With the weather so wild and cold at the moment we feel it would be a good time to talk about smart central heating and thermostats. And in this case, the market leaders and the two fighting for the top spot, NEST and HIVE.
SETUP.
We think a good starting point would be to talk about setup and how user friendly the devices are once up and running. Both NEST and HIVE have a physical thermostat to replace your generic old unit. This means removing and replacing with a few simple steps of wiring and mounting, both come with a detailed wiring guide and simple step by step guidance. Thermostat cable usually consists of 5 cores…. yellow, green, white, blue and red.
PRODUCTS.
Hive offer 3 products, the thermostat, the hive hub and the hive receiver. The Hub will allow you to connect your products to control from your smartphone or tablet and the receiver will link your thermostat to your boiler.
Nest on the other hand offer the thermostat and a heat link. in essence the heat link its Nest’s version of the receiver so it connects to your boiler so it can regulate and turn your boiler on and off.
both connect to your WIFI and are app controlled while at home or away from the property.
both have ITTT ability to remember your routines and adapt to them and it will even recognize when you’re not at home and turn down or turn off to save you money.
DESIGN.
When it comes to design and build Nest have really wont the consumer over with its solid puck like design, stainless steel rim which acts as a rotating and push selector and glass crisp quality screen. Both Hive and Nest have different colour options so you can choos what best fits you home. Nests version 2 has come a long way since its first version and has a very modern design.
Both brands have Alexa and Siri control for voice activation but with Nest being compatible with the leading home automation brand Control4 it has certainly won us over as it will open up many other possibilities if a consumer decides to take the home automation route.
This means Nest will be compatible with all the user interfaces along with app and remote control. Countless third party products will work alongside it and Control4 offers a look that will bring your whole house together be it lighting, entertainment, comfort and security.
INTEGRATION.
Regardless of Conrtol4 compatibility the end user will usually be won over by nest down to its build quality and design but to add to that its functionality and intelligence will just tip Nest on top over Hive.
PRICE.
For both Nest and Hive price ranges are around the £150/£180 mark for the thermostat alone and have the options for professional installation.