Smart thermostat (24 V) with room sensor
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) with Temperature Sensor
Google's learning thermostat, sold with a Nest Temperature Sensor, that works without a C wire in most homes and adds Heat Pump Balance and an adjustable aux lockout for heat pumps.
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Best for
A heat pump home without a C wire that wants a remote sensor
Specifications
| Systems | 24 V (20–30 VAC); heat pump with aux + emergency heat; dual fuel |
|---|---|
| Heat pump controls | O/B; Heat Pump Balance; aux lockout (default 40 °F); compressor lockout |
| Early recovery | Early-On |
| Outdoor temperature | Online weather |
| In the box | Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd gen) |
| No C wire | Not needed in most homes (Google: under 1% need one) |
| Sensors | Up to 6 Nest Temperature Sensors per thermostat |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 2.4 / 5 GHz; works with Google Home and Matter |
| Certification | ENERGY STAR |
| Warranty | 2 years (retail purchase) |
Specifications as published by Google. Confirm against the current spec sheet before buying — manufacturers revise models without renaming them.
What's good
- Works without a C wire in nearly every home, per Google — the easiest retrofit on an older heat pump
- Heat Pump Balance and an adjustable aux lockout give heat pump owners direct control over when backup heat runs
- Temperature sensor in the box, expandable to six
- Matter support, so it isn't tied to one smart-home ecosystem
What's not
- Heat Pump Balance isn't available on dual-fuel systems; the switchover is set manually, and Google strongly recommends a professional install for dual fuel
- Not compatible with high-voltage systems such as electric baseboard, or with proprietary systems
- 2-year retail warranty, shorter than ecobee's 3 years
Our verdict
The pick for a heat pump home where the thermostat cable has no spare conductor: Google designed it to run without a C wire, and it still gives you the heat-pump controls that matter — an aux lockout you can set and Early-On recovery. The sensor in the box covers the wrong-room problem. On a dual-fuel system, its headline Heat Pump Balance feature doesn't apply, so the ecobee is the more natural fit there.
Compare with the alternatives
- ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium — a heat pump with electric backup, especially in a house where the thermostat's room isn't representative
- ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced — a heat pump with a single stage of backup heat, on a budget
- Mysa Smart Thermostat V2 for Electric Baseboard Heaters — one room of electric baseboard heat, replacing a dial or basic line-voltage thermostat