Product comparisons
Smart Thermostats compared, with a verified Canadian price.
8 products verified · checked Oct 6, 2026
For Ontario homeowners deciding between a $125 Nest and a $280 ecobee, or wondering why neither one shows up as compatible with their electric baseboard heaters. Most Southwestern Ontario homes run a 24-volt low-voltage system — a gas furnace with central air, or a heat pump — that any of the first six thermostats below can control. A good number of rural and older homes, though, heat with electric baseboard, convector, or in-ceiling radiant elements wired at line voltage (120V or 240V), and that's a completely different product: a Nest or ecobee will not work on a baseboard circuit, full stop, and the reverse is just as true. The eight thermostats below split along that line — six low-voltage Wi-Fi models for furnace/AC/heat-pump systems, plus two line-voltage models built specifically for electric baseboard heating — compared on type, compatibility, sensors, warranty, and a verified Canadian price.
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| Product | Type | Compatibility | Sensors | Warranty | Price | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium ecobee | Low-voltage (24VAC), Wi-Fi | Most 24VAC systems incl. furnaces, air conditioners (2H/2C), and heat pumps with dual-fuel/auxiliary heat; Power Extender Kit included in the box as a C-wire alternative | Temperature, humidity, occupancy (radar), proximity (radar); includes 1 SmartSensor for a second room | 3-year limited | ecobee's flagship low-voltage Wi-Fi thermostat — a included SmartSensor for room-level comfort, built-in air quality monitoring, and the included Power Extender Kit means most homes skip a separate C-wire install. More+ Only thermostat in this table that ships with both a radar-based room sensor and a Power Extender Kit included, so most homes need no separate C-wire install – The verified price was a limited-time Fall sale (ecobee's own regular price is $329.99 CAD) — confirm it hasn't reverted before buying | |
ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential ecobee | Low-voltage (24VAC), Wi-Fi | Gas, oil, and electric forced air; conventional (2H/1C, 1H/2C); heat pump (2H/1C) — accepts the heat pump's OB, W2, or Y2 wire for auxiliary heat | Temperature and humidity only; SmartSensor compatible but sold separately | 3-year extended | ecobee's entry-level model — the same 3-year warranty and voice-assistant support as the Premium above, without the included room sensor or Power Extender Kit. More+ Still handles a heat pump's auxiliary heat wire (OB/W2/Y2) at ecobee's lowest price point – No occupancy sensor or included SmartSensor, and the Power Extender Kit is sold separately — budget for it if your home has no C-wire | |
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) Google | Low-voltage (24V), Wi-Fi | Most 24V systems incl. gas, electric, oil, forced air, heat pump, and radiant; controls heating 1–3 stages (W1/W2/W3), cooling 1–2 stages (Y1/Y2), and heat pump with auxiliary heat | Includes 1 Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd gen); built-in Soli-based presence sensing | 2-year standard for retail purchase (5-year if installed by an HVAC pro) | $299.99as of Oct 6, 2026 Google Store (Canada) → | Google's premium low-voltage thermostat, Matter certified and bundled with a remote Nest Temperature Sensor — but heat pump and zone-controlled systems specifically need a C-wire or Nest Power Connector. More+ Matter certified and ships with a remote Nest Temperature Sensor in the box — the most complete bundle in this table for a Google Home household – Google's own compatibility page states heat pump and zone-controlled systems specifically require a Nest Power Connector or C-wire — not the C-wire-free design of the cheaper Nest Thermostat below |
Google Nest Thermostat Google | Low-voltage (24V), Wi-Fi | Most 24V heating/cooling systems incl. furnaces, air conditioners, boilers, and heat pumps (forced air or radiant); heat pumps with one stage of heating/cooling plus aux or emergency heat | Motion, temperature, humidity, capacitive touch, ambient light | 1-year standard | Google's budget low-voltage thermostat — the only model in this table explicitly designed to skip the C-wire in most homes, using battery backup instead. More+ Google's own page states it's designed to work without a C-wire in most homes — the only thermostat here that explicitly avoids that install step for a typical setup – Shortest standard warranty in this table at 1 year, and no included remote sensor unlike the pricier Learning Thermostat above | |
