There are more installations of Nest thermostats than there are smart homes. Which tells you that smart thermostats drive true value and more than convenience. But thermostats can seem daunting: multiple wires typically named with single-digit letters give the impression that installation will be hard. It needn't be, particularly now that quality, fully-wireless thermostats exist.
In the guide that follows, we're taking a look at 2 key categories of smart thermostats and giving insight into which are the best quality smart Z-Wave thermostats currently available.
Top picks for a Z-Wave thermostat
TL:DR? Let's cut to the chase: these are our top picks for the best Z-Wave thermostats for your smart home.
Best wired
Honeywell T6 Pro. Supports a broad range of wires and systems and offers a simple to use, clean design. |
Best wireless
MCO IR2900. Clean yet cutting edge design. Battery powered, it mimics a remote control and is designed to control HVAC systems. |
Scroll down or follow these links to see why we recommend each platform in greater detail.
- Benefits of a smart thermostat
- Thermostat wiring: what you need to know
- Best wireless Z-Wave thermostat
- Best wireless thermostat: runner up
Benefits of a smart thermostat
Installing a smart thermostat allows you to personalize temperature settings and optimize energy usage. Installing a smart Z-Wave thermostat allows you to add intelligent and responsive automation into the mix. The thermostat will pair with your Z-Wave controller / hub and allow other smart-devices, including non-Z-Wave devices, to control your thermostat.
- Responsive Automation: Enjoy the convenience of heating and cooling systems that automatically adjust based on room or home usage. Set up a holiday mode to ensure heaters operate only when the temperature drops below freezing during that period. Turn down heating in rooms that aren't occupied through the use of the thermostat and and motion sensors.
- Intelligent Scheduling: Take control of your heating and AC with customizable on-and-off schedules. Use time schedules in conjunction with other data from your Z-Wave controller. For example, have your air conditioner turn on at 12 noon, but only if the interior temperature exceeds a chosen threshold and it's similarly warm outside.
- Convenient Remote Control: Easily manage your HVAC systems remotely using smart device apps. Adjust room temperatures from anywhere, whether returning from a holiday or encountering a change in your home's routine.
- Zoning: Optimize comfort and energy efficiency by installing zoning systems. Customize temperature settings for different areas of your home, ensuring each room is just the right temperature.
- Enhanced Measurements: Use in conjunction with connected temperature sensors allows you to keep a room's temperature consistent and precise.
- Enhanced Control: Expand your control options beyond the Z-Wave app. With compatibility with voice controllers like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple's Siri, you can effortlessly control your smart thermostat using your preferred voice assistant.
Thermostat wiring: what you need to know
There are two routes you can take for a smart thermostat: wired and wireless. Wireless is obviously the easier to install of the two. If you're looking at installing a wired thermostat, which is likely necessary if it's not a HVAC you're looking to control, then you're going to have to first understand which wires your installation will require. With an existing thermostat, this can be as simple as detaching the existing thermostat and checking how it's terminals are labelled. Typically, wired installations will be either 4 or 5 wire systems and have a combination such as the following:
- 4-wire system
- G - Fan control
- R - 24 VAC input
- Y - Compressor (cooling) control
- W - Heat control
- 5-wire system will also have the C / common wire
- G - Fan control
- R - 24 VAC input
- Y - Compressor (cooling) control
- W - Heat control
- C - Common 24 VAC
Best wired Z-Wave thermostat
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Honeywell T6 Pro
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Coming from Honeywell you know this won't be the cheapest option on the market but you also know it'll be amongst the best quality. The Honeywell T6 Pro offers a good, informative, but somewhat dated interface. If you're looking for something as sleek as Nest, this isn't it, but with smart thermostats it's always a trade-off between looks, functionality, and compatibility.
The T6 Pro supports 2-stage heating and cooling in conventional systems, including auxiliary heating and dual fuel systems. It also caters to 3-stage heating/2-stage cooling heat pumps, accommodating a variety of configurations. To match your existing system, it provides terminals for Y, Y2, G, C, O/B, W2(Aux), W, R, and Rc wires. For an easier installation experience, Honeywell has included a clean terminal block with push clips instead of screw terminals.
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Best wired thermostat: runner up
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Remotec ZTS-500
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Remotec features twice in our round-up of best Z-Wave thermostats - they're known for good quality thermostats within the industry. Their ZTS-500 is versatile and offers a lot of compatibility through terminals for RH, RC, C, Y2, Y1, G2, G1, B, O, W2, and W1 wires. What's really nice is that the terminals are detachable as a single block - you can attach the wires and then reattach the terminal block; that removes the fiddly aspect of typical wired thermostat installations. Note further that the C-wire is fully optional: you can also power this via 4xAA batteries. The ZTS-500's interface is nice, clutter free, and straightforward to use.
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Best wireless Z-Wave thermostat
There are multiple reasons why you may prefer a wireless Z-Wave thermostat;
- an installation location without the necessary wiring
- your existing thermostat has wiring, such as C wiring, which your preferred Z-Wave thermostat doesn't offer
- your system doesn't have a thermostat, something common with a lot of remote-controlled split air conditioning installations
If your needs tick any of the above boxes, then a battery-powered, wireless Z-Wave thermostat is your go to choice.
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MCO IR2900
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If you're not looking to replace an existing, wired thermostat, then MCO's IR2900 is a rather perfect choice. Styled like a thermostat, it offers standard on / off / temperature higher / lower right from its touch-panel interface. Of course, with Z-Wave Plus v2 800 series inside, you can achieve full automation and control via Z-Wave and your hub's app. It can be powered by battery or via USB, and has been engineered for split air conditioners and heaters. It'll likely already know the IR commands of your existing split system as it has access to a database of IR commands for a broad range of split-system brands and models.
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Best wireless thermostat: runner up
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Remotec ZXT-800
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If Remotec's ZXT-800 came with a touch-panel or touch-screen interface, it's likely that every Z-Wave smart home would end up with one. It is compatible with thousands of HVACs. It's compatible with audio-visual systems from over 8,000 brands. It has temperature and humidity sensors built in. But it's lacking one key thing: buttons or a touch screen interface to control local split systems. That means non-automated use of the ZXT-800 requires use of your Z-Wave hub's app and we know that isn't perfect for every single home or situation. It it weren't for that fact, we'd likely have recommended ZXT-800 as the best wireless Z-Wave thermostat and a runner-up as the best all rounder.
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