Tado Unveils Thermostat Aimed at Competing with Nest

After Google made its exit from the European thermostat scene last year, it directed its users to Tado. This week, the German smart home company is unveiling its Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen), aiming to capture the attention of European Nest users who haven’t switched to other options yet.

The shutdown of servers for Google’s first- and second-generation thermostats led to a notable increase in sales for Tado, according to cofounder and managing director Christian Deilmann. He mentioned that the third-generation Nest has a penetration rate in Europe that is at least ten times higher. While Google continues to support this model, Deilmann believes it’s only a matter of time before they alter their strategy. “At some point, I think they will continue their strategy,” he noted. “There’s nothing we know for sure … but it doesn’t make too much sense to pull out of some generations and not others.”

Tado’s latest thermostat is priced at £159.99/€179.99 for a wired starter kit and £169.99/€199.99 for a wireless version. It sports a fresh design with a sleek white square shape and a circular interface that activates with a touch. At just 17.8mm thick, it’s much slimmer than the first-gen Tado and the third-gen Nest (Google never released a fourth-gen in Europe). Deilmann emphasized that this model is crafted to blend seamlessly into home decor, unlike the previous all-black version. It features a customizable action button on top, and the battery-operated version can last a year on a single charge.

The Smart Thermostat X is compatible with boilers, heat pumps, and underfloor heating (but not air conditioning). Thanks to Matter-over-Thread connectivity, it can easily communicate with a receiver located near your boiler, as well as integrate with most smart home platforms. Tado transitioned from a proprietary 6LoWPAN system used in the first-gen Tado X to Thread.

With the launch of this second-gen model, Tado is also introducing new features across its product line, including the ability to manage multiple thermostats in different homes from a single account. Additionally, its hydronic balancing system, which works alongside the Smart Radiator Thermostat X to ensure even heating across radiators, is now TÜV certified, making it eligible for government heat-pump subsidies in certain regions.

This feature requires Tado’s AI Assist, available for £3.99 a month (£29.99 a year), which automatically optimizes heating based on weather conditions and the specifics of your home. It includes functionalities like automatic geofencing, open-window detection, adaptive heating, and preheating before your arrival.

Tado is also introducing a new energy savings guarantee. “We’re so confident about the benefit of our products and the value we deliver in terms of energy cost savings — a few hundred euros every year for all of our customers,” Deilmann stated. “If in the first 12 months you believe you haven’t saved enough energy or energy costs, then you can return all your products and get your money back, no questions asked.”

The Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen) is now available for purchase from Tado’s website and select retailers across Europe.