October 22, 2026

How to Choose the Right Thermostat For Your Home

Keeping your home warm or cool can cost upwards of $900 on average per year. Fortunately, knowing how to choose the right thermostat for your home can help you bring that cost down.

In fact, simply dialing your thermostat back 7°F to 10°F from its normal setting for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling costs. Many thermostat models even let you preset those changes around your daily routine, including when you’re away.

Smart thermostats make scheduling temperature changes easier and give you insights into energy usage. However, not every thermostat works with every heating system. Some models are built for specific setups like baseboard heaters, mini-splits, and in-floor heating.

This thermostat buying guide will help you compare features and compatibility to narrow down the best model for your home’s setup.

Key Takeaways

Check your heating and cooling system first - your thermostat must be compatible.
Central systems (furnaces + heat pumps) use low-voltage (24V) thermostats.
Electric baseboards and in-floor heating need high-voltage models.
Programmable thermostats change the temperature on a schedule.
Smart models add app control and geofencing.
Many smart thermostats for central systems need a C-wire for power.
Pick the features you’ll use every week, like zones, energy reports, and Matter support.
Mysa makes thermostats for central HVAC, baseboards, mini-splits, and in-floor heating, all controlled from one app.

What Are the Different Types of Thermostats?

The main types of thermostats are non-programmable, programmable, and smart models. Some thermostats are designed for specific heating systems, such as baseboard heaters, mini-splits, and in-floor heating.

The simplest thermostats are non-programmable models with a dial, lever, or digital controls. They allow you to manually adjust the temperature. These do one thing really well - hold the temperature in your home. Digital thermostats display a more precise temperature reading, but you have to change the settings yourself.

You can't preset changes with manual thermostats, but you can with programmable and smart models. They both make it easier to manage energy use and save money since you can schedule different temperatures for different times of the day or days of the week.

Programmable Thermostats

Programmable thermostats automatically adjust your home’s temperature according to a preset daily or weekly schedule for consistent comfort and energy savings.

For example, you can schedule temperature changes around when you wake up, leave for the day, return home in the evenings, and go to bed. Some models also include maintenance reminders, such as alerts to change your furnace filter.

Common types of programmable thermostat models include:

7-day: Allows you to set a different schedule for each day of the week if your routine is erratic or varies daily.
5-2 day: Set one schedule for weekdays and a second schedule that applies to both Saturday and Sunday. A 7-day model can do this, too, but a 5-2 model gives you fewer schedules to enter if you work regular weekday hours and follow the same routine on both weekend days.
5-1-1 day: Set one schedule for weekdays, another for Saturday, and a third for Sunday. It’s the best choice if you follow the same weekday routine but have different plans on Saturday and Sunday.

Smart Thermostats

These connect to your home’s Wi-Fi so you can adjust the temperature settings through a smartphone app from work, on vacation, or in the next room. They’re a good fit if you’re building a smart home or want remote access to your heating and cooling.

Depending on the model, features include voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant, geofencing, and self-learning. Geofencing uses your phone’s location to adjust temperatures when you leave or return. Self-learning models learn your routine and adjust temperatures automatically.

But you also gain insights into energy usage, which is where the savings we talked about earlier come into play. You can look at your energy usage over time to see how you’re saving.

Learn more about how the smart thermostat vs programmable thermostat compare in our blog.

Thermostats for Baseboard Heaters, Mini-Splits, and In-Floor Heating

Scheduling and remote access are useful, but only if the thermostat works with your current heating system. If your home has electric baseboard heaters, mini-splits, or in-floor heating, you’ll need a compatible model.

Electric Baseboard Heaters

Baseboard heaters run on 120V or 240V, and the thermostat switches the electricity to the heater on and off directly. Because of that, they require a high-voltage thermostat instead of the low-voltage (24V) kind that signals a furnace.

Mysa’s Lite thermostat for electric baseboard heaters is built for these systems and works with 120V and 240V heaters that draw up to 16 amps. You can build heating schedules around your daily routine in the app, and geofencing drops the heat to your away temperature once everyone has left. It also connects straight to your home Wi-Fi, so you don’t need a separate hub.

Ductless Mini-Splits

Mini-splits run from a handheld infrared remote instead of a wall thermostat. Mysa’s mini-split thermostat is made for these systems, and it adds smart Wi-Fi control without any wiring. You plug it into a standard outlet, then point your old remote at it once to pair the two. After that, you can control your mini-split from the free app instead of the remote.

Climate+ mode on the device uses the on-device sensor to maintain your exact set-point, automatically eliminating hot and cold spots.

Electric In-Floor Heating

Floor heating also runs on high voltage. Mysa’s thermostat for electric in-floor heating uses a floor sensor to track the temperature of the floor itself. It’s compatible with 120V and 240V systems up to 3,800 watts, and it works with the floor sensor you already have.

You set a maximum floor temperature based on your flooring type. The thermostat then caps the floor at 86°F, or your flooring manufacturer’s limit, to prevent warping and fading. That makes it safe for hardwood, laminate, vinyl, tile, and stone.

As with Mysa’s other thermostats, you can build heating schedules in the app and group several Mysas into heating zones.

How to Choose the Right Thermostat For Your Home in Four Easy Steps

Follow these four steps as your thermostat buying guide to get a device that’s not just compatible with your system but actually improves your home comfort while saving you money.

1. Know Your HVAC System First

Every thermostat buying guide should start with your system, since compatibility with your heating and cooling is the most important factor.

Low-voltage (24V) thermostats tell heating and cooling systems, such as furnaces or heat pumps, when to turn on. High-voltage (120V or 240V) thermostats, on the other hand, control the power going to an electric heater.

