“A majority of a house’s total energy use comes from appliances that maintain heating and cooling,” says Sarah Jameson, marketing director of Green Building Elements. “However, a programmable thermostat on a preset schedule for heating and cooling can help reduce the cost of your electricity bill while keeping your home at optimum temperature.” We researched dozens of thermostats and looked at compatibility with different HVAC systems, programming options, ease of installation and use, and extra features to find the best ones. The Honeywell Home RTH8560D 7-Day Programmable Touchscreen Thermostat is our favorite because of its flexible programming options, intuitive touchscreen controls, and clean, modern design. Here are the best programmable thermostats. Whether you’re looking to save some money on your heating and cooling, replace your old thermostat with something that looks nicer, or even ditch your smart thermostat for an intuitive experience that doesn’t require Wi-Fi, the Honeywell Home RTH8560D 7-Day Programmable Touchscreen Thermostat is our top pick. This thermostat is easy to install, works with a wide variety of heating and cooling systems, and has many flexible scheduling options. The Honeywell Home RTH8560D features a sleek, modern look, with a highly legible LCD touchscreen with intuitive and easy-to-learn on-screen controls and a soothing blue backlight that makes it easy to see at night. The initial setup is a little complicated, so you may want to keep the instruction manual on hand, but it’s all smooth sailing after that. The initial setup is a little complicated because this thermostat can function as a 7-day, 5-1-1, or 5-2 thermostat. Most thermostats only give you one programming schedule, but this one lets you change it up as your scheduling needs change. If you’re consistently working five days with two days off, then a 5-2 schedule is likely to provide the most comfort while minimizing your utility bill. If things become more hectic and you need a different heating and cooling schedule every day of the week, you can switch to a 7-day or 5-1-1 schedule at any time. This thermostat works with both single- and multi-stage systems, including heating-only and cooling-only systems, forced air, heat pumps, and more. It also relies on batteries for power, so there’s no need for a C-wire. If your system does have a C-wire, you can connect to that and forego the batteries. Price at time of publish: $91 This model is a no-nonsense programmable thermostat that’s perfect if you’re sick of smart features or are just looking to save money. It switches on and off exactly when you program it, with up to four temperature changes per day in one-degree increments. It handles both heating and cooling with built-in compressor protection, but the catch is that it’s only good for single-stage systems. The special feature on the RTH2300B is a reminder that pops up if you go too long between filter changes, which is great for prolonging the life of your HVAC system. Price at time of publish: $32 If you’ve had trouble seeing digital thermostat readouts in the past, the Clear Comfort Pro addresses that issue. This thermostat features a large display that’s about 3.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall, and about a third of that real estate is dedicated to showing the current temperature. That crucial information is front and center in clear digital numbers. The set time and temperature are about half the size, and the other text is even smaller, but the layout is clear and easy to understand. You might experience an issue with viewing angles, but only if you look at the display from the side with the backlight off. Price at time of publish: $55 The RTH7600D has a bit of a dated look compared to our top pick, the RTH8560D, but these two thermostats share much of the same functionality under the hood. The RTH7600D is an excellent alternative if you don’t mind the dated aesthetic, prefer a bright green backlight, or just want to save a bit of money without compromising on features. Price at time of publish: $81 This thermostat can run on batteries, so it works in both systems that have a C-wire and ones that don’t. If you do install batteries, you can pop the thermostat off the wall for easier programming and then snap it back on the wall when you’re done. The only issue with this thermostat is that it only works with single-stage heating and cooling, so it won’t work with multi-stage systems. Price at time of publish: $60 This thermostat features a modern design aesthetic that’s similar to Honeywell’s higher-end models. The buttons are flat and integrated into a rounded viewport window with the display, which creates the illusion of a touchscreen, but they are physical buttons. The controls are intuitive, and it’s easy to program, but we recommend keeping the manual handy during the initial setup to avoid any confusion or frustration. The only other issue with this thermostat is that while you can connect it to a C-wire if you have one, it won’t operate without batteries. Price at time of publish: $61 While this thermostat is pricey, it more than makes up for that in functionality and ease of use. This thermostat features a generous touchscreen display with multiple color theme options to match your decor, and the intuitive interface includes on-screen help to walk you through programming and other controls. Installation is typically plug-and-play if you’re replacing an existing radiant floor thermostat since there isn’t anything out of the ordinary going on with the wiring, and SunTouch provides useful DIY guides on their website. Price at time of published: $225 The thermostat has a clean look, with no visible buttons, thanks to a flip-out cover. With the cover closed, all you see is the display. The display is clear and easy to read and offers easy programming and setup, but there is no backlight, which could make visibility difficult if the lighting isn’t perfect. The lack of light is because this is a two-wire line voltage thermostat that doesn’t require a battery. On the plus side, this model saves your settings in the event of a power outage despite not having a battery. If the power comes back within four hours, you don’t even need to reprogram the clock. Price at time of publish: $61 The main drawback of this thermostat is that it requires a C-wire, which complicates installation if your system doesn’t already have one. It needs extra power from the C-wire to run the Wi-Fi, which is the key feature. Price at time of publish: $120 If you have a multi-stage HVAC system, then it’s important to choose an option like the Honeywell Home RTH8560D, which specifically supports multi-stage heating and cooling. Other heating systems, like heated floors and electric baseboard heaters, have more specific requirements. In terms of installation, the only important thing to look out for is whether a programmable thermostat requires a C-wire. Most don’t, but units that include advanced features like Wi-Fi sometimes do. If your programmable thermostat needs a C-wire, and your system doesn’t already have one, that makes installation more difficult. “If it’s your first time attempting it, you have to be very wary of the configurations of your thermostat,” cautions Jameson. You may even need to hire an electrician if you don’t have any experience with electrical wiring.
Scheduling Options
Programmable thermostats have three primary scheduling options: 7-day, 5-1-1, and 5-2. The first option allows you to set a separate heating schedule for each day, while the other two give you one schedule for the work week and then some flexibility on the weekend. Since 7-day thermostats are the most expensive, opting for a 5-2 or 5-1-1 will save you some money if you don’t need a separate heating and cooling schedule for every day of the week. The easiest way to decide which type of programmable thermostat you need is to look at how your schedule varies throughout the week. According to Jameson, “7-day thermostats are best for homeowners with different work and home schedules throughout the week. Meanwhile, 5+2 or 5-1-1 can be good for families that almost have the same schedules of when they leave home and get home.”
Extra Features
Beyond the basic scheduling features found in all programmable thermostats, there are many extra features you may want to be on the lookout for. Auto-changeover is the most important if you live in an area that requires both heating and cooling on the same day. If you’re worried about indoor air quality, fan mode is a useful feature that lets you circulate air through your home whenever you want. Some thermostats include upgraded displays that are easier to see from farther away and have automatic backlights or intuitive touchscreen controls that are easier to use than standard push-button controls. These features don’t necessarily improve the functionality of a programmable thermostat, but they can make it easier to use one. Wi-Fi connectivity is an option that allows you to control the thermostat remotely via a web interface or an app on your phone. Some thermostats work with smart home systems like Alexa and HomeKit to add voice controls and other advanced functionality.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Jeremy Laukkonen, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce. His home heating and AC are competently managed by a Honeywell Programmable Wi-Fi thermostat, complete with Alexa voice controls, and he has over a decade of experience reviewing electronics for outlets like Lifewire and Digital Trends in addition to the Spruce. Very few programmable thermostats require a C-wire, which provides extra power to more complicated thermostats, so installation is usually just a matter of disconnecting the old thermostat and connecting the pre-existing wires to the correct terminals on your programmable model. If your programmable thermostat does require a C-wire, and your system doesn’t have one, it’s best to seek the help of an expert rather than self-installing it. Jameson cautions: “It’s also not advisable if you do not know your way around wiring.” “For the winter season, it’s highly recommended to set the thermostat at 72 degrees when you’re awake and 62 degrees when away or asleep,” suggests Jameson. “For the summer season, it’s best to keep the same temperature at 72 degrees when you are home and let the home be a little warmer than normal when away.” While smart thermostats are more expensive and typically harder to install, they are superior in most other aspects. “Ultimately, smart thermostats are way more intuitive than programmable thermostats as they track behavior patterns and recommend temperature alterations based on gathered data,” says Jameson. “They can also be controlled from smartphones as they are Wi-Fi enabled.” Laukkonen contacted Sarah Jameson, marketing director of Green Building Elements, to receive her expert opinions on the most important smart thermostat features, advice on installation and programming, and how programmable thermostats stack up against smart thermostats. With Jameson’s insights in mind, Laukkonen prioritized factors like system compatibility, ease of installation, and intuitive controls to identify the best programmable thermostats for various situations.
