Emerson Sensi Touch vs. Nest

Being able to control your home environment with your voice, and even have a house that reacts to your whims automatically (while saving on energy costs!) is now a possibility that’s accessible to most everyone. Most people just think of devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Home when it comes to home automation, but there are a surprising amount of products that interface well with these voice controllers and add a lot of functionality, convenience, and even savings to running your home.

One important device to consider when outfitting your home with smart tech is a smart thermostat. These products offer a large amount of control over the temperature of your home, and can even save lots of money over time with the increased energy efficiency that most models provide.

In this comparison, we’ll be taking a look at the Sensi Touch vs. Nest Learning Thermostat to try to give you a sense of which product will work best for you. Let’s get into it!

Sensi vs. Nest — Differences

Difference #1: Display – Display, while not the end-all-be-all of a thermostat, is an important aspect to take into account. After all, having a device that’s easy to read and fits in well with your home adds a great deal of functionality and aesthetic detail.

The Sensi features a 4.3″ full-color LCD touch screen with a 272 x 480 pixel display. The large backlit screen offers flexible lighting options that change color to let you know at a glance whether your system is heating or cooling. The device is incredibly easy to control, with just a tap to the touch screen or the mobile app to change the temperature to suit your needs.

The Nest has a 24-bit color LCD with a 480 x 480 resolution — putting it slightly ahead of the Sensi in screen quality. This thermostat also has a touch screen as well as additional control by scrolling the ring around the screen.

The Nest is rather unique in that it has a Farsight feature, which automatically lights up the display when it senses movement. Farsight lets you select what you’d like the display to show you, whether it be the current temperature, target temperature, local weather, or time. And if you don’t want to use this feature, you can set the thermostat to “wake on press” instead.

Difference #2: Back Glow – The Sensi features a backlight behind the thermostat which allows it to function as a nightlight. The backlight is perfect for nighttime or low lighting, and it puts the Sensi ahead of the Nest since the Nest lacks this feature.

Difference #3: Connectivity – Connectivity with other devices is an important consideration to take into account.

When it comes to heating, the Sensi only supports 1 and 2 stages (W/E, W2) whereas the Nest Thermostat offers support for 1,2, and 3 stages (W1, W2, W3). In case you’re not sure if Sensi would be a great fit for your home, check out this article that will help you figure out the compatibility.

Both Sensi Touch and Nest Learning Thermostat will work the majority of whole-home humidifiers and dehumidifiers. However, professional installation is highly recommended. For compatibility concerns, check if Nest will work in your home.

  Sensi Nest
Heating 1 and 2 stages (W/E, W2) 1,2, and 3 stages (W1, W2, W3)
Cooling 1 and 2 stages (Y1, Y2) 1 and 2 stages (Y1, Y2)
Heat Pump with auxiliary and emergency heat (O/B, W/E, W2) with auxiliary and emergency heat (O/B, AUX, E)
Humidifier/Dehumidifier (HUM, DEHUM) (HUM, DEHUM)
Fan (G) (G)
Power (C, RH, RC) (C, RH, RC)

Difference #4: Power – Like most thermostats, Sensi requires a C-Wire for power.

Nest, on the other hand, can function without a C-wire using its built-in battery. This battery is charged using the heating and cooling wires, which the thermostat “pulses” occasionally to get a boost in power.

Keep in mind, however, that there are certain situations where a C-wire will still be necessary, depending on the setup of your heating and cooling system. In these cases, a professional HVAC technician should be able to install a common wire if necessary.

Difference #5: Bluetooth Low Energy – Both smart thermostats are controlled over WiFi, but Nest also features support for Bluetooth Low Energy. With Bluetooth support, Nest devices create a low-power wireless mesh network for device-to-device communications.

This is a handy feature for Nest since it allows Nest Thermostat to pair with Nest Temperature Sensors, which we’ll cover in our next difference.

Difference #6: Remote Sensors – An important consideration when buying a smart thermostat is whether or not the device offers support for more than one room. If your house has rooms that usually vary in temperature, having a thermostat with the ability to recognize this variation and adjust accordingly is a big plus.

Unfortunately, Sensi Touch falls short when it comes to remote sensing. The Sensi thermostat doesn’t have any remote sensors at all, while the Nest Learning Thermostat uses Nest Temperature Sensor for even heating/cooling distribution.

If you’re looking for more thermostat with temperature remote room sensors, check out our take on Ecobee3 vs. Ecobee3 Lite.