To find out which one you have, turn off the circuit breaker, remove your thermostat’s base plate, and check the wiring in the following way:

Thin, color-coded wires on terminals labeled R, W, Y, G, or C point to a low-voltage system, such as a furnace, central AC, heat pump, or boiler.
Thick wires, usually 12 or 14 gauge, along with a separate thermostat in each room, point to a high-voltage system like electric baseboards or in-floor heating.
A handheld remote in place of a wall thermostat usually means a ductless mini-split or a window or portable AC unit.

Count the wires as well on a low-voltage system. Setups with four or more wires work with most thermostats, while two-wire setups have fewer options. Mysa’s central smart thermostat works with 95% of standard 24V systems, including heat pumps with auxiliary heat, which provides backup heating in colder weather.

2. Figure Out How You’ll Install It

The wiring in your home determines how much of the installation you can handle yourself. Several popular smart thermostats for furnaces, central air conditioners, and heat pumps need a C-wire, short for common wire. It's a low-voltage wire that gives the thermostat steady 24V power for its screen and Wi-Fi.

If you don't see one, you can often use a spare wire in the same cable or add a C-wire power adapter. Once the wiring is sorted, Mysa’s central thermostat installs in less than half an hour, and video instructions built into the Mysa app show every step. Or, you can hire a professional to help you navigate installation, which will run you $75 to $150.

You have to use more caution with high-voltage thermostats. Mysa’s baseboard thermostat takes 15 to 20 minutes to install where local codes allow you to do the work yourself, while in-floor heating thermostats need a qualified electrician.

3. Decide What Features Matter to You

Features are where a thermostat buying guide can get long and drawn out before you know it. A longer feature list doesn't always equate to a better thermostat either. To narrow your choices, consider which of the following features you’ll use every week:

Scheduling you control: Some smart thermostats try to learn your habits, which can override your preferences and cause unexpected temperature swings. Choose a thermostat that runs on your schedule alone if you’d rather it follow the schedule you set.
Zones: In a multi-zone home, grouping rooms into zones lets you give each area its own schedule.
Energy reports: Energy charts and a monthly energy report show how your schedule affects the energy you use.
Matter support: Matter is a shared smart home standard that lets devices from different brands work together. A Matter-certified thermostat fits more easily into the smart home you have now and the devices you add later.
ENERGY STAR certification: An ENERGY STAR smart thermostat has been certified with real-world data to show it saves energy.

4. Narrow It Down to the Right Brand and Model

The last step in how to choose the right thermostat for your home is comparing a few models. Some homes have more than one type of heating, like a furnace downstairs and baseboards upstairs. In that case, look for a brand that makes thermostats for both so you can run every room from one app.

Check for ongoing costs too, such as subscription fees. Your utility company may also offer rebates and incentives that lower the price.

For side-by-side picks, read our best smart home thermostat roundup. You can also browse Mysa's full range of Wi-Fi smart thermostat models.

What Makes Mysa the #1 Choice?

At Mysa, we make thermostats for everything from central HVAC to baseboard heaters and mini-splits, plus in-floor heating. In addition, you can control them all from one app. That covers the systems most smart thermostats leave out, so you won't need a different brand for every room.

We also keep you in charge of your comfort. Our thermostat for central heating and cooling doesn’t try to learn your habits, so it won't change your schedule on its own. That model is also ENERGY STAR certified and Matter certified. It connects directly to Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home, with no extra hub needed. Our customers typically save 10% to 26% on heating and cooling costs.

You won't pay for subscriptions, and we don't sell your data. More than 250,000 homeowners have already made the switch to Mysa.

Tips on Installing Your New Smart Thermostat

Once you’ve followed our thermostat buying guide and picked a model, a careful install keeps you safe and gets it running the first time. Follow these steps:

Decide whether you need an electrician. Only a qualified electrician should install an in-floor heating thermostat, and some areas require one for baseboard thermostats too.
Turn off the circuit breaker for the thermostat before you remove the old one, since 120V or 240V wiring can cause serious injury.
Take a photo of your existing wiring. If anything looks unfamiliar, send the photo to Mysa support (support@getmysa.com) before you go further.
If you have central heating and cooling, such as a furnace, central AC, or heat pump, check for a C-wire or have a power adapter ready.
Make sure your home Wi-Fi has a 2.4 GHz network, since Mysa needs a 2.4 GHz connection.
For a mini-split, place the thermostat where it has a direct line of sight to the indoor unit, so its infrared signal reaches the unit reliably.
Follow the video instructions built into the Mysa app, which show every step of connecting wires, finishing setup, and setting your first schedule.

Ready to install? Check out our installation guide for step-by-step instructions. Still have questions about compatibility with your heating system after working through our thermostat buying guide? Our HVAC specialists in North America can help by phone or chat, or you can email support@getmysa.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I replace my home thermostat with any thermostat?

No. Part of learning how to choose the right thermostat for your home is matching its voltage to your home’s heating and cooling systems. Take a 24V system and a 120V or 240V baseboard heater, for example. They need different thermostats. Also, many smart thermostats need a C-wire for steady power.

How do I tell what thermostat I need for my house?

Turn off the breaker and look behind your current thermostat. Thin, color-coded wires point to a low-voltage system, while thick wires and a thermostat in every room point to high voltage. If you use a handheld remote instead, you likely have a mini-split or a window or portable AC unit. Knowing how to choose the right thermostat for your home starts with that check.

How much should it cost to get a new thermostat installed?

Hiring a professional typically costs $75 to $150 in labor. Counting the thermostat itself, smart thermostat installation runs $185 to $600. Installing a Mysa thermostat yourself skips the labor cost, and most models take less than half an hour to install.