Best Smart Thermostat for Heat Pump 2026: 6 Picks Compared

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It’s a cold January morning and the electric bill just landed: higher than last winter, even though you kept the house at the same temperature. The likely reason is hiding behind a small “AUX” on the thermostat screen. When a heat pump’s backup heat kicks in more than it needs to, the bill climbs fast. The right thermostat knows the difference between your heat pump and its backup, and keeps the expensive part switched off until it’s truly needed.

The best smart thermostat for a heat pump for most homes is the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium: it runs heat pumps with two compressor stages plus two stages of auxiliary heat, lets you set outdoor-temperature limits for both, and comes with a room sensor and a Power Extender Kit. The Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is the best hands-off choice, because its Heat Pump Balance sets the backup-heat lockout for you.

Below are six thermostats that work with heat pumps, what each one can control, the settings that matter most in winter, and how to check your wiring before you buy. We researched and compared them from the makers’ spec pages, install guides and ENERGY STAR’s list; we did not test them.

Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

Our top picks

Heat pump thermostats compared

Thermostat	Heat pump stages	Dual fuel	Backup-heat control	No C wire?	About (Oct 2026)
ecobee Premium	2H/2C + 2 aux	Yes	Aux max outdoor temp, compressor min outdoor temp	Power Extender Kit in box	$210 (reg. $260)
Nest Learning (4th gen)	Up to 2 heat pump + 2 aux/alternate	Yes (manual lockout)	Heat Pump Balance (automatic)	Most homes; Google lists heat pumps among systems that may need one	$280 list
ecobee Enhanced	2H/2C + 1 aux	Yes	Same settings as Premium	Power Extender Kit in box	$165 (reg. $200)
Honeywell Home T5+	Up to 2 compressor + 1 aux/E	Not stated in what we read	Compressor lockout, aux heat lockout	C-wire adapter	$100
Sensi Touch 2	Multi-stage up to 2H/1C or 1H/2C	Not stated in what we read	Check the app	No, C wire required	$210 (utility store)
Amazon Smart Thermostat	Single stage only	No	Basic	No, C wire or adapter	$80 list

All six are on ENERGY STAR’s list of certified smart thermostats (the Honeywell under its T5 family listing). Stage counts are the makers’ own figures.

Why a heat pump needs a heat-pump-aware thermostat

A heat pump moves heat instead of making it, which is why it’s so efficient. Most ducted heat pumps also have a backup: electric resistance strips (“aux heat”) or a gas furnace (a “dual fuel” system). Google’s Nest help pages put it plainly: aux heat can cost about 2 to 5 times as much to run as the heat pump itself.

The U.S. Department of Energy has long warned that setting back an ordinary programmable thermostat on a heat pump in heating mode can make the system run inefficiently and cancel the savings, because the big recovery in the morning brings on the backup heat. DOE also notes that thermostats built for heat pumps use special logic to keep backup electric heat to a minimum. That logic is what you’re paying for here.

Three features separate a good heat pump thermostat from a basic one:

• An aux heat lockout (ecobee calls it “Aux Heat Max Outdoor Temperature”): above a chosen outdoor temperature, backup heat stays off and the heat pump does the work.
• A compressor lockout (“Compressor Min Outdoor Temperature”): below a chosen outdoor temperature, the heat pump stops and the backup takes over. Essential for dual fuel; for a modern cold-climate heat pump, set it from the heat pump maker’s guidance, not a default.
• Enough stages for your equipment: a two-stage heat pump, or two stages of aux heat, needs a thermostat that can drive them.

The best smart thermostats for heat pumps

1. ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium: best overall

ecobee rates the Premium for heat pumps with two heating and two cooling stages plus two stages of aux heat, the most backup stages of any thermostat here. Its installer settings give you direct control of the two numbers that matter: the outdoor temperature above which aux heat won’t run, and the outdoor temperature below which the compressor won’t run (ecobee’s default is 35°F, and ecobee itself says to ask your heat pump’s maker for the safest setting). A “Comp to Aux Temp Delta” sets how far below the setpoint the room must fall before aux heat helps. In the box: a SmartSensor for a second room, the Power Extender Kit for homes without a C wire, a 4-inch color touchscreen, radar occupancy sensing and dual-band Wi-Fi. ecobee lists it at $209.99 on sale (regularly $259.99) with a 3-year warranty.

• Good: two aux stages; you set the lockouts yourself; room sensor included, so the thermostat can average or follow the rooms you’re in.
• Watch out: the 35°F compressor default is too cautious for many cold-climate heat pumps, so change it with your installer; the optional Smart Security plan is a paid add-on you don’t need for heating.
• Best for: heat pumps with strip heat or a furnace backup, and anyone who wants to tune exactly when backup heat runs.

