Smart thermostats are an ideal investment for those who are looking to save money on their heating bills. However, most of the popular smart thermostats aren’t compatible with electric underfloor heating systems.
The good is that there are some excellent smart thermostats available that rival those big-name brands and are compatible with heated floors. Let’s explore your best options.
Quick Recommendations
MYSA SMART THERMOSTAT
MYSA SMART THERMOSTAT
nVENT THERMOSTAT
nVENT THERMOSTAT
LATICRETE STRATA THERMOSTAT
LATICRETE STRATA THERMOSTAT
Best Smart Thermostat for Electric Underfloor Heating
Mysa Smart Thermostat for Electric In-Floor Heating
Mysa already makes a respectable smart thermostat for baseboard heaters (and one for air conditioners, too). This in-floor smart thermostat is a welcome addition to their lineup, offering what few other brands do.
And thanks to high voice compatibility, you can use the Mysa Smart Thermostat with the following systems:
- Samsung SmartThings
- Google Assistant
- Apple HomeKit
- Amazon Alexa
- IFTTT
With variety like this, more people can comfortably invest in Mysa’s in-floor Smart Thermostat. Those with HomeKit-enabled devices can control handy features like scheduling, zone control, geofencing, and more.
We like this thermostat allows you to see energy reports and set shared access. There is even a vacation mode that ensures your energy use stays a minimum while you’re away.
The Smart Thermostat connects via Wi-Fi 2.4GHz. This allows for easy management of the included sensors so that you can control nifty features like ambient lighting, humidity, and temperature.
The front panel is a beauty that is fully touch-controllable. There are also manual buttons on the side of the thermostat that enable resetting and testing.
Although display information is limited, we like the simplified presentation, as it’s a cinch to operate.
The price is a bit higher than traditional smart thermostats, but you do get professional installation included in the total cost, which we highly recommend you take advantage of.
Pros
- Easy app management
- User-friendly interface
- Free installation
Cons
- A bit pricey
nVent Nuheat Signature Wi-Fi Thermostat
The Nuheat Signature Wi-Fi Thermostat is a nice addition that delivers a wealth of options for your heated floor system. Unlike Mysa’s Smart Thermostat, nVent provides you with a color touchscreen that is both big and bold.
Some may find the interface to be mildly archaic, but we think it serves its purpose just fine. It’s incredibly easy to program and displays useful information, such as the time, date, and current weather.
We found this to be a handy addition, as it lends a helping hand in deciding the internal temperature of your home without stepping foot outside.
Although this thermostat has been around for a few years, it isn’t any worse off for it. In fact, it has received software updates that keep it hanging with the bigger name brands.
Thanks to the inclusion of smart home functions, nVent’s Nuheat continues to stay on the cutting-edge. This alone gives it a slight advantage over other in-floor heating smart thermostats.
As such, you’re getting access to a wealth of smart home features, making this unit one to strongly consider if you’re already operating with a smart home kit. Our only concern that keeps this unit from excelling any higher is its Wi-Fi.
On random occasions, it just dropped without reason. In trying to figure out why, we weren’t able to come to any reasonable conclusion.
That singular issue aside, we can’t complain about this smart thermostat’s performance. It provides a lot of conveniences and does exactly what it’s designed to do.
Perhaps most impressive is the fact that the Nuheat Signature is slightly less expensive than Mysa’s in-floor thermostat. What’s more, the Nuheat is compatible with Nest.
So if you’re currently running a Nest and simply need to add a thermostat for your in-floor heating, this unit makes it easy to do so.
Pros
- Nice touchscreen display
- Nest-compatible
- 3-year warranty
- Air filter and energy use monitoring
Cons
- Iffy Wi-Fi connection
Laticrete Strata Heat Wi-Fi Thermostat
The Laticrete Strata Heat Wi-Fi Thermostat may have been the first in-floor heating thermostat to be compatible with Alexa. Although it’s common to have this feature today, Laticrete Strata had the foresight to include this capability.
