Yes, smart thermostats are cool -- letting you monitor and control your home’s temperature from your smartphone, PC or tablet -- but they’re really about saving money. That’s because these devices can monitor temperature and humidity outside your home, your comings and goings, and tailor heating and cooling cycles accordingly. Based on our comprehensive testing, Ecobee3 ($249 on Amazon) is the best overall choice in this category because its sensors let you deliver the right temperature on a room-by-room basis. It also knows which rooms are occupied and comes with an intuitive app. Since our initial review, it's only gotten better, and now works with Apple's HomeKit. As a result, we've bumped its rating to 9 stars. Our runner-up is the third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, which has a larger display than before, and works with a multitude of other smart home devices, including the Amazon Echo. How We Tested and Rated I installed—or had installed—several smart thermostats in my apartment, and tested them separately for at least one week.

This included not just changing the temperature, but also evaluating its accompanying app and web portal, if available. If the thermostat worked with other smart home devices or Web-connected services (such as IFTTT), I tested that functionality as well. As you'll see in our comparison table (above), we break down the features you should look for in a smart thermostat. The Ecobee is the only device we tested that supports multiple zones. All of the smart thermostats reviewed offer motion activation, except for the Carrier Cor, which is also the only one that requires professional installation. Other Smart Thermostats Reviewed Related Buying Guides:Smart Home GadgetsRobot VacuumsBest Bluetooth Speakers6 Best AC Filters | We spent 28 hours on research, videography, and editing, to review the top options for this wiki. One of the easiest ways to save money on energy costs and prolong the life of your furnace or air conditioning unit is to regularly change the filters. Our selection of effective AC filters includes options from inexpensive to hypoallergenic, and are capable of filtering out pollen, dust, pet dander and even bacteria and viruses.

Filtrete Micro Allergen Defense Filters CF100A1025 High Efficiency Air Cleaner AFB Gold Air Filters made in a us factory ships from manufacturer to your doorservice your ac unit can be doubled for additional filteringtop rated heating air conditioning systems WEB WPLUS Eco Filter Pluswhat is the best ac unit to buy adjustable frame fits several openings parts made from recycled plastic Healthy Living Elite Allergen Reduction great for people with allergies helps filter out viruses and bacteria can last for up to 3 months5 - February 25, 2016 Ryan just left after our check-up visit. He was friendly, knowledgeable and was so efficient I barely knew he was here. We had 2 new units installed by them a couple of years ago and we have had no issues at all.

If you are looking for a professional, reliable AC service. Simply the Best is the one to call. Can you give Ryan a raise? 5 - January 26, 2016 This is the second time that Ryan has come to our home to service our air conditioners or furnaces. Both times he has come he has been very professional, knowledgeable and friendly. He takes his time, answers all questions, explains any repairs that need to be done and informs us of possible future issues. He is a real asset to Simply the Best and I have already recommended him to others. 5 - January 14, 2016 Simply the Best Heating and Cooling has impressed me so far. I had them install a new unit a few months ago and installation went like a dream. I did notice that the bedroom that was farthest away from the unit was colder than usual. Ryan came today and fixed what we believe to be the problem. One of the vents was restricted about half way. Ryan was very professional and listened to what I had to say about what I had noticed. Thank you Ryan for a job well done.

5 - January 7, 2016 The technicians and customer service with simply the best heating and cooling was amazing. Very reasonable pricing and they were quick to arrive and fix the problem. 5 - May 28, 2015 Our heating went out. Based on ratings, we called Simply the Best. From the first meeting, all the way through the inspection at the end, we were treated as family. Jessie came in and did a great job finding our needs. Sean and Jason was amazing in the installation. Ginger great internally with the paperwork. Jason on the inspection found some minor things that would make it perfect. They truly did a great job and worth the call. With our ductless ac ratings, you can cut through all the sales hype and find value. We have searched the manufacturers' information and, by using our air conditioner repair experience, created our unique system of ratings. It truly is like taking a repairman with you while you shop! Our top pick is the dealers The Daikin MXS series offers the best multi-zone units for up to four zones while the VRV III units can serve up to six or eight different zones.

The indoor units are available in cassette, ceiling, ducted, and console units as well as high wall units. This brand has a "HOME LEAVE" feature that can set the temperature three to five degrees higher in cooling mode or lower in the heating mode for when you are not home. They also have an "INTELLIGENT EYE" feature where an infrared sensor will set back the temperature when you leave the room for more than twenty minutes. Both of those features can provide you with significant energy savings and the units are backed by a good warranty. We continue our ductless ac ratings with an alphabetical list of manufacturers and reviews of their products. You can browse our listings or, if you are searching for a specific brand, you can enter its name in the search box above.We are a website that is committed to providing you the most in-depth portable air conditioner reviews of the most popular brands in the United States and around the World. This page is dedicated to portable AC’s mainly because that is where we have most of our experience.

Our goal is to educate while helping you purchase the most suitable machine for your home. That way you can stay cool and comfortable all summer long. If you’ve taken a look at the manufacturers available at Amazon, Sylvayne, Air & Water etc. you will quickly notice that there are a lot of different brands and styles to choose from. If this is your first time searching for a portable unit, then terms like “BTU” and “R410a refrigerant” may be a little confusing at the moment. However, don’t worry because we cover as much as we can about these machines in our buyers guide and reviews which can be viewed below. *(for direct access to our reviews, see the menu above, or see below.) Before you can embark on your search, you need to understand a little bit about your room. How big is it? Where is the sun located? How many people are regularly in the room? Are you in a kitchen? Are there a lot of electronics in the room that produce heat? Knowing these things in advance is crucial for making sure you purchase the right machine for your environment.

Portable AC’s are fairly heavy and some don’t have handles to make it easy to relocate. So be sure to do enough research because it’s not an item you really want to have to return. Once you understand a little more about your room and you know how many BTU’s you’re looking for, you can then start narrowing down your selection. Top brands to keep an eye out for include; Whynter, Honeywell, Sharp, LG, Frigidaire & Toyotomi. Whynter is a well known appliance company in the United States who is regarded as one of the best and most reliable AC manufacturers. They have a wide range of options to choose from, although depending on when you purchase they can be a bit pricey. Click here for a full breakdown and review of the Whynter ARC-14SH. Honeywell is another well known American manufacturer who’s portable AC selection is starting to grow. They have excellent “low noise” single hose units, as well as dual hoses that work even more efficient, but a little bit louder.

(*Honeywell’s dual hose machines have yet to hit the US market.) Read a detailed and informative review of the Honeywell MN12CES. Toyotomi is a brand that’s manufactured in Japan and is probably a name you wouldn’t pay much attention to. Especially if you were basing part of your decision on visual appearance. This brand outperforms many in it’s class and is actually one on the most durable units we’ve ever used. Get an in depth review on the Toyotomi TAD-T40LW. If you’re a business looking to find a cooling solution for your office or server room, then you might want to move your focus away from consumer units and towards the industrial brands. Commercial sized units are the best portable air conditioner machines for cooling a large space where noise level isn’t much of an issue. Your average home based machine will normally reach up to 14,000 BTU, although when using an industrial machine you can expect your BTU’s to reach as high as 100,000 or more (roughly 3,500 sq ft. of space).