Hive Smart Thermostat: An Epic Review

Welcome to our guide about the Hive Active Heating 2 Smart Thermostat.

This smart little gadget is like a remote control for your home’s heating. It’s designed to simplify your life by letting you adjust your home’s temperature with just a few taps on your smartphone or tablet, no matter where you are.

With Hive’s heating control, you’ll get something that looks good and is easy to use due to its intuitive app and excellent interface.

This review will examine the Hive Thermostat closely, explain its smart features, explain the reason for investing in one, and evaluate connectivity with other smart gadgets in your house. We’ll also fairly compare it with similar products to ensure our article covers everything.

If you are considering buying a new smart thermostat, by the time you finish reading this article, you’ll know why the Hive Smart Thermostat is one of the top choices for controlling your home’s heating.

Let’s dive in and see if it’s the right fit for you.

Quick Verdict – Is the Hive Smart Thermostat Worth the Cost?

The Hive Active Heating 2 Smart Thermostat’s compatibility with other smart home products can be a significant advantage for potential buyers looking for a connected home experience. It integrates seamlessly with various smart home devices and systems without advanced integrations to create a comprehensive ecosystem.

For example, if you plan to add smart lights, plugs, or sensors, you can connect them to the Hive system and control everything from a hive hub to a single app. Just make sure the brands you are considering are compatible. This level of integration can offer convenience and the potential for more sophisticated automation.

On top of that, the Hive Active Heating 2 is designed to provide both convenience and energy efficiency. It has various smart features to accommodate that:

Remote control via the Hive app, which allows users to adjust their home heating from anywhere with an internet connection
Geolocation sends reminders to control your heating based on your smartphone’s location. This helps to avoid wasting energy heating an empty home, potentially leading to cost savings on your energy bills.
The heating Boost allows for quick, temporary temperature increases without altering your schedule, offering immediate comfort if you feel cold.
Holiday Mode ensures your home is kept at a safe temperature while you’re away, avoiding unnecessary heating and reducing energy costs.
Compatible with popular smart home assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, it allows users to control their heating system using voice commands,

Who Should Consider the Hive Active Heating 2 Smart Thermostat?

The Hive Active Heating 2 Smart Thermostat is an ideal choice for:

Busy individuals: If you have a hectic schedule, controlling your heating on the go can ensure your home is always comfortable when you arrive without wasting energy when you’re away.
Eco-friendly households: The thermostat’s energy-saving features can help reduce a person’s carbon footprint, contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Smart home enthusiasts: If you already have or are planning to build a smart home ecosystem, the Hive Active Heating 2’s compatibility with other smart devices can be a great addition to your setup.
People living in cold climates: The Automatic Frost Protection feature can provide peace of mind by helping to prevent freezing pipes during the winter.

The Hive Active Heating 2 Smart Thermostat might not be the right fit for you if:

You’re not interested in smart home integration: If you have no intention of connecting your heating control to other smart home devices or systems, you might not fully benefit from what the Hive Active Heating 2 offers.
You’re a renter with limited control over your residence: Renters might not be allowed or find it practical to install a smart thermostat on a property they don’t own, especially if they plan to move shortly.
You’re on a tight budget: Smart thermostats can be more expensive upfront than basic models, so if cost is a significant concern, you may want to consider a less feature-rich option.
You prefer traditional heating controls: If you’re uncomfortable using smartphone apps or voice-activated devices, you might find a conventional thermostat easier to operate.

Hive Active Heating 2 Smart Thermostat Review

Design and Aesthetics

The Hive Active Heating 2 Smart Thermostat has a simple and stylish look that fits well in any home. It was created by a famous designer named Yves Béhar and has a shiny front that can act like a mirror when the screen is off. The controls are straightforward, with a big dial in the middle that lets you change the temperature easily.

The screen lights up to show you the temperature and whether your heating is on or off, but it’s not too bright or distracting. You can even pick different colours for the frame to match your room. It’s small and doesn’t stick out too much on your wall, so it won’t get in the way or look out of place.

Mobile Application

The Hive Active Heating 2 app is really easy to use, even if you’re new to using apps or smart home gadgets. When you open the app on your phone, you’ll see big, clear buttons that show you the temperature at home and let you change it with just a few quick taps.

You can also set up a schedule to change the temperature for different times of the day, like turning the heat down at work, which can help save money on your energy bills. If the app notices you’ve left the house, a handy feature can remind you to turn off the heat.

The app provides tips and instructions as you use it so that you won’t feel lost or confused. It’s also made simple, so you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in complicated menus.

Smart Features Breakdown

The Hive Active Heating Thermostat can work with various home automation systems, making it an excellent pick for anyone looking to add to their smart home setup.

Smart Energy Saving Features

The Hive thermostat has some smart features to help cut down on your energy bills. With Heating Boost, you can quickly warm up your home for a short time without having to heat it all day. It’s like a quick burst of warmth when you feel cold.

Setting up a heating schedule is super easy, too. You can program your thermostat to turn on the heat just before you get up and turn it off when you leave for work. That way, you’re always cosy when you’re home without wasting energy when you’re not.

And for those times when you’re on a trip, there’s Holiday Mode. This setting keeps your heating system running efficiently while you’re away, so you’re not paying to heat an empty house. Turn off Holiday Mode when you return, and your heating will return to its routine.

