Grey / white plastic, dull looking LCD displays and clunky user interfaces ...... historically heating system Thermostats have left a lot to be desired when it comes to styling!
Fortunately in the past few years this situation has been changing with the likes of Netatmo, Nest and Honeywell producing devices that can truly compliment your house décor.
Of course, looks aren't everything and just as important are the functionality and features offered by the device - we want scheduling, remote control, remote access, geo-fencing, intelligence, IFTTT, IOT and a myriad of other buzzwords :-)
In this post we'll be taking a look at the Smart and Home Thermostats from the Spanish company Momit and seeing how they stack up against the competition.
Momit Smart Thermostat
Upon taking the Smart Thermostat out of the packaging it is immediately apparent that this device has a really high-end finish. It oozes quality and feels reassuringly heavy in your hands - there's certainly no flimsy lightweight plastic here!
As is becoming the norm lately, there's no manual included with the device, just a link to the Momit web site to download a PDF. A quick scroll through the instructions confirms that they are clear, concise and full of detail.
At first we were slightly concerned that the Smart is a little on the bulky side - at 33mm deep it's going to stand proud of the wall somewhat, especially as it's surface mount only, so can't be sunk into the wall like some other devices. So you're probably not going to want to install it where it might get knocked or bashed, for example at shoulder-height in a hallway.
Looking at the features and functions of the Smart, it's easy to see why the device might need that extra depth - there's temperature, humidity, light and motion sensors all built in! With the ability to control both heating AND air conditioning it's covering all the bases .... oh and it has WiFi too, so no need for an extra gateway for remote control and access when away from home - everything you need is literally in the box :-)
Screens on these types of device often leave a lot to be desired, but the Smart uses a proper capacitive touch screen display like you'd find on your smartphone or tablet, so the on-screen experience should be pretty special.
Connecting up the Smart is simple and once powered on, a "first-boot" process occurs. This did take a good three or four minutes and we were slightly concerned that something was wrong, even though a moving graphic is shown on the display to show progress is being made.
Next up is the obligatory wizard to follow, entering your WiFi details to get the Smart connected to the Internet and then registering an account with the Momit cloud servers. Once we'd verified the account we could log into the web UI and configure further settings including location, hysteresis temperature values and temperature calibration.
We mentioned above about the potential of the display and we weren't disappointed - you can change the graphical display shown and the choices available are all absolutely stunning. Watch out Netatmo, Momit is on course to steal the style awards!
The Momit cloud servers feature a web UI that allows you to control the Smart remotely, changing the set-point and schedules to suit. There's also a wide range of intelligence and optimisation modes alongside the simple calendar option, for example presence detection, safety and geo-location.
It should also be mentioned that features such as scheduling are also available locally on the Smart, meaning that it can run autonomously without connection to the Momit cloud servers. Obviously though this device is designed to be a "connected" thermostat, so it doesn't make much sense to install it without an Internet connection!
Momit Home Thermostat
The Home Thermostat doesn't quite meet the style level set by the Smart but it's still a great looking device. It's less bulky too, even though it contains the same sensors as the Smart - this is mainly because a separate gateway is required to connect the Home to your network.
At only 25mm deep it should be easier to site than it's chunkier brother and with changeable face-plates a decent level of décor matching is available too.
The Home is battery powered and communicates with the gateway using the 6LoWPAN protocol. This not only allows it to replace an existing wired thermostat but also means it can be used with the separately available extension kit. This lets you site the Home anywhere you like, wall mounted or stood on a table, with the extension kit then taking care of the wired connections to the boiler.
As with the Smart, there's no manual included with the product but this is easily downloadable from the Momit web site and again the instructions leave nothing out so installation and operation should be a simple affair all round!
Setting up the Home is a lot simpler than the Smart, you just connect the gateway to your Internet router with the included Ethernet cable and power it on, waiting for the three status LEDs to be permanently lit. After that you can insert the batteries into the thermostat and it will sync with the gateway automatically. If using the extension kit this should be powered on now too so that it can also sync with the gateway. It really is that easy :-)
The Home display isn't as graphical as the Smart but it still looks good - current temperature is shown along with some basic status icons. Adjusting the set-point up and down is achieved using the buttons on the side and if using the extension kit you also have the option for manual override.
As it stands the Home now has basic functionality but it will really start to shine once it's registered with the Momit cloud servers. An easy to follow wizard guides you through the process of entering the serial numbers from the thermostat, gateway and extension kit (if used).
Once the wizard is completed you can dive into the Momit web UI and configure the Home to suit your requirements. Similar to the Smart, there's a wide range of intelligence and optimisation modes alongside the simple calendar option, for example presence detection, safety and geo-location. And of course you can also control the Home remotely, changing the set-point and schedules to suit.
Wrapping Up
The Momit cloud servers offer a web UI that contains many features and a wealth of data - it really is worth exploring and seeing which parts will suit your home.
Temperatures and set-points are all logged and graphed and can be queried by time period. Energy savings data is also logged and displayed throughout the UI, which is a nice touch as it lets you visualise the cash that you are saving.
Apps for iOS and Android are a little on the weak side as they are simple wrappers around a mobile optimised web UI. These work fine but we do think native Apps give a better end-user experience as we've mentioned in other reviews!
Unfortunately there's no IFTTT or third-party API for integrating into other systems, but the more technical users will spot that the web UI is built using JQuery so it would be feasible to hook into the system with some simple HTTP calls.
All in all the Momit devices offer a a pretty comprehensive system and one that will suit users wanting a simple plug-and-play solution as well as more technical users that want to experiment. These are great looking device and we won't hesitate to recommend them to our customers!
The Momit devices are in stock NOW - order yours today and add a touch of style to your heating system!
Martyn