Buying guide · 4 picks compared

Best smart thermostat UK 2026

The best smart thermostat for most UK homes is the tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen) Starter Kit.

See the top pick on Amazon Compare all 4Affiliate

Its programmer runs hot water too, and it works with boilers, heat pumps and water-based underfloor heating. Already on Hive? Choose the Hive Thermostat Mini for app control of heating and hot water.

By Bez, Editor✓ Updated 26 October 2026

★ Our top picktado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen) Starter Kit incl. Programmer with Hot Water Control and OpenThermImage: tado°See it on Amazon

Which one is for you?

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Which pick suits which need
Ifyou want one kit with hot water control and OpenTherm that most homes can fit	tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen) Starter Kit incl. Programmer with Hot Water Control and OpenTherm	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want a British Gas Hive system with hot water control	Hive Thermostat Mini for Conventional Boilers, Heating & Hot Water Control, with Hive Nano 3 Hub	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want Apple Home, Alexa and Google Home support with heat pump compatibility	Netatmo Smart Thermostat (NTH01-AMZ)	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want to control each radiator separately	tado° Smart Radiator Thermostat X Starter Kit with Bridge X	See it on Amazon

The 4 picks compared

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1★ Top pick
tado°
tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen) Starter Kit incl. Programmer with Hot Water Control and OpenThermBest for most homes, hot water control
Keep your home warm and your hot water under control
See it on Amazon
2
Hive
Hive Thermostat Mini for Conventional Boilers, Heating & Hot Water Control, with Hive Nano 3 HubBest for Hive system, hot water
Control heating and hot water from the Hive app on your phone
See it on Amazon
3
Netatmo
Netatmo Smart Thermostat (NTH01-AMZ)Best for heat pumps, voice assistants
Energy-saving control for your boiler or heat pump
See it on Amazon
4
tado°
tado° Smart Radiator Thermostat X Starter Kit with Bridge XBest for room-by-room radiators
Control each room's heat with no battery swaps
See it on Amazon

Side by side

From the makers' and retailers' published factsAffiliate

The picks side by side
Pick	Best for	Price	The fact that sets it apart	Where to buy
tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen) Starter Kit incl. Programmer with Hot Water Control and OpenTherm	most homes, hot water control	£169.99	The kit includes Programmer X with Hot Water Control and OpenTherm, which also works as a Thread border router, plus a Wireless Temperature Sensor X (2nd gen).	See it on Amazon
Hive Thermostat Mini for Conventional Boilers, Heating & Hot Water Control, with Hive Nano 3 Hub	Hive system, hot water	£159	The Thermostat Mini is priced at £79 on Hive's page and a Hive Hub adds £80 if you do not already have one, which makes £159 with the hub included.	See it on Amazon
Netatmo Smart Thermostat (NTH01-AMZ)	heat pumps, voice assistants	£159.99	Netatmo describes it as a smart wireless connected thermostat for gas and electric boilers and heat pumps.	See it on Amazon
tado° Smart Radiator Thermostat X Starter Kit with Bridge X	room-by-room radiators	£139.99	The kit includes one Smart Radiator Thermostat X (M30x1.5 mm connection thread), a Bridge X (Thread border router) and a set of 6 adapters compatible with almost all radiator valves.	See it on Amazon

Prices from the maker or retailer named on each pick below, checked 26 October 2026. A dash means the price changes too often to quote: tap through for today's.

Run your heating, and your hot water if you have a tank, from your phone. This guide is for UK homes with a gas or oil boiler or a heat pump, and it covers four smart heating picks that Amazon UK sells today. Three things decide your pick: how it fits your boiler or heat pump, whether it controls hot water, and whether you need a hub. Our top pick, the tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen) Starter Kit, works with boilers, heat pumps and water-based underfloor heating, and includes hot water control.

Our picks in detail

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1★ Top pickBest for most homes, hot water control

tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen) Starter Kit incl. Programmer with Hot Water Control and OpenTherm

Keep your home warm and your hot water under control.

What it is: A complete starter kit that controls your heating and your hot water. It includes Programmer X with Hot Water Control and OpenTherm, plus a Wireless Temperature Sensor X (2nd gen).
Perfect for: Homes with a hot water tank that want heating and hot water on one schedule.
Why we picked it: It works with boilers, heat pumps and water-based underfloor heating, so it suits many set-ups. A light ring that responds to touch and an LED matrix display show temperature and humidity. tado° says its rechargeable battery lasts all winter, and you can install it yourself with the tado° app or have a professional fit it.
Price: £169.99 (shop.tado.com, checked 26 October 2026)

The kit includes Programmer X with Hot Water Control and OpenTherm, which also works as a Thread border router, plus a Wireless Temperature Sensor X (2nd gen).
It is compatible with boilers, heat pumps and water-based underfloor heating via the Wireless Receiver (Relay or OpenTherm).
A light ring responds to touch and an LED matrix display shows temperature and humidity, with a rechargeable battery that tado° says lasts all winter.
You can install it yourself with the tado° app or have a professional fit it.

The catch: The USB-C charging cable for the rechargeable battery is not included.

Check today's price on Amazon

2Best for Hive system, hot water

Hive Thermostat Mini for Conventional Boilers, Heating & Hot Water Control, with Hive Nano 3 Hub

Control heating and hot water from the Hive app on your phone.