Check the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium price on Amazon

2. Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen): best hands-off

The 4th-gen Nest Learning Thermostat works with most 24-volt systems, heat pumps included, and controls the heat pump changeover (O/B), aux and emergency heat wires. Its standout for heat pump owners is Heat Pump Balance: you pick Max Comfort, Balanced or Max Savings, and the thermostat works out the aux lockout temperature for you. Max Savings sets a lower lockout, so aux heat comes on later and less often. Google lists support for dual fuel systems too (single- or two-stage heat pump with a separate furnace); there Heat Pump Balance is off and you set the lockout yourself in the Equipment menu. Google’s list price is about $279.99, and this bundle includes the Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd gen). Google says fewer than 1% of homes need a C wire or its Power Connector with this model.

• Good: backup-heat lockout without guesswork; supports two stages of aux or alternate heat; no subscription required.
• Watch out: Heat Pump Balance needs Wi-Fi and wires on O/B and W2/AUX; the default is Max Comfort, which runs aux sooner, so change it if savings matter more; Google’s general C-wire page names heat pump systems among those that may need a C wire or the Power Connector.
• Best for: heat pumps with electric strip backup, owned by people who’d rather not tune settings.

Check the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) price on Amazon

3. ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced: best value

The Enhanced has the same heat pump settings as the Premium with one less aux stage: ecobee rates it for heat pumps with two heating and two cooling stages plus one stage of aux heat, and lists dual-fuel heat pumps among compatible equipment. Its terminals are R, G, Y1, Y2, W2/OB, PEK+, C and W1. The Power Extender Kit is in the box; a SmartSensor is not (you can add one later). It has radar occupancy sensing, dual-band Wi-Fi, a 3-year warranty (5 years when professionally installed) and costs $164.99 on sale at ecobee, regularly $199.99.

• Good: full ecobee lockout settings for about $45 less than the Premium; no-C-wire kit included.
• Watch out: one aux stage only; no room sensor in the box.
• Best for: the typical single-stage or two-stage heat pump with one bank of strip heat.

Check the ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced price on Amazon

4. Honeywell Home T5+ Smart Thermostat: best budget

The T5+ is the cheapest thermostat here with real heat pump controls. Honeywell’s install guide lists up to 3 heat / 2 cool on heat pumps: up to two compressor stages plus one aux/emergency stage. Using outdoor temperatures from the internet, it offers a Compressor Lockout (below this temperature, aux heat only) and an Aux Heat Lockout (above this temperature, no aux heat), the same two controls the pricier models have. Honeywell says it needs a C wire, and this version (RCHT8612WF) comes with the C-Wire Power Adapter, which works when your Y and G wires are in use and there’s no spare wire. About $99.99 at Honeywell Home.

• Good: both lockouts for about $100; adapter included; on ENERGY STAR’s list.
• Watch out: one aux stage; no remote room sensor input; lockouts need the thermostat online for outdoor temperature.
• Best for: a basic heat pump with one stage of strip heat on a tight budget.

Check the Honeywell Home T5+ price on Amazon

5. Sensi Touch 2: best no-subscription touchscreen

Sensi, from Copeland (formerly part of Emerson), lists the Touch 2 (ST76) as compatible with heat pump systems, with a color touchscreen and no subscription. Sensi says it requires a C wire for all applications and lists multi-stage support up to two heat and one cool stage, or one heat and two cool, so check your heat pump’s stages against Sensi’s compatibility chart before you buy. This listing is the bundle with a Sensi room sensor. We saw it at about $209.99 in a utility’s online store; Sensi’s own price wasn’t on the page we read.

• Good: no subscription; ENERGY STAR certified; supports whole-home humidifiers and dehumidifiers.
• Watch out: C wire required, no adapter in the box; fewer stages than ecobee or Nest; dual fuel isn’t stated on the pages we read.
• Best for: simpler heat pumps that already have a C wire.

Check the Sensi Touch 2 price on Amazon

6. Amazon Smart Thermostat: cheapest for simple heat pumps

The Amazon Smart Thermostat is built on Honeywell Home technology and controlled through the Alexa app. Amazon’s own help page says it works with air-to-air and geothermal heat pumps, but not with heat pumps that have a gas or oil furnace backup (dual fuel), and not with two-stage systems. It needs a C wire; Amazon sells a C-Wire Power Adapter separately or in a bundle. List price is $79.99, often lower on sale.

• Good: lowest price; ENERGY STAR certified; no subscription.
• Watch out: single-stage only; no dual fuel; no fine-grained aux lockout settings like ecobee’s or Honeywell’s.
• Best for: a basic single-stage heat pump in a small home or rental.

