Degrii Smart Thermostat review: Unexpected features, and flaws

• Published in: TechHive
• Main Author: D'Aprile, Jason
• Format: Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Needham Foundry 16.07.2024
• Subjects: Ambient temperature; Cover plates; Display devices; Energy consumption; Geofences; Heat; HVAC; HVAC equipment; Remote control; Remote sensors; Sensors; Temperature; Temperature control; Thermostats

At a glance Expert's Rating Pros * Geofencing support * Supports up to 12 optional remote sensor/controls for other rooms * Adapter kit provided if there’s no C-wire in your wall * Very affordable Cons * Simplistic on-device display, with a rudimentary interface * Thermostat doesn’t have a persistent display, you must press a button to read it * No secondary cover plate for hiding holes left by earlier thermostats Our Verdict Degrii’s Smart Thermostat offers some features that usually found only on much more expensive models, but it also has a few important shortcomings. A sticker on the device informs you that the thermostat will need about 30 minutes to calibrate itself before it can read the ambient temperature accurately, but neither the thermostat nor the app informs when the calibration has been completed. [...]if you have your HVAC system set with a target temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 C), and the ambient temperature at the location where the thermostat is installed is already at 68 F, but the sensor in the kitchen is reading 75 F (24 C) and the one in the living room with the southern-facing picture window is at 78 F (25 C), the Degrii will run the HVAC system until the average ambient temperature reading of all the sensors reaches 68 F. These remote devices also have occupancy sensors and the thermostat can be programmed to ignore the readings for empty rooms that don’t need temperature control at the moment.