If this tells you anything, it’s that this company is trying to provide its customers with the best experience possible. And it’s true; there’s a lot to like here.
Strata comes primed and ready with plenty of features that help it maintain its spot as a worthy investment.
Why didn’t it rate any higher? Well, its software isn’t the most impressive. In fact, it can be downright buggy at times. If there were regular updates, we doubt this would be an issue.
However, the company has failed to release said updates and has let it slip somewhat in the rankings.
Still, you can’t knock this thermostat for trying. It comes equipped with geofencing, enabling the unit to scan whether you’re home and set the temperature accordingly.
If you’re investing in a smart thermostat to save you money, this is a great place to start.
Its learning prediction function is a nice bonus, as well. Over time, the thermostat will monitor and learn your daily behaviors. It will soon be able to determine when you are and aren’t home and adjust the temperature as needed.
The display is really nice, too. If you’re familiar with most of the popular tablets on the market, this one shouldn’t give you any trouble.
There is even some customization possible, like altering the background. You can’t do this on many other models.
Aside from its occasional software issues, the Laticrete Strata is still an expensive unit. What’s worse, there isn’t installation included with the total price.
Pros
- Solid smartphone app
- Includes geofencing
- Nice, bright display
Cons
- Buggy software
Buying Guide
In-floor heating thermostats aren’t the most common units available. As such, you need to weigh your options carefully to ensure that you invest in the right one for your home.
Compatibility
Perhaps the most common issue people will have concerning in-floor heating thermostats is whether they are compatible with existing smart thermostats. If you are currently running a Nest, for example, you would do well to invest in an in-floor model that easily integrates with it.
This will ensure a streamlined user experience. That being said, you certainly don’t have to. But if you want the easiest solution available to you, compatibility is key.
Wi-Fi
Here’s the thing. Everyone’s heated flooring setup is different. And more often than not, your heated flooring is likely to be a good distance away from your Wi-Fi router. With this in mind, it’s important to consider the reliability of your smart thermostat’s Wi-Fi connectivity.
If you invest in one that isn’t worth a hoot, you’re going to get poor performance and be dissatisfied with your smart thermostat. So, how can you get around this? A helpful trick is to take your smartphone to the location in your house that your new thermostat will be.
If your phone displays a strong signal, you should be in good shape. If not, your results could be a mixed bag.
If nothing else, you can always invest in a Wi-Fi extender to boost the signal. Just remember to factor this into your total cost to make sure it’s doable on your budget.
Can I use any line voltage smart thermostat for in-floor heating?
Smart thermostats for in-floor heating let you connect sensors that read both air and floor temperatures. As such, you will have the ability to choose which sensor controls your thermostat.
If you want this option, you’re better off sticking with a smart thermostat that is designed specifically for in-floor heating.
Which sensor should I use?
In-floor heating smart thermostats have both a floor and air sensor. Which one you use really depends on how you use your in-floor heating. If it’s mainly for supplementing heat, the floor sensor is just fine.
But if you’re relying on your floor’s heat to warm up your home, the air sensor is your best bet.
In doing this, you can expect your heater to kick on more often. As such, you shouldn’t have any worries about your floor being too cold. However, if your goal is to save as much money as possible, you’ll want to stick with using the floor sensor.
Electric heat is pricey, so it’s best to use it as little as you can. Allowing a furnace to handle your home’s main source of heat will balance things out and keep your costs low.
Do in-floor thermostats work with smart homes?
Because these thermostats are geared toward a smaller market, smart home integration is still limited across the available models.
Of the smart thermostats we reviewed, nVent’s Nuheat and Laticrete’s Strata are the only ones to work with smart homes. With that being said, you can still control in-floor heating thermostats with their own smartphone app.
Wrap Up
Keep in mind that until these companies grow, their thermostats are going to be pretty limited compared to traditional smart thermostats. The brands we reviewed design electric floor mats; smart thermostats are new ground for them.
With that said, we are confident that their products will continue to improve the longer they are in the market.
