Is this finally an inexpensive, but quality WiFi thermostat to pair with SmartZone for the perfect affordable WiFi HVAC Zoning solution? Short answer… yes, if your biggest driving factor is cost. These, if you can get them from Wyze.com*, are only $79 each. And when you need two or three or four or more for a SmartZone system, this low cost seems quite appealing.
I received a pre-order version (two actually) and have been testing them on the workbench and at home for a few months. Although there were a couple of hiccups when I installed the first one, I haven’t had any issues since installation and have subsequently installed 2 more (in a different location).
Although, they might lack a few of the finer aspects of the nest or some of the flexibility of the ecobee, the Wyze does work and is almost half the cost.
For either Heat Pump or Gas/Electric, etc equipment types, the Wyze works great. It is basic, but everything you need for 90% of customers (including my on personal system).
(Note: there is no remote sensor at the time of writing of this but they (Wyze) do say one is in the works for the future)
*as of this writing August 2021, they are out of stock from Wyze and most re-sellers on ebay or amazon want more for them than retail. When the price goes up, this becomes less appealing because there are good options available at the $150 price range already.
Buy here: https://wyze.com/wyze-thermostat.html
When NOT to use a Wyze…
1. If you need a remote sensor. ecobee or honeywell or nest all have them.
2. If you use the APP all the time. I’m not going to say the app is buggy, but it isn’t quite as robust yet as some of the others like ecobee or nest.
The app works great for me, but we only use the app once or twice per month or so. We mostly interact with the thermostat and only use the app occasionally for remote changing of temperature or to check if it is off while we are out of town. If I used the APP every day as a part of my temperature management, I would probably go with the ecobee or nest.
Also as a brief aside, I DO recommend the Wyze cameras also, but I don’t have much frame of reference because they are the only Wifi cameras I have ever had but I have used them for about 4 years and, for the price, can’t be beat. https://wyze.com/wyze-cam-black.html
With thermostats, however, I do have extensive experience and have tested (or at least played with) most all Wifi thermostats on the market. The Wyze fits the bill as an excellent “budget” WiFi thermostats which makes it a perfect upgrade to a SmartZone system.
COST:
At ZoningSupply.com you can purchase a 4-zone kit (including everything you need except thermostats) starting at $750 ($500 for 2 zones) and $320 for thermostats (4X $79ea). This means for about $1000 you can get everything you need for a full 4-Zone WiFi Zoning System and about $660 for a full Wifi 2-zone SmartZone system.
Check out SmartZone Kits here: https://zoningsupply.com/buy/2-3-or-4-zone-kits
We are not affiliated in any way with Wyze, however, we have reached out to them to see if we could be an authorized reseller to bring WiFi kits to our customers but have not yet heard back… probably because they are always out of stock.