Should I buy the Amazon Smart Thermostat or Ecobee3 Lite for a condo?

For a condo, I’d usually lean Amazon Smart Thermostat if you want the best value, and Ecobee3 Lite if you want the more polished, feature-rich pick.

• Choose the Amazon Smart Thermostat if your goal is a simple, affordable upgrade and you mainly use Alexa. It’s the stronger budget buy and should be enough for a straightforward condo HVAC setup.
• Choose the Ecobee3 Lite if you want more smart-home flexibility and are willing to pay more for it.

If your condo HVAC is basic and you want to keep costs down, the Amazon model is probably the better buy. If you care more about features and ecosystem flexibility, go with the Ecobee3 Lite.

Before buying, make sure your HVAC is compatible and check whether you need a C-wire or another power solution, since that can affect installation. Also confirm that your system is a low-voltage HVAC setup; these thermostats are generally not meant for high-voltage systems like electric baseboard heat without the proper adapter or separate control setup.