Historical Data and Insights

The Historical Data and Insights feature clearly shows how your heating system has been working. By looking back at your energy use, you can spot trends and determine where you might be able to cut back and save some cash.

You can check things like the temperature in your house, how much energy you’ve used, and what it’s costing you over a certain period, like a week or a month. You can look at this information in real-time or at past data.

Understanding your energy habits is key to bringing down your bills. Maybe you’re using a lot of energy at certain times, or perhaps your heating system isn’t as efficient as it could be. With this knowledge, you can tweak your heating habits or update your system, which could lead to lower energy bills.

Scheduling

Setting up an automatic heating schedule with Hive means you can always keep your home cosy without fiddling with the thermostat. You can program it to heat your house exactly when you need it, turning it on and off at set times for any day of the week.

With Hive Active Heating’s scheduling feature, matching your heating to your daily life is simple. If you need to be at work by 8 a.m., you can set the heating to turn on before you wake up and to turn off right when you leave. Plus, it’ll ensure your home is nice and warm when you get back, no matter when that is.

And if you’re looking for even more control, you might consider getting Hive Smart Radiator Valves. These let you set different temperatures for different rooms, so you can heat each part of your house just how you like it.

Geolocation

The Hive Thermostat comes with a cool geolocation feature that helps you control your home’s temperature based on where you are. This feature uses your smartphone’s location to determine when you’ve left the house or are on your way back, and it changes the heating settings to match.

With this geolocation feature, your Hive thermostat ensures your home has the target temperature when needed. It turns the heating down or off to save energy when you’re out and gets things warm and toasty for when you return, helping you cut down on those heating bills.

Automatic Frost Protection

The Hive Thermostat includes a frost protection feature that helps prevent your pipes from freezing.

This feature automatically turns on the heating if the target temperature inside your home drops too low, even if you haven’t set a heating schedule. It’s a great feature to avoid the damage frozen pipes can cause.

If you’re heading out for a vacation and are worried about the cold weather affecting your home, you can relax a little. The frost protection feature will take care of things by keeping your home warm enough to prevent freezing issues. This means you won’t have to change your heating settings manually; the system will handle it all for you, ensuring your home stays safe from frost damage while you enjoy your time away.

The Hive Devices Ecosystem

Building your Hive system is like putting together the pieces of a smart home puzzle. You can mix and match Hive-compatible devices to create a setup that’s just right for you. Start with a Hive Thermostat to keep your home cosy, then add some Hive Smart Lights for mood and security.

You can control everything from your phone or tablet, making your home smarter and your life easier. Here are some popular devices that can be interconnected together:

One crucial aspect of an advanced smart heating system is the capability to regulate individual radiator systems. Hive Smart Radiator Valves make setting up a multi-room temperature control setup easy. You can precisely control the temperature in each room and save energy by not warming unoccupied rooms.

Smart plugs are designed to make managing your home appliances more accessible than ever. Plug the device into any standard electrical outlet and attach the appliance you want to control. Then, use your smartphone or another compatible smart device to adjust settings remotely.

Smart lights allow you to control your home’s lighting with your smartphone device. With the Hive app or voice commands through a smart speaker, you can easily change the lighting colour and brightness to suit your mood or activity.

Hive door and window sensors are small, discreet devices that can be installed on doors, windows or other entryways to your home. They detect when a door is opened or closed and send notifications directly to your phone.

Motion sensors for your house are essential to making it truly ‘smart’. Their ability to detect movement and respond with connected devices is invaluable for convenience, security, and energy savings.

Hive Heating Plus

Hive Heating Plus is a subscription service that helps you keep your home warm while saving money on your heating bills. It works with the Hive smart thermostat and offers some extra features, like setting a budget for your heating and receiving tips on using less energy.

Here is the breakdown of extra features:

Budgeting Tools: Budgeting tools are like having a piggy bank for heating. You can set how much you want to spend, which will help you stick to it.
Energy Usage Info: It shows you how much heat you’re using and when so you can make adjustments if needed.
Efficiency Monitoring: It monitors your heating 24/7 to ensure everything works as it should, so you don’t get surprises on your bill.

So, with Hive Heating Plus, you’re turning your thermostat into a smart heating coach that helps you save money and stay comfy at the same time.

Final Verdict – Should I buy a Hive Active Heating Smart Thermostat?

The Hive Thermostat is a great choice if you want to build or enhance your smart home experience. Whether you already have or plan to get other Hive devices, the thermostat can work with them to create a seamless experience. Everything can be managed from the same app, which is super convenient.

The Hive thermostat’s convenience includes the ability to control your heating from anywhere, set schedules, and use features like geolocation for automatic adjustments when you leave or return home. You can also add individual room control with smart radiator valves to independently control the target temperature in different rooms from a single hive hub.

When this is written, the starter kit for the Hive system will cost 179£ for the most popular combi boiler, while each thermostatic radiator valve is 59£. The price is pretty competitive when compared with the competition.

However, if you’re still on the fence about it, let’s explore other options.

What Are The Alternative Smart Thermostats?

Recently, competition in the smart thermostats market has intensified as businesses strive to capture a more significant portion. Hive has competition from brands like Tado, Nest, and Drayton Wiser.

Here is a quick overview of some other smart thermostats on the market and their respective reviews: