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To understand which type of radiant heat thermostat you need, you first need to identify if you have a hydronic or electric heat system. Hydronic radiant heating is water-based, whereas electic utilizes wires for heat.

Electric Radiant Heat Thermostats
9.5 Empowered Homes
Top PickLine Voltage Smart Thermostat
9.2 Watts
Runner-upA multi-featured, programmable smart thermostat
8.9 SASWELL
Budget PickProgrammable thermostat with large LCD
8.7
A multi-sensor programmable thermostat
Hydronic Radiant Heat Thermostat
9.4 Honeywell
Top PickFlexible ambient air and floor temperature thermostat
9.2 Ecobee
Runner UpCompatible with hydronic systems
9.0 Aube by Honeywell
A non-programmable hydronic heating thermostat

How is a radiant heat thermostat different?

A radiant heat thermostat is built to control floor heating systems – maintaining the ideal temperature to keep your home warm without overheating. What makes radiant heat thermostats stand out is their efficiency compared to regular thermostats. Such thermostats are built with different sensors and usually utilize line voltage. Most smart home thermostats can be used to control radiant heat.

Hydronic vs Electric Radiant Heat Systems

Radiant heat systems come in two forms: electric and hydronic radiant heat systems. As the name suggests, hydronic radiant heat systems use water rather than electricity to deliver heat. Hydronic radiant heat systems work by delivering water from a boiler through the system’s tubing to heat the floor.

Thanks to this mechanism, hydronic radiant heat systems offer reasonable warmth while remaining cost-effective. Furthermore, due to the heated water, these systems help maintain balanced warmth for longer periods.

Electric Radiant Heat Thermostats

9.5
Top Pick
Line Voltage Smart Thermostat

Built with a Class A GFCI and floor temperature sensor, the Mysa smart thermostat works with high/line voltage heating.

Top Features
  • LED touch screen display.
  • Multiple sensors.
  • Geofencing.

The Mysa smart thermostat is packed with multiple sensors to improve its functionality. The thermostat includes sensors for temperature, humidity, range, ambient light, and proximity. Its primary function is to control the temperature.

The exterior features a modern, minimalistic design to complement the interior décor of your home. Installation is simple and smooth, too – taking no more than 15 minutes. In fact, the thermostat even comes with step-by-step instructions to walk you through the process.

Features

Additionally, the smart thermostat is packed with various intelligent features. The scheduling feature allows you to set your preferred temperatures for the entire week. At the same time, the vacation mode helps maintain the ideal temperature when you are away – preventing things such as pipe freezing. 

The thermostat also has a zone control feature that lets you control the temperature in particular zones in your home. The geofencing feature comes into play as you return home – detecting your presence and setting the preferred floor temperature before you enter the house.

What I liked
  • Geofencing scheduling prepares the ideal environment for when you are coming home.
  • Universal compatibility with smart home systems such as Alexa, HomeKit, Google Assistant, and SmartThings.
  • Features a modern, minimalistic design.
  • The Mysa app allows you to manage more than a single home HVAC system with various users.
What I didn't like
  • Only works with electric radiant heat system.

Tech Specs

Display: LED touch screen
Maximum power: 1900-3800W
Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz
9.2
Runner-up
A multi-featured, programmable smart thermostat

Packed with a series of features, the SunTouch smart thermostat is designed to help you control your floor temperature.

Top Features
  • Adjustable LED color display.
  • Energy tracking.
  • Flexible scheduling.

Thanks to its multi-feature design, the SunTouch smart thermostat allows you to control a selection of different functions. In addition to temperature reading, the thermostat lets you track real-time data such as weather, time, and outdoor temperature.

Safety

The thermostat prevents overheating and overrunning thanks to its warm weather shutdown functionality. Using its smart design and Wi-Fi connectivity, the thermostat can be controlled remotely. The smart device-friendly SunTouch app enables you to control the app from anywhere you are.

Furthermore, the thermostat lets you create a 7-day schedule based on your preferences, so you don’t have to fumble around with the thermostat or app every time.  

Save Energy

Thanks to the energy tracking feature, the smart thermostat is designed to help you track and manage your spending. The exterior design of the color display thermostat also adds style to your home, thanks to the five adjustable color options.

What I liked
  • Packed with multiple Wi-Fi-friendly features.
  • Built with a thin and stylish, modern profile.
  • The mobile app allows you to control your floor heating from anywhere.
  • Designed with a display that’s color adjustable.
What I didn't like
  • Some users complained that the system is a little prone to glitches.