What it is: The Hive Thermostat Mini is a Wi-Fi thermostat that runs your heating and hot water from the Hive app. You get boost, frost protection, geolocation alerts and holiday mode in one place.
Perfect for: Homes with a conventional boiler, or anyone adding to Hive lights and plugs.
Why we picked it: OpenTherm is enabled for compatible combi boilers, the all-in-one kind that heats both your home and your hot water. Hive says it gives up to 12% extra energy savings, and the kit includes the Hive Nano 3 hub it runs on.
Price: £159 (hivehome.com, checked 26 October 2026)

The Thermostat Mini is priced at £79 on Hive's page and a Hive Hub adds £80 if you do not already have one, which makes £159 with the hub included.
It gives Wi-Fi control of heating and hot water from the Hive app, with boost, frost protection, geolocation alerts and holiday mode.
OpenTherm is enabled for compatible combi boilers, and Hive says it gives up to 12% extra energy savings.

The catch: Hive+ extras such as Saver Mode need an optional membership.

Check today's price on Amazon

3Best for heat pumps, voice assistants

Netatmo Smart Thermostat (NTH01-AMZ)

Energy-saving control for your boiler or heat pump.

What it is: It is Netatmo's smart wireless thermostat for gas and electric boilers and heat pumps. Its Eco-Assist feature uses geolocation, which means it works out where you are, to help manage your heating.
Perfect for: Heat pump homes, and anyone who wants Apple Home, Alexa and Google Home all supported.
Why we picked it: It suits most individual boilers, air-water heat pumps and wood or pellet stoves. It works with Apple Home, Alexa and Google Home, so you can control it by voice. Add the Smart Radiator Valve and manage each room on its own.
Price: £159.99 (netatmo.com, checked 26 October 2026)

Netatmo describes it as a smart wireless connected thermostat for gas and electric boilers and heat pumps.
It is compatible with most individual boilers, air-water heat pumps and wood or pellet stoves, and lists OpenTherm compatibility.
It has geolocation (Eco-Assist), room-by-room management with the additional Smart Radiator Valve, and works with Apple Home, Alexa and Google Home.

The catch: Netatmo's own UK shop page showed it as Out of stock when checked, and it is not compatible with the Radiator Valve ORIGINAL.

Check today's price on Amazon

4Best for room-by-room radiators

tado° Smart Radiator Thermostat X Starter Kit with Bridge X

Control each room's heat with no battery swaps.

What it is: You get one Smart Radiator Thermostat X, a Bridge X and six adapters that fit almost all radiator valves, and you add more thermostats separately to control further rooms.
Perfect for: Homes where some rooms run too hot or too cold and each radiator needs its own schedule.
Why we picked it: The battery charges over USB-C, so you need no extra batteries. tado° says there is no risk of water leaking when you replace your radiator thermostats, and the app guides you through installation.
Price: £139.99 (shop.tado.com, checked 26 October 2026)

The kit includes one Smart Radiator Thermostat X (M30x1.5 mm connection thread), a Bridge X (Thread border router) and a set of 6 adapters compatible with almost all radiator valves.
There is no need for additional batteries, because the removable battery charges over USB-C.
tado° says there is no risk of water leaking when you replace your radiator thermostats, and the app guides installation.

The catch: It controls radiators room by room, not hot water, and each extra Smart Radiator Thermostat X is bought separately.

Check today's price on Amazon

What we left out, and why

Google Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen): Google's UK store page says it should be installed by a professional, who also connects the Heat Link.
Hive Thermostat (original): Hive's page shows a hub as an extra when you do not already have one, so the total is higher than the Thermostat Mini with hub that is picked.
Drayton Wiser Thermostat Kit 1 (2nd generation): Drayton's UK page lists no price and sends buyers to stockists, so RRP and stock could not be confirmed at one retailer.

How we chose

Our buying criteria

To make this list, a smart thermostat had to run your heating from a phone app with schedules, list the UK boilers or heat pumps it works with, and come as a kit you can buy in one go, with its hub or bridge included. Every pick is checked against the maker's UK spec sheet and live UK listings, with one honest catch each.

Boiler and system fit: check it works with your boiler, heat pump or underfloor heating, and whether it needs relay or OpenTherm control.
Hot water control: you need it only if you have a hot water tank (a system or conventional boiler); a combi boiler heats water on demand.
Hub or bridge: each kit here includes what it runs on: a Hive hub, a Thread border router or tado°'s Bridge X.

How we choose every pick

Your questions, answered

Do smart thermostats need a hub?

Not always, so check before you buy. The tado° Wireless kit includes a programmer that doubles as a Thread border router, and the tado° Smart Radiator Thermostat X Starter Kit includes a Bridge X (Thread border router). The Hive Thermostat Mini needs a Hive Hub, and this kit includes the Hive Nano 3 hub.

Do I have to pay a subscription for a smart thermostat?

Not to run your heating and hot water from the app. On Hive, extras such as Saver Mode come with an optional Hive+ membership.

Will a smart thermostat work with my boiler or heat pump?

It depends on your system, so check first. The tado° Wireless Smart Thermostat X kit works with boilers, heat pumps and water-based underfloor heating, via Relay or OpenTherm. Netatmo suits most individual boilers and air-water heat pumps. The Hive Thermostat Mini is made for conventional boilers, and OpenTherm is enabled for compatible combi boilers.

Can I install a smart thermostat myself?

Yes, you can. tado° says you can fit its Wireless Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen) Starter Kit yourself using the tado° app, or have a professional install it.

Do smart thermostats work with Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home?

Yes. The Netatmo Smart Thermostat works with Apple Home, Alexa and Google Home, so it fits all three.