Honeywell Home T9 Smart Thermostat with Smart Room Sensor Honeywell Home | Low-voltage, Wi-Fi | Forced air (gas, oil, or electric), hot water and steam, and heat pumps with electric backup; does NOT work with electric baseboard heat (120–240V) | Includes 1 battery-powered Smart Room Sensor, up to 200 ft range | Not stated on the product page | A low-voltage Wi-Fi thermostat bundled with a battery-powered Smart Room Sensor rated for up to 200 feet of range — the longest stated wireless range of any sensor in this table. More+ Smart Room Sensor's stated 200-foot range is the longest of any included sensor in this table – Explicitly not compatible with electric baseboard heat, and the product page never states a warranty term — confirm coverage before buying | |
Emerson Sensi Touch 2 (ST76W) Emerson (Sensi) | Low-voltage, Wi-Fi | Air conditioner, boiler, furnace, heat pump (official product specs); C-wire required, no built-in alternative | Touchscreen on the thermostat only; compatible with Sensi Room Sensors, sold separately | Warranty booklet included in box; term not stated in the listed specs | A touchscreen low-voltage thermostat with a published ENERGY STAR savings estimate on its own listing and a Bluetooth-guided DIY install — but no HomeKit or Matter support. More+ States a specific ~23% HVAC energy-saving estimate on its own ENERGY STAR-certified listing — the only product in this table with a published savings percentage – No Apple HomeKit or Matter support, and C-wire is required with no power-adapter workaround offered | |
Mysa Smart Thermostat V2 for Electric Baseboard Heaters Mysa | Line-voltage (120V/240V), Wi-Fi | Electric baseboard, fan-forced, convector, and radiant ceiling heaters, plus self-contained electric hydronic baseboards; up to 1,900W at 120V or 3,800W at 240V; will NOT run on 24V furnaces or central heat pumps | Humidity sensor; touchscreen control | 5-year limited | A line-voltage Wi-Fi thermostat engineered in Newfoundland specifically for electric baseboard, convector, and radiant-ceiling heat — a completely different product from every low-voltage model above, and not interchangeable with them. More+ Designed and engineered in Newfoundland specifically for North American electric baseboard heating — the only Canadian-made thermostat in this table, with the longest warranty – Needs a neutral or second live wire (4 wires total) — won't run on a 2-wire mechanical baseboard thermostat's wiring without an electrician adding a wire | |
Sinopé TH1123WF Smart Wi-Fi Thermostat for Baseboards Sinopé Technologies | Line-voltage, Wi-Fi | Electric baseboards, convectors, fan-forced convectors, radiant ceilings; compatible with 2- or 4-wire installations; controls up to 3,000W | Built-in only; no remote room sensor | 3-year limited, CSA-C828-19 compliant | $109.99as of Oct 6, 2026 Sinopé Technologies → | A Quebec-made line-voltage thermostat that works on either a 2-wire or 4-wire baseboard install, at the lowest price in this table — but its own product page confirms no Alexa, Google, or Apple Home integration. More+ Lowest price in this table and the only line-voltage model that works on a 2-wire install — the Mysa above requires 4 wires – Its own product page confirms no Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Home integration — voice control depends on a separate SmartThings hub |
Prices and specs read directly from each merchant's Canadian product page on the date shown — never a guess. A product never appears here until we've verified it first-hand.
Reviewed by John Moelker
Founder, CompareLocal.ca · Oxford County, Ontario · Updated Oct 6, 2026 · How we choose
Near you: Woodstock, Stratford, St. Thomas — local water, utility and installer notes for heating and cooling.
How we chose
We only publish a thermostat once we've opened its own Canadian product page — or, where the cleanest Canadian page was a bare Amazon.ca listing, cross-checked that listing against the manufacturer's own Canadian spec page — and read the price, compatibility, sensors, and warranty off it; see the "as of" date and source on every row. Compatibility is the column that matters most here: a bare "works with heat pumps" claim only means something if it also covers auxiliary or emergency heat, because a heat pump without its backup-heat wire configured will stop heating the house during a deep cold snap and silently run on nothing — we note the specific wire or stage support (W2, OB, 2H/2C) wherever the manufacturer states it, not just the word "compatible." Line-voltage is the other hard line: the Mysa and Sinopé thermostats physically cannot replace a Nest or ecobee on a baseboard circuit, and neither of those can replace Mysa or Sinopé — open your existing thermostat's wall plate and check for thick stiff wiring (line-voltage) versus thin low-voltage wiring, or check your panel for a dedicated baseboard circuit, before buying either kind. We are not electricians and this isn't installation advice; a C-wire, a neutral wire, or any line-voltage wiring work should be done by, or at minimum checked by, a licensed electrician if you're not confident reading your own home's wiring.