Check the Amazon Smart Thermostat price on Amazon

When the best thermostat is the one your heat pump came with

Many newer heat pumps are variable-speed (inverter) systems that talk to their own “communicating” thermostat over a data connection, not the usual on/off wires. ENERGY STAR says homes with variable-capacity heat pumps will generally perform best with the thermostat the manufacturer recommends, certified or not. ecobee also says its Power Extender Kit doesn’t work with communicating units. If your heat pump came with a branded wall control, ask your HVAC contractor before replacing it: a third-party thermostat may run a variable-speed unit like a one- or two-speed system and lose some of its efficiency.

Contractor-installed thermostats such as Honeywell’s T10 Pro are another route; they’re sold through HVAC pros rather than in stores, so ask yours. Ductless mini splits are a different story altogether (most use an infrared remote, not thermostat wires): see our guide to the best smart thermostat for a mini split.

How to choose a smart thermostat for your heat pump

• Read your wires first. Turn off power to the system at the breaker, pop off the old thermostat and photograph the wires. A heat pump usually has Y (compressor), G (fan), O or B (reversing valve), W2 or AUX (backup heat), sometimes E (emergency heat) and C (common power). W1 and W2 both used with O/B often means dual fuel.
• Match the stages. Count compressor stages (Y1, Y2) and backup stages (W1, W2, AUX2). Two aux stages points to the ecobee Premium or Nest; a two-stage compressor rules out the Amazon Smart Thermostat; check Sensi’s chart for anything beyond the simplest setups.
• Insist on lockout settings. An aux heat lockout is what turns a smart thermostat into a money-saver on a heat pump. A common starting point is somewhere in the 30s °F, but the right number depends on your heat pump’s cold-weather capacity and your home; your installer or the heat pump’s maker can tell you.
• Keep setbacks small on cold nights. Following DOE’s caution, use gentle setbacks, or let the thermostat start recovery early, so the morning warm-up isn’t done by strip heat.
• Get help for dual fuel and anything beyond the thermostat. Google recommends a pro for dual fuel wiring. Thermostat wires are low voltage (24 V), but the furnace or air handler cabinet has line voltage inside: if you’re installing a C-wire adapter there and aren’t comfortable, hire an HVAC pro.
• Check for a rebate. There’s no federal tax credit for smart thermostats in 2026, but many utilities offer rebates or instant discounts. See our smart thermostat rebates guide and ENERGY STAR’s Rebate Finder.

How much will you save? ENERGY STAR puts the average for certified smart thermostats at about 8% of heating and cooling bills, or roughly $50 a year. That’s an average across homes; with a heat pump, how often backup heat runs can matter as much as the schedule.

Keep exploring: start at our smart thermostats hub, compare all types in the best smart thermostats guide, read ecobee vs Nest and the best smart thermostat without a C wire. Shopping for the heat pump itself? See heat pumps and the best heat pumps for cold climates, or learn how heat moves in thermal energy. More in Smart Thermostats.

Heat pump thermostat questions

Do I need a special thermostat for a heat pump?

You need one that supports heat pumps: it has to drive the reversing valve (O/B) and the backup heat (AUX/W2). Every thermostat in this guide does. A smart one also helps you limit backup heat, which DOE notes is where ordinary programmable setbacks on heat pumps lose their savings.

Why does my heat pump say AUX heat?

Aux heat is the backup, usually electric strips, that helps when the heat pump can’t keep up: during defrost, in very cold weather, or when the room is far below the setpoint after a big setback. Some aux use is normal. If it runs on mild days, check the thermostat’s aux lockout and the “temperature delta” settings, and have the heat pump checked.

What’s the difference between aux heat and emergency heat?

Aux heat comes on automatically alongside the heat pump when needed. Emergency heat (E) is a mode you choose that runs the backup alone, with the heat pump off, usually only when the heat pump is broken. Because backup heat can cost 2 to 5 times as much to run, per Google’s figure, don’t leave emergency heat on.

Is ecobee or Nest better for a heat pump?

Both handle heat pumps well. ecobee gives you direct control of the aux and compressor lockout temperatures and supports two aux stages on the Premium. Nest’s Heat Pump Balance picks the lockout for you from a comfort-or-savings setting. Pick ecobee if you like to tune; Nest if you’d rather not. More in ecobee vs Nest.

Can a smart thermostat control a dual fuel heat pump?

Yes, if it lists dual fuel. ecobee lists dual-fuel heat pumps, and Google lists dual fuel support for the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen), where you set the switchover temperature by hand. The Amazon Smart Thermostat does not support dual fuel. Dual fuel wiring is tricky, so Google recommends a pro install.