Tech Specs

Display: LED color touch screen
Maximum power: 1800-3800W
Wi-Fi:2.4 GHz
8.9
Budget Pick
Programmable thermostat with large LCD

The Saswell thermostat features a flexible, programmable build to improve its functionality. The thermostat eliminates the hassle of setting the temperature every time, thanks to its 7-day programming function. The 7-day function features four sub-functions for setting the time and temperature periods daily.

Top Features
  • GFCI energy-saving function.
  • 7-day programming.
  • Backlit LCD.

Additionally, the thermostat integrates a permanent user setting, allowing you to save even more on your power bills. The thermostat is outfitted with a sleek-looking outer casing and a large backlit display that shows multiple data readings.

Integrating a three-sensor build, the Heatit thermostat is highly versatile. Its built-in sensors allow it to control the temperature of any room easily. The floor sensor enables the thermostat to control the floor heating.

Top Features
  • Multiple sensors.
  • 7-day programming with 4 or 2 stages running per day.
  • Works with both 120V/240V.

The third set of sensors helps control the temperatures of both the floor and the room to prevent overheating or exceeding the set temperature. Additionally, the easy-to-install thermostat allows you to control a selection of electric floor heating systems – including floor heating, cables, and mats.

Hydronic Radiant Heat Thermostat

9.4
Top Pick
Flexible ambient air and floor temperature thermostat

Featuring multiple floor- and wall sensors, the Honeywell T6 Pro programmable thermostat lets you monitor and control both ambient air and floor temperature.

Top Features
  • Built-in floor- and slab sensors.
  • LCD digital screen.
  • 7-day programming.

The Honeywell Hydronic Programmable Thermostat adds significant value to your home’s HVAC automation process. The simple, mountable thermostat is built with a flexible programming function, so you don’t have to reset your HVAC system every few minutes.

Programmer

Furthermore, thanks to its intuitive hydroponic design, the thermostat allows you to control your home’s floor temperature and ambient air temperature. Additionally, the thermostat is built with a 7-day programming function so you can have your heating schedule for the entire week.

Economy Mode

The thermostat even has a vacation setting for when you are away for long periods. On the other hand, the economy mode also comes in handy when you are away or asleep for more cost-cutting. However, due to its non-smart design and lack of Wi-Fi compatibility, you have to do the programming manually.

What I liked
  • Controls both heating and cooling.
  • Designed to monitor and control air and floor temperature.
  • Integrates simple wiring and setup design.
  • It comes with a mounting kit.
What I didn't like
  • No Wi-Fi connection or smart functions.

Tech Specs

Display:LCD button screen
Maximum  power: 1800-3800W
Wi-Fi: No
9.2
Runner Up
Compatible with hydronic systems

Thanks to its intelligent design, the ecobee thermostat makes controlling your home’s HVAC system seamless – whether it’s heating or cooling. Furthermore, to help you save on your energy costs, the Alexa-compatible thermostat can detect whether you are around the home or not and adjusts itself accordingly.

Top Features
  • Energy Star-certified for 23% efficiency.
  • Smart sensor included.
  • HVAC pausing for open doors and windows.

Thanks to its compatibility with hydronic heating systems, the thermostat can also work for floor heating. The ecobee is built to work with different radiant heat systems, including the hydronic heating system.

9.0
A non-programmable hydronic heating thermostat

The Aube Honeywell thermostat is designed to work with all types of central HVAC and hydronic floor systems – allowing it to adjust both ambient and floor temperatures. To protect your investment, the thermostat also integrates a pump protection function.

Top Features
  • Low battery indicator.
  • Backlit.LCD.
  • Pump protection feature.

Thanks to this design you don’t have to worry about any glitches or errors in the system. Even though the thermostat is non-programmable, it still allows you to control the temperature using a phone. But, you will need to invest in a telephone controller. On the other hand, its 60-day low battery indicator ensures that you don’t run out of batteries.         

The Verdict

Using a heated floor thermostat you can add an extra layer of warmth to your home while still being able to control your energy costs. After all, most heated floor thermostats are equipped to accommodate both air and floor heating temperatures.

9.5
Top Pick
Line Voltage Smart Thermostat

Built with a Class A GFCI and floor temperature sensor, the Mysa smart thermostat works with high/line voltage heating.

Top Features
  • LED touch screen display.
  • Multiple sensors.
  • Geofencing.

Sources

energy.gov

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