Hi,
I am just getting ready to jump into the smart thermostat market and have been trying to research options. I know the Nest has been around a long time and been the go-to product for awhile, but it appears Honeywell just released a thermostat that is home kit compatible. Since the idea of using Siri to control temperature is appealing, what do you guys think? Sound off in the comments if you have experiences from each company or the current accessibility state of their apps.
Thanks,
Chelsea
Link to new home kit compatible thermostat:
http://yourhome.honeywell.com/en/products/thermostat/lyric-thermostat
Comments
I'm looking too.
I have use the Honeywell app in the past. I was over all happy with it. I didn't like that I couldn't see the current temp, I had to log in the Honeywell sight to see it.
To program and run the heat and air worked great. I hopen with homekit, I can just ask and get the temp said back to me. The Honeywell T5 is what I'm thinking I will buy today. I'm also looking at the eco b3 and eco b3 lite, not shore how good the APP works with voiceover , but it is homekit ready
Let me know if you have any more INFO.
.
I've Both
While I have and use both, I like Nest because of accessibility, integration, and support.
1. Accessible: Mobile and wearable apps are screen reader accessible.
2. Integration: Works with Nest, IFTTT, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.
3. Nest support is excellent not to mention the elegant design aesthetic--absolute attention to detail.
I wish I could say the same about Honeywell for the above 3-factors
Current Nest user
I have the Nest. The only thing I will say is: if you're a low vision user like me, you'll find the Nest app on the iOS to be a challenge to view. Using my iPhone Six Plus, I've tried viewing it in both format, "inverted colors" and "normal." In both instances, it's extremely difficult to view. You'll see it in either light blue or orange. Either way, for folks with RP, it was and is a challenge.
The other disappointment that I see is that you cannot view the current temperature. If someone has a fix for this, let me know. The Nest Support staff was unable to help me with this.
What are you looking for?
Hello,
It will depend on what you’re looking for. Do you want bells and whistles or something simple that will get the job done. Your budget will also play a role.
Personally, I have a Honeywell and it’s basic as you can get but still has wifi. My sighted wife said the thermostat looks good and easy to operate. The app is accessable. It also has a feature called voice command. If you want to know the inside temp, double tap on voice command and say what’s the temperature? The robot will then tell you the inside temp as well as the outside. You can also say I’m feeling warm or cold and the temp will go up or down accordingly.
If you want to check it out, download the apps and run it in demo mode.
HTH and good luck.
current temperature.
1. On Google Home, "Hey Google, what is indoor temperature?", "Hey Google, what is temperature of <location>/<nickname>?"
2. iOS Weave dev app has current temperature: http://www.applevis.com/apps/ios/utilities/weave-developer
3. Android Nest app has TalkBack accessible current temperature
OK, I picked up a???
I got the Honeywell lyric /t5. Did'n know it needed a different app then the other Honeywell stats. My friend helped me get it installed. So far I do like it. The app is about 85 percent there for voiceover users. I can't change the temp in the app. But I can see indoor and outdoor temps. I can use my voice and with homekit and my Ecco. If you go to the Home app, I can see the indoor temp and turn it up and down. I will update as I play more with it.:)
HTH
Nest app
I have recently gotten a nest. In large part, the app is accessible. I can control the temperature, see the outdoor temp, and for the indoors I can see the current temp and humidity. The first screen is the one that shows your status, (home or away), and it has the outdoor temp. It then has your nest products, (I only have the thermostat), and once I tap on that I can read the target temp, followed by the current temp. It then says rather it is heating or "heat set to," which happens if the target temp and current temp match. As I flick through the screen I can find the controls to change the temp, I flick past indoor humidity, and along the bottom is the button to get to the heat/cool/other functions, a fan button, history, and schedule. My only gripe is that the schedule and/or the history are not readable. Otherwise, I feel like I can control my smart thermostat pretty well, and it has helped me learn things about my home. Who knew I badly needed humidifiers? The only other drawback is it does not work with home kit, but I can live with that too since the app is fairly easy to use.
Stay far away from Ecobee
Someone in the blindness community who's opinions and recommendations on Assistive Tech are held in high regard, recommended Ecobee smart wifi thermostats. So I purchased two Ecobee 3lite thermostats for my new-to-me home. I was not looking for Home Kit enabled thermostats, I wanted wifi devices with an accessible interface that would allow me to control my systems remotely. Well after numerous communications with Ecobee and numerous testing of the iPhone app and the PC app, I learned that Ecobee apps are not accessible to Voice Over or JAWS and NVDA, and Ecobee acknowledged that they are fully aware that their app interface is not screen-reader accessible on iPhone or PCs. They told me that this is something they will address in the future, but no idea when since there are many other items that are currently scheduled out to be addressed.
So, do not buy Ecobee if you want a screen-reader accessible interface.