Nest Learning Thermostat – 2nd Generation – T200577

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The idea behind the Nest Learning Thermostat - 2nd Generation - T200577 is that it completely rethinks thermostats and it learns your preferences over time so you don't have to program it. I was intrigued by the Nest because out of all the programmable thermostat reviews I've read, this was the only one that was consistently at the top of everyone's list. This new version is a little bit slimmer (about 20% thinner than the first version) and it has a one piece bezel just like the previous version. Also, you can turn the entire unit around and the reflective sides will reflect the color of the paint around it. Very cool! It has a super sleek profile especially compared to traditional boxy/square thermostats. Read the rest of this Nest thermostat review below to help you determine whether this is the right product for your home!

The 2nd generation Nest is one button and the different options take you into the software. Most of the changes to this version happen in the software which is exciting because it's also available to first generation users, yay! One change though is in the away setting, so the Nest knows when you're away from your house and this version knows faster too so you save more energy over time. When you come back and it senses your movement, it wakes up and brings your house back to the temperature you wanted. The Nest T200577 also has a motion sensor on the front and keeps track of whether there is anyone walking by. If no one walks by after a couple of hours it will put itself on auto-away, which turns off the heat and the air conditioning unless it goes above or below a preset threshold (which is usually much higher and lower than usual).

This touch screen thermostat also knows what to do with different types of heat sensors which you can select in the settings. At the back of the Nest, it has more options for connecting to different types of heating systems and it's also going to know what to do with those different types of heating systems. So a forced-air heating system might heat up at a different pattern than, say, a radiant-heat system which you might want to heat up more slowly over time for maximum comfort or for saving energy.

There are some features on the Nest 2.0 that do help with lowering your monthly bill. For example, it will continue to use the fan for a couple of minutes after it turns off the air conditioner to get every last ounce of cooling. This actually has the effect of cooling your house slightly too much, and then the air conditioning won't turn on until it is slightly too warm. This is a good thing though because it means that overall, your A/C unit will not run that much in the hot summer days. It does a similar thing for the heater, too.

The Nest learning thermostat also has some nice little changes to the way the panel works. You screw it in at the top so that it uses gravity to level itself and it's generally a little bit easier to get the wires in although I have to say that it took me maybe 15 minutes to install this (compared to about 25 minutes when I installed the first version) so it's all really very easy. Once you've installed the Nest, you can add it to your Wi-Fi network and control it from your phone, or tablet, or laptop, or pretty much anywhere. Also, the instructions tell you to turn the temperature up and down normally and that it would learn your habits in about three days. Sure enough, after two days, it said that it learned enough to work on its own but I should continue changing it as it continues learning over time.

I've been using the first version of this for about seven months now and it has saved me time and money and I really like it. Now I've switched to the second version because it truly is the best programmable thermostat on the market today! The new software combined with the streamlined next generation hardware make for an incredibly complete experience. I can't stop looking at the new Nest Learning Thermostat - 2nd Generation - T200577, spinning the solid steel ring and scrolling through the new features! For the first time ever, a thermostat can understand what you and your home need to save energy and stay comfortable, then automatically adapt to make it happen. Oh, and did I forget to mention that it looks absolutely beautiful?