Okay, so I finally took the plunge and got the ecobee3 Lite after months of overthinking it. Best. Decision. Ever.

The installation scared me at first (I'm NOT a DIY person), but their app literally holds your hand through the whole process. You tell it what wires you see, and it gives you customized instructions. Had mine up and running in 15 minutes!

This thing is SMART smart. Walk by and the screen lights up with weather/temp info. Control it from bed via Alexa ("set temp to 68°") or tweak settings remotely when I forget to adjust before vacation.

Major bonus: It automatically found my energy provider during setup and suggested ways to save on bills. Already seeing lower HVAC costs after just two months!

The design? Sleek AF. Looks like something from a sci-fi movie compared to my old clunky thermostat. Only wish it came in white to match my walls better.

Pro tip: The QR code for HomeKit setup isn't on the product card - had to dig through the app to find it.

Haven't tried the extra sensors yet, but with how much I love this base unit, they're definitely next on my shopping list.