With the company’s Starter Kit including both a smart thermostat and a smart radiator thermostat, you’ve got everything you need to start controlling your heating. But is it any good?
Tado’s Smart Thermostat and Radiator Thermostat Design
Tadodesigned its smart thermostats to look sleek and minimalist, fitting with the smart home market that it sits within. Both devices are a matte white color, so will fit perfectly on most walls.
While there’s not too much to say about a thin white square that sits on your wall, Tado has done well with the design. The color and square form-factor mean that the smart thermostat looks a lot like a traditional thermostat, rather than one from the future like some rivals.
Whether or not you like this comes down to personal taste, but for me, it’s a plus. It’s worth noting that the thermostat doesn’t have a screen. Instead, it uses LEDs discreetly mounted beneath the semi-translucent case. It’s also touch-sensitive but has a button for some functionality.
Unfortunately, this button is a small gripe with the device. You have to press the button to wake up the device before you can use the touch-sensitive controls to adjust the temperature. It’s not a major inconvenience, but it is an unnecessary extra step, which isn’t particularly intuitive.
Looking at the smart radiator thermostat, you’ll find a device that looks like your average thermostatic radiator valve. It’s about the same size, too, which is impressive with all the extra tech packed in there. As you’d expect, the top section twists, and controls the LED display.
How Easy Is It to Install Tado’s Starter Kit?
When it comes to installing both devices in Tado’s Starter Kit, the job can be done by your average person, as long as they don’t mind DIY. While Tado does its best to help, the process can be a bit more challenging than described, depending on your skill.
Tado can be given nothing but praise for its in-depth instructions. The app provides you with step-by-step instructions to replace your specific thermostat for your boiler. Each step includes some explanation and an image. It is incredibly easy to follow.
When it comes to physically installing the thermostat though, things start to get a little more complicated. After switching off the power, you need to dig around inside your wall for cables. Tado does provide labels to keep everything in order.
Once you’ve got the wiring sorted, you’ll either need to use screws or adhesive to attach the base plate to the wall, and then pop the thermostat on top. It’s worth noting that everything you need does come in the box, minus a screwdriver.
You also have the option to book a professional to install the system. Though this will take longer, and it’s a bit of a faff, so maybe try installing it yourself first.
The radiator thermostat comes with equally excellent instructions, and a host of fixtures to fit any radiator. It does take some lining up while you’re belly down on the floor, but it’s easier to install than the thermostat.
You’ll need to install a smart hub to get the devices to connect to the internet. You only need one hub for all Tado devices in your home, but come on—it’s 2021, let’s stop with the hubs.
Tado’s Smart Thermostat Performance: How Well Does It Work?
Of course, since Tado is a thermostat at heart, it’s important to examine how well the device actually does that. Luckily, Tado’s smart thermostats can do a mighty good job of it.
Both devices can monitor the temperature of the room they’re in. The smart thermostat will give you the temperature in its central location, while the smart radiator thermostat will give you the temperature of the room.
The idea is that by using multiple smart radiator thermostats, you can get a more accurate room-by-room reading of your heating. It also gives you more control options. If that’s something you’re interested in, you can purchase extra devices from Tado, adding up to 24 to your home.
Since the devices monitor the temperature, they’re fast to act–switching on when the temperature dips, and off again when it’s brought back up. As most thermostats haven’t been replaced since a home was built, some of them can be pretty old. As a result, it’s likely that the Tado devices will give more accurate temperature control.
Of course, your thermostat doesn’t determine how well your home heats, that’s down to the boiler. But, the Tado devices are very responsive and haven’t dropped offline once, so your boiler will be working as quickly as it can.
Even better, and perhaps most important of all, you can still control your heating if your internet goes down. Although you’ll have to get up and go to the thermostat, you can still heat your home like normal.
Tado’s Features and App for the Smart Thermostat
When it comes to the Tado app and the devices’ features, the smart thermostat really comes into its element. There are plenty of features that will leave you feeling like your thermostat is smarter than your firstborn.
As most people will control their Tado smart thermostats through the app at one point or another, it’s essential that the app delivers a good experience. Luckily, that’s exactly what you’ll find. In the Tado app, everything is laid out very simply.
On the home page, you’ll find a few key features and access to the controls for each device. Opening up each device’s section, you’re greeted with a thermometer-like slider that allows you to quickly change the temperature. There are also shortcuts to access your schedule and the device’s history.
Delving further into the app, you access some of tado°’s features. A notable inclusion is the Open Window Detection feature, where your Tado devices will monitor temperature changes to predict when a window is open. If there is, it will inform you, so you can switch off the heating, and avoid wasting power.
You can also switch on a geofencing feature that will turn your heating on or off when you enter the general proximity to your home, i.e. just before you get there, so it’s already working. This feature does require precise location data all the time to work, so it might not be one for those of you who are focused on privacy.
Other features include monitoring the quality of the air in your home, and the aforementioned smart scheduling. The schedule can be manually set up, and offers different options for when you’re home and away.
Tado also offers a premium subscription called Auto-Assist. This offers automation to some existing features such as the schedules and Open Window Detection, where it will adjust the heating automatically. It also gives you access to a report on the health of your boiler and radiators, which can be handy.
Tado’s Starter Kit Compatibility
The HomeKit integration is slightly more advanced than the others. You will have to go through the painful process of scanning the QR codes rather than it just working, but you can actually set up the whole system through HomeKit.
Once connected to the smart assistant of your choice, you can use voice commands to control the temperature. You can go specific with the thermostat or a room, or control the full heating system at once.
Regarding hardware in the home, you’ll obviously need an internet connection. Since you need to plug the internet bridge into your router, a spare port is required. And most importantly, you’ll need an existing heating system wired. You can use Tado to control your AC too, but that requires an additional device.
Should You Buy Tado’s Smart Thermostat Starter Kit?
When it comes down to whether or not you should buyTado’s Starter Kit, it’s a pretty easy answer. There is no hesitation in recommending Tado’s smart thermostat devices, and the Starter Kit is the perfect combination of devices to get you started.
With efficient and reliable performance, loads of features, and only one or two major gripes, the Tado Starter Kit is almost perfect. It’s a great way to improve or begin your smart home by automating your heating at a competitive price.