Difference #7: Compatibility – Perhaps one of the most important aspects of any thermostat is how well it interfaces with your current method of smart home control. After all, if you can’t control the thermostat using your existing setup, it’s probably not the best choice.

Generally, the biggest difference between these two thermostats is support for Homekit and SmartThings. Sensi supports Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Homekit, Samsung SmartThings, and Wink. Nest, on the other hand, supports Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Wink.

Depending on your existing home automation system, this decision might have already been made for you.

Difference #8: Size – Though maybe not a deal-breaker, there is a difference in size between the two models. The Sensi is slightly larger at 5.6″ x 3.4″ x 1.1″ when compared to the Nest at 3.3″ x 3.3″ x 1.21″. While Sensi is bigger than Nest, its design matches the existing footprint of most thermostats so it can easily install without painting or leaving a rectangular space on the wall.

However, if space is tight, the Nest gets the same job done with a smaller device.

Difference #9: Color – For some people, having a device that matches their home is of the utmost importance. Nest offers more options than Sensi when it comes to color, with finishes in white, copper, black, and stainless steel.

Sensi Touch, on the other hand, is only available in black or white. If the color of your thermostat is a concern, Nest offers a lot more options with a variety of finishes that should work well in any home.

Difference #10: Warranty – One topic worthy of discussion when comparing the two devices is the quality and extent of the two devices’ warranty. Buying a thermostat, while not exorbitantly expensive, is still a decent investment. It’s nice to know that your purchase is backed by coverage in the event of a malfunction.

The Sensi offers a 3-year warranty, which outclasses the Nest Learning Thermostat that only features 2 years of coverage.

Difference #11: Environment Learning – One of the most appealing aspects of the Nest Learning Thermostat is the device’s ability to learn your habits over time. The thermostat is truly “smart” and will take into account your preferences in temperature as well as your daily schedule.

You can save a lot of money over time by having a thermostat that adjusts to your needs and to your presence. There’s no need for your home to be super warm or cool if you’re not there, and having a thermostat knows when you’re leaving/arriving home and can adjust accordingly can save a ton of energy.

Additionally, the Nest provides monthly energy reports with details of your energy consumption and suggestions for improvement.

Unfortunately, the Sensi Touch does not offer any environment learning, however, the thermostat does offer energy report functionality. You’ll be able to monitor heating, cooling, and fan runtimes for specific time periods right in the app.

Difference #12: Price – We’ll round out this article by talking about one last thing: the price. If you’re looking for a budget buy, you’ll generally be better off with the Sensi Touch as it’s less expensive.

At the end of the day, you’re going to be making a decision between saving money and having more features. Keep in mind, however, that with the Nest’s energy savings it may end up being less expensive over time due to its smart learning and automatic adjustments.

Sale Emerson Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Touchscreen Color Display, Works with Alexa, Energy Star Certified, C-wire Required, ST75 Black 5.625' x 3.4' x 1.17'
Sale Google Nest Learning Thermostat - Programmable Smart Thermostat for Home - 3rd Generation Nest Thermostat - Works with Alexa - Stainless Steel

Sensi vs. Nest — Comparison Table

  Emerson Sensi Touch Nest Learning Thermostat
Heating stages 2 3
Dimensions 5.6″ x 3.4″ x 1.1″ 3.3″ x 3.3″ x 1.21″
Hardware color Black, White White, copper, black,
stainless steel
Bluetooth LE No Yes
Wi-fi Yes Yes
Remote sensors No Yes
Nest Temperature Sensor
Humidity sensor Yes Yes
Power (if no C-wire present) Requires C-Wire Heating/Cooling
Wires + Battery
Supports humidifier/dehumidifier Yes Yes
Learns habits over time No Yes
Works with Amazon Alexa Yes Yes
Google Assistant support Yes Yes
Works with Wink Yes Yes
HomeKit enabled Yes No
Works with SmartThings Yes No
iOS app Yes Yes
Android app Yes Yes
Web access Yes Yes
Free monthly energy reports Yes Yes
Warranty 3 2

Sensi vs. Nest — Our Thoughts

Copper Nest Learning Thermostat

At the end of the day, both the Sensi Touch and Nest Learning Thermostat offer some great benefits. While the Nest is generally more fully featured, it also comes with a premium price tag that may scare away potential buyers.

No matter your decision, you can buy confidently knowing that either device will serve you well. Either smart thermostat is better than no smart thermostat, and both of these models can provide the ultimate in comfort and convenience while saving you money at the same time.


Last update on 2024-03-19 at 01:10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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