroom tells it, and the thermostat can average the rooms that are occupied rather than heating to the temperature of the hallway wall.

Before you buy

ecobee has sold several entry-level thermostats under similar names, including the older ecobee3 lite, and the specification differs between them. Check the model number on the listing against ecobee’s current comparison table before you order.

Check your wiring as well. A C wire is the reliable way to power any ecobee, and the power extender kit is a fallback rather than a first choice.

If you want occupancy sensing built in, step up to the Essential or the Enhanced.

Specifications