Hive Thermostat Mini Review: A Compact Device

So, you want to give your home heating a smart makeover but keep finding yourself clinging to your wallet for dear life? Enter the Hive Thermostat Mini—the little gadget that’s big on warmth and small on spend.

This touch-screen device is like the smartphone of thermostats. It has a sleek and minimal look that’ll make your old dial thermostat blush with embarrassment.

But don’t let its pretty design fool you. The Hive Mini isn’t just a looker; it also walks the walk. Flying solo, it can easily manage your home heat, keeping you cosy and comfortable.

I have researched the Hive Thermostat Mini well while looking for a smart thermostat, evaluating its design, understanding its features, and putting it through different tests. While this device is cheaper, it is still at the top of the UK’s smart thermostats and a great choice, especially for those looking to make their homes smarter without breaking the bank.

Quick Verdict – Is Hive Mini Smart Thermostat Worth the Money?

If you consider buying Hive Mini, it’s certainly a substantial upgrade over a traditional thermostat and will help save money on energy bills. While the price is slightly lower than the competition, so are the features.

Here is what you can expect from Hive Mini:

It is beautifully designed and offers a modular system you can build on, with all the essential features for smart heating.
As a standalone product, it does a fine job, is rather simple to program, and offers remote control and geolocation.
It’s considered affordable and works particularly well if you also purchase the Hive radiator valves to go with it for multi-zone control.

Also, remember this: It’s also important to consider the potential savings on heating bills due to more efficient energy use; over time, the device will easily pay for itself. However, you might want to explore other options if you desire a thermostat with more advanced features, like learning capabilities or presence detection.

Who is Hive Mini Smart Thermostat For?

You’ll love the Hive Mini Smart Thermostat if:

Suppose it’s your first smart thermostat upgrade. You will appreciate the new smart features and convenience that it provides.
Have an ever-changing, busy schedule and want the device to take control of your heating system while being able to control it remotely. You can save more by switching off your heating when away.
You want a smart thermostat but are on a limited budget. The Hive Mini is one of the most affordable thermostats from a reputable company in the smart heating space. So you can be sure that you are getting a reliable device.

You won’t love the Hive Mini Smart Thermostat if:

You are looking for advanced smart features only available in the top-end devices. In that case, the Hive Mini may not be for you because it lacks some more advanced features.
The Hive Mini does not support OpenTherm, a communication protocol allowing more nuanced control of compatible heating systems for improved efficiency.
The Hive Mini offers less control at the physical thermostat than its larger counterpart, meaning you might need to rely more on the app for certain adjustments.

Hive Thermostat Mini Overview

Subscription: Optional Hive Heating Plus at 3.99 per month or 39.99 per year
Warranty: 1-year warranty, continuous with Hive Heating Plus
Installation: DIY is possible, but professional installation is advised
Power: AA batteries x4
Weight: 212 g
Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.3 x 2.2 centimetres
Self-learning: No
Smart Voice Assistant: Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit
Hive Smart Radiator Valves: Yes, 54£ each

Design and User Interface

The Hive Thermostat Mini is a small, reasonably priced smart thermostat that has several of the original Hive thermostat key features. It’s an appealing option for people who want to use smart home heating systems due to its simplicity and convenience.

With Hive Mini, it is easy to manage the target temperature in your house as it comes equipped with a user-friendly interface and crystal clear display. Plus, you can incorporate it into any home décor style because of how compact yet sophisticatedly designed it is.

To take full advantage of the features of Hive Mini, like remote control, you must have access to their central control unit -the Hive Hub. It links to your wireless router, allowing communication between your phone’s thermostat and the Hive app. For best results, you must place the thermostat away from heat or cold sources in a central spot.

Aesthetics

When talking about aesthetics, The sleek and contemporary design of the Hive Thermostat mini makes it stand out from other devices.

This stylish thermostat has a clean, neat design with curved edges and is available in various colours to fit your home interior decor. The Hive Mini offers an affordable way for people who want to get into the smart home experience without shelling out too much cash, making it a good option for combining both practicality and aesthetics.

Smart Features Breakdown

Heating Schedules

The smart heating schedule allows you to tailor your home’s target temperature according to your lifestyle to be always consistent. Setting up these customised programs should be relatively straightforward – meaning no more worrying about tinkering around with settings every single day. You’re also able to set different temperatures for each day as well.

Geolocation Technology

Have you ever wished that your home’s temperature would automatically adjust based on when you’re there and when you aren’t?

With Hive Thermostat Mini, this is now possible! By enabling its geolocation, it will use your smartphone’s location services to sense if someone has left. That way, the thermostat can be set so it goes up a few degrees while nobody’s home and then turns back down once somebody gets close.

Boost Mode

Boost mode lets users make temporary temperatures for a fixed duration or inside a specific room – if they need one area heating up (or cooling down) quicker than others.

Using the Boost function on Hive Thermostat Mini is easy. All you need to do is open your Hive app and select the room or zone you want to heat up. Then, adjust how long of a boost and at what target temperature it should be set for – then let the thermostat take over from there.

