Ecobee has announced their newly redesigned SmartSensor. They have improved both the occupancy detection, as well as their range.

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They can now be placed up to 60ft away from the thermostat and still give accurate readings of the temperature, and occupancy.

Battery life has also been improved to last up to 5 years.

These sensors were my favorite “features” of the Ecobee, when deciding between the Nest and Ecobee. At the time, Ecobee was including a SmartSensor with their thermostat, while Nest had not released their own version yet.

While you may not be able to control the air flow to each room, it is still very convenient to have a temperature reading for each room, giving you the ability to ultimately decide how warm or cool it is in the room you are in, especially if certain rooms tend to be noticeably cooler or warmer than others.

Ecobee SmartSensor

While you ultimately won’t need to upgrade your existing SmartSensors, if you have any, it’s good to know they are improving their products. So if you’re looking to add some to rooms in your home, these will be the ones to get.

The Ecobee SmartSensor is compatible with the Ecobee 3 and newer devices. They are available now in packs of 2 on Ecobee’s website, or on Amazon for $79.