Nest smart thermostats Nest smart thermostats have been an icon of the smart home since they hit the market in late 2011. Nothing says smart like a device that can learn your habits and make your home run more efficiently without having to fiddle with settings and automations. In the 13 years since then, Nest smart thermostats have been easy to spot, with the same thick silver frame and compact circular display. This design was radical at a time when most smart thermostats looked like boring, beige rectangular boxes.
from google Nest Learning Thermostat 4th Generation It has a whole new look, transforming what now seems like a basic piece of tech into a piece of wall art of sorts. It also has new smart features and includes a temperature sensor to place anywhere in the house. It’s a refreshing update to a long-standing staple, and feels smart without being intrusive or overly complex — an important middle ground that not all smart devices find.
Slim configuration
Photography: Nena Farrell
If you’re hoping to fit the 4th generation Nest Smart Thermostat onto the base of an older Nest Thermostat, you won’t be able to do so. The thermostat base on the new model is a different size, so you’ll need to swap out the old base for the new one.
While the third-generation thermostat is smaller, its base is a bit larger and has larger connectors; the base on the new thermostat is smaller and has really tiny connection buttons. You’d think that with the larger 3.9-inch display, the base would be larger, but it takes up less space on the wall, which is a good thing. It does come with an optional faceplate like previous generations, but the new version is oval rather than rectangular. A 3.9-inch display may not seem all that big, but it looks surprisingly large on the wall if you’re used to smaller Nest thermostats, or even something like my previous thermostat, the square Honeywell T6.
Photography: Nena Farrell
Setting up the Nest is easy; Make sure your system is compatible and that you’ve turned off the appropriate breaker to cut the power. The Nest app no longer works with this model. Google has been gradually moving many of its features and capabilities into the Google Home app, and that’s what you’ll use for this new model. Google Home walks you through the steps to remove the old thermostat, label the wires, and install the new thermostat over it.