You can customize this feature however you like; choose to boost duration anywhere between 30 minutes- 6 hours and set target temperatures according to your preferences.

Please note that once you turn off the Boost mode after its specified time, the smart thermostat will automatically revert as per the previously chosen default settings.

Frost Protection Mode

Enabling this mode activates your smart heating system when temperatures drop below a certain level – helping prevent pipes from freezing during colder times.

Once activated, the thermostat will keep track of the temperature inside your house and turn on the heating if it falls below a certain point. This will help stop those pipes from freezing up, which can cause serious destruction to your home and plumbing.

It’s easy to adjust how cold it needs to be for Frost Protection with Hive Thermostat Mini – both what temp activates radiators & for how long.

Multi-Zone Control

With the help of Hive’s thermostat mini, you can now enjoy extra convenience when controlling the temperature in multiple rooms.

Using Multi-Zone Control on this device requires installing hive radiator valves in each room. Once installed, setting up different temperature settings throughout the day becomes possible on the Hive app.

Hive App and Control

The Hive app is a must-have part of the Hive Thermostat Mini experience. It’s where you can control your smart heating system and access plenty of cutting-edge features.

Here is what the Hive App can do:

Notification Features

One major benefit of having this app installed is its notification system. You’ll receive timely notices when there are temperature problems in your home or if it’s time to adjust the heating.

Schedule Assist

Another awesome aspect of the Hive app is its Schedule Assist. This handy tool makes it much easier to time temperature adjustments according to our regular routines. It makes planning schedules more interesting, enabling us to construct a tailored heating plan that fits our lifestyle perfectly.

With Schedule Assist, we can guarantee that our house always feels comfy and cosy when needed.

Actions

Lastly, The Actions feature in the Hive application gives us even more power over our devices. This feature allows us to create sequences that initiate automated actions based on certain conditions. For instance, we can switch on our heating while driving back home with the help of geolocation technology or turn on a boost option in case temperatures fall below the threshold.

In brief, the Hive app has an important role in unleashing the potential of Hive Mini. With useful notifications, Schedule Assist and an innovative Actions feature – this app improves convenience and energy efficiency.

Pricing and Subscription Plans

The Hive Thermostat Mini stands out as a cheap smart thermostat option.

Here’s a brief overview of the pricing details for the Hive Mini:

Hive Thermostat Mini (including Hive Hub): £119
Hive Thermostat Mini (for current Hive Hub owners): £59
Hive Hub (separately): £80
Hive Heating Plus subscription: £3.99 per month or £39.90 per year

Furthermore, there’s a subscription service on offer from this company called the ‘Hive Heating Plus’, which aims to improve its basic version’s capabilities, such as central heating efficiency monitoring (which wouldn’t be accessible without paying extra). This plan costs either £3.99 per month or £39.90 every year, which is still reasonably priced if you want to optimise all the features of Hive Mini fully.

Hive Device Ecosystem

The Hive Thermostat Mini is not only a single device from Hive; it’s also part of a wider network known as the Hive ecosystem, which works together to give you an all-inclusive smart home experience. Here is the list of other devices you can buy:

One essential component in any efficient heating system is controlling individual radiators with radiator valves. Together with the Hive Mini, it creates a multi-room setup. You get to decide different temperatures for every room – no more walking into a cold bedroom! Every area of your home is heated per your comfort level. Plus, this keeps energy consumption low since rooms that aren’t being used don’t have to be warmed up.

On top of all that convenience comes even greater ease in controlling household appliances – thanks to smart plugs. Using your smartphone or any other smart device that can work with the gadget, you can adjust from a distance once it is plugged into an everyday power outlet and attached to whatever appliance you want to control.

You can manage the lighting in your home with smart lights by using either the Hive app or voice commands given using a smart speaker and changing light brightness and hue according to what best suits you at the time.

Hive door and window sensors – these incredibly small devices which remain unnoticed when placed on windows, doors, and other entry points around the house while providing notification straight to your phone informing you when it has been opened.

Thanks to Hive motion sensors, having peace of mind about your home’s security is easy. When a door opens, a notification is sent to your smartphone. Plus, they can turn on other interconnected devices when movement is detected – making life simpler, more energy efficient and secure.

Final Verdict – Should I buy a Hive Mini?

The Hive Mini is a good value thermostat and a great entry point into smart heating and home automation. It is often priced lower than some competitors, making it an attractive option for those on a budget.

Buying this model will set you back 119£ with the Hive hub or 59£ if you already have one. Considering the current energy prices and all the savings you can accumulate over time, it’s not that much. The device will likely pay for itself within a year. Also, If you plan to expand your smart home system, the Hive ecosystem has great potential for expansion.

However, if you still can’t decide, here are some alternatives.

Are There any Alternative Smart Thermostats?

The market for smart thermostats has been growing since the release of the Hive Mini Thermostat, but some rival companies offer comparable or superior features in their product line. Some of the big names in this sector are Nest, Tado and Drayton Wiser.

Here is a quick overview of those smart thermostats: