The 9 Best Programmable Thermostats of 2023 to Save Money

Best Overall

Honeywell Home RTH8560D 7-Day Programmable Touchscreen Thermostat

4.7

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Whether you’re looking to save some money on your heating and cooling, replace your old thermostat with something that looks nicer, or even ditch your smart thermostat for an intuitive experience that doesn’t require Wi-Fi, the Honeywell Home RTH8560D 7-Day Programmable Touchscreen Thermostat is our top pick. This thermostat is easy to install, works with a wide variety of heating and cooling systems, and has many flexible scheduling options.

The Honeywell Home RTH8560D features a sleek, modern look, with a highly legible LCD touchscreen with intuitive and easy-to-learn on-screen controls and a soothing blue backlight that makes it easy to see at night. The initial setup is a little complicated, so you may want to keep the instruction manual on hand, but it’s all smooth sailing after that.

The initial setup is a little complicated because this thermostat can function as a 7-day, 5-1-1, or 5-2 thermostat. Most thermostats only give you one programming schedule, but this one lets you change it up as your scheduling needs change. If you’re consistently working five days with two days off, then a 5-2 schedule is likely to provide the most comfort while minimizing your utility bill. If things become more hectic and you need a different heating and cooling schedule every day of the week, you can switch to a 7-day or 5-1-1 schedule at any time.

This thermostat works with both single- and multi-stage systems, including heating-only and cooling-only systems, forced air, heat pumps, and more. It also relies on batteries for power, so there’s no need for a C-wire. If your system does have a C-wire, you can connect to that and forego the batteries.

Price at time of publish: $91

_{Dimensions: 4.09 x 4.09 x 1.06 inches | Power Source: Batteries or C-wire | Control Method: Touchscreen | Scheduling Modes: 7-day, 5-2, 5-1-1}

Best Budget

Honeywell Home RTH2300B 5-2 Day Programmable Thermostat

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The Honeywell Home RTH2300B is a 5-2 programmable thermostat that provides some benefits of more expensive units without the associated cost. It allows you to set separate heating schedules for your work week and weekend, so it’s perfect for individuals and families with a schedule of five days at work or school and two days off. 

This model is a no-nonsense programmable thermostat that’s perfect if you’re sick of smart features or are just looking to save money. It switches on and off exactly when you program it, with up to four temperature changes per day in one-degree increments. It handles both heating and cooling with built-in compressor protection, but the catch is that it’s only good for single-stage systems. The special feature on the RTH2300B is a reminder that pops up if you go too long between filter changes, which is great for prolonging the life of your HVAC system.

Price at time of publish: $32

_{Dimensions: 5.23 x 1.02 x 3.48 inches | Power Source: Batteries | Control Method: Push buttons | Scheduling Modes: 5-2}

Best Digital

Orbit 83521 Clear Comfort Pro 7-Day Programmable Thermostat

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The Orbit Clear Comfort Pro is a 7-day programmable thermostat with a big digital display that’s exceptionally easy to read. It lets you set separate heating and cooling schedules for each day of the week, with four temperature changes per day. If you don’t need a different program for each day of the week, it also has a copy feature that saves time by letting you copy one schedule to multiple days. It supports gas, oil, and electric furnaces, air conditioning, and even two-wire hot water systems, but it doesn’t work with multi-stage systems.

If you’ve had trouble seeing digital thermostat readouts in the past, the Clear Comfort Pro addresses that issue. This thermostat features a large display that’s about 3.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall, and about a third of that real estate is dedicated to showing the current temperature. That crucial information is front and center in clear digital numbers. The set time and temperature are about half the size, and the other text is even smaller, but the layout is clear and easy to understand. You might experience an issue with viewing angles, but only if you look at the display from the side with the backlight off.

Price at time of publish: $55

_{Dimensions: 5.38 x 1.25 x 3.25 inches | Power Source: Batteries | Control Method: Push buttons | Scheduling Modes: 7-day}

Best 7-Day

Honeywell RTH7600D Touchscreen 7-Day Programmable Thermostat

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The Honeywell Home RTH7600D is an extremely flexible 7-day thermostat that’s ideal if you don’t have a traditional work week. It features Smart Response Technology, which allows it to learn how long your HVAC system takes to heat and cool. After a brief learning period, this technology allows it to turn on early to achieve the ideal temperature at just the right time. Auto changeover allows it to switch between heating and cooling automatically, which is a key feature for anyone in a climate that necessitates both during the same day.  

The RTH7600D has a bit of a dated look compared to our top pick, the RTH8560D, but these two thermostats share much of the same functionality under the hood. The RTH7600D is an excellent alternative if you don’t mind the dated aesthetic, prefer a bright green backlight, or just want to save a bit of money without compromising on features.

Price at time of publish: $81

_{Dimensions: 6 x 1.25 x 3.75 inches | Power Source: Batteries or hardwired | Control Method: Touchscreen | Scheduling Modes: 7-day}

Best 5-1-1

Emerson 1F80-361 5-1-1 Day Programmable Thermostat for Single-Stage Systems

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The Emerson 1F80-361 is the ideal choice for individuals and families that have work or school five days a week but need some flexibility on the weekends. This 5-1-1 thermostat lets you set four different temperature changes per day, with one schedule for the work week and independent schedules for each weekend day. If you need to change the temperature on the fly, an override option will hold your new setting until the next scheduled temperature change. A flip-down panel hides most of the controls, so the unit has a clean, simplistic aesthetic.  

This thermostat can run on batteries, so it works in both systems that have a C-wire and ones that don’t. If you do install batteries, you can pop the thermostat off the wall for easier programming and then snap it back on the wall when you’re done. The only issue with this thermostat is that it only works with single-stage heating and cooling, so it won’t work with multi-stage systems.

Price at time of publish: $60

_{Dimensions: 6x 1.19 x 3.88 inches | Power Source: Batteries or C-wire | Control Method: Push buttons | Scheduling Modes: 5-1-1}

Best 5-2

Honeywell RTH6360D1002 5-2 Day Programmable Thermostat With Backlight

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The Honeywell Home RTH6360D1002 5-2 Day Programmable Thermostat With Backlight is an affordable option with some nice features that work with most types of heating and cooling, including both single- and multi-stage heating systems. It lets you set one schedule for the week and one for the weekend, so it’s an ideal choice for anyone who is typically away from home most of the day during the week and home most of the day on the weekends. It includes Smart Response Technology that optimizes heating and cooling based on the performance of your HVAC system, and it will remind you when it’s time to change your air filter.

This thermostat features a modern design aesthetic that’s similar to Honeywell’s higher-end models. The buttons are flat and integrated into a rounded viewport window with the display, which creates the illusion of a touchscreen, but they are physical buttons. The controls are intuitive, and it’s easy to program, but we recommend keeping the manual handy during the initial setup to avoid any confusion or frustration. The only other issue with this thermostat is that while you can connect it to a C-wire if you have one, it won’t operate without batteries.

Price at time of publish: $61

_{Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 3.5 inches | Power Source: Batteries | Control Method: Push buttons | Scheduling Modes: 5-2}

Best for Heated Floors

SunTouch SunStat Command Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat

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The SunTouch SunStat Command is the ideal thermostat if you have a radiant floor heating system paired with a dated, non-programmable thermostat. It works with both 120-volt and 240-volt systems, has built-in GFCI protection for safety, and can connect up to 10 optional SunStat Relays to control exceptionally large heating mats. It comes with a 15-foot-long floor temperature sensor, but it also has an air temperature sensor and can regulate the head through air temperature alone. Its SmartStart Technology uses the sensors to learn how long it takes the system to heat up, which allows it to get started early and have your floors at the right temperature—and right at the programmed time.

While this thermostat is pricey, it more than makes up for that in functionality and ease of use. This thermostat features a generous touchscreen display with multiple color theme options to match your decor, and the intuitive interface includes on-screen help to walk you through programming and other controls. Installation is typically plug-and-play if you’re replacing an existing radiant floor thermostat since there isn’t anything out of the ordinary going on with the wiring, and SunTouch provides useful DIY guides on their website.

Price at time of published: $225

_{Dimensions: 2.95 x 1.65 x 4.63 inches | Power Source: Batteries and hardwired | Control Method: Touchscreen | Scheduling Modes: 7-day}

Best for Electric Baseboards

Aube by Honeywell Home TH106 Electric Heating 7-Day Programmable Thermostat

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If you have electric baseboard heaters with analog controls, the Aube TH106 Electric Heating 7-Day Programmable Thermostat can save you money while also making your home more comfortable. This thermostat offers a great deal of flexibility, as it's compatible with both 120-volt and 240-volt heaters, and it gives you the option to set a different heating schedule for each day of the week. Since baseboard heaters can take a while to get up to temperature, it includes an early start feature to make sure your home is at the right temperature the moment you step in the door.

The thermostat has a clean look, with no visible buttons, thanks to a flip-out cover. With the cover closed, all you see is the display. The display is clear and easy to read and offers easy programming and setup, but there is no backlight, which could make visibility difficult if the lighting isn't perfect. The lack of light is because this is a two-wire line voltage thermostat that doesn't require a battery. On the plus side, this model saves your settings in the event of a power outage despite not having a battery. If the power comes back within four hours, you don't even need to reprogram the clock.

Price at time of publish: $61

_{Dimensions: 5 x 1.5 x 4.94 inches | Power Source: Hardwired | Control Method: Push buttons | Scheduling Modes: 7-day}