Already have, or planning, a ductless heat pump instead of a furnace? Compare heat pumps with a verified Canadian price →
Want a licensed electrician or HVAC pro for a C-wire or heat pump wiring job instead of a DIY install? See heat pump installers verified for Woodstock and area →
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a C-wire to install a smart thermostat?
It depends on the model and your HVAC system. In our table, the ecobee Premium and Honeywell Home T9 both include a power-adapter workaround (a Power Extender Kit or included power adapter) that most homes can use instead of running a new C-wire; the ecobee Essential supports the same kind of adapter but sells it separately. Google's basic Nest Thermostat is explicitly designed to work without a C-wire in most homes using battery backup, but Google's own page states the pricier Nest Learning Thermostat does need a C-wire or Nest Power Connector specifically for heat pump and zone-controlled systems. The Emerson Sensi Touch 2 states a C-wire is required with no built-in alternative offered. If you're not sure your home has one, look for a wire labelled "C" at your existing thermostat's wall plate — if it's missing, budget for the adapter kit or a licensed electrician before you buy.
How do I know if my heat pump's auxiliary or emergency heat will still work?
Check that the thermostat's compatibility notes specifically mention an auxiliary, emergency, or dual-fuel heat wire — usually labelled W2, OB, or O/B on the wiring diagram, or described as "2H/2C" (2 heat stages, 2 cool stages). In our table, the ecobee Essential explicitly accepts the heat pump's OB, W2, or Y2 wire; the ecobee Premium and both Google Nest models state dual-fuel or auxiliary heat support; the Honeywell T9 and Emerson Sensi Touch 2 list "heat pump" as a supported use but phrase it more generally. If a thermostat's own page only says "compatible with heat pumps" without naming the backup-heat wire or stage count, that's worth confirming with the manufacturer's compatibility checker before you rely on it through an Ontario winter.
My home has electric baseboard heat — can I use a Nest or ecobee?
No. Every low-voltage thermostat in our table — the two ecobee models, both Google Nest models, the Honeywell T9, and the Emerson Sensi Touch 2 — is built for a 24-volt furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump system, and none of them can switch 120V or 240V line-voltage current the way an electric baseboard heater draws it. You need a line-voltage thermostat built specifically for baseboard heating, like the Mysa or Sinopé models in our table. The reverse is equally true: a line-voltage baseboard thermostat cannot control a 24-volt furnace or heat pump system. Check your existing thermostat's wiring, or your breaker panel for a dedicated baseboard circuit, before buying either kind.
What's the difference between the Mysa and Sinopé line-voltage thermostats?
Wiring is the biggest practical difference: Mysa's V2 needs four wires (a neutral or a second live wire) and explicitly will not run on an older two-wire mechanical thermostat's wiring without an electrician adding a wire, while Sinopé's TH1123WF works on either a 2-wire or 4-wire install, which matters if your home has an older baseboard circuit. Ecosystem differs too — Mysa works with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google, while Sinopé's own product page confirms no Alexa, Google, or Apple Home integration and instead works through its own Neviweb app or a SmartThings/Hilo hub. Mysa carries a 5-year warranty and costs more; Sinopé carries a 3-year warranty and is the lowest-priced thermostat in our whole table.
Do any of these thermostats work with Matter or Thread?
Both Google Nest models in our table are Matter certified, per Google's own Canadian product pages. Neither ecobee model's Canadian page mentions Matter or Thread support, and the Honeywell T9, Emerson Sensi Touch 2, Mysa, and Sinopé models don't mention it on their own pages either — those five work through their own app or a named voice-assistant integration (Alexa, Google Assistant, HomeKit, SmartThings, or Neviweb) rather than the Matter smart-home standard. If Matter support specifically matters to you, the two Nest models are the only verified fit in this table today.
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