Hi all,
With Google ending support for the Nest Thermostat 2nd Gen in Europe, I’ve decided it's time to move on. I loved the Nest's elegant display and built-in presence detection, but I don’t want to stay locked into an increasingly unsupported or closed ecosystem.
Google offered a discount for Tado, but I’m skipping it for several reasons:
- I don’t want geolocation-based control (I find it intrusive and battery-draining).
- Tado’s basic display is not that great and not much better than a budget thermostat.
- Presence detection via sensors isn’t straightforward to implement.
- Tado also has a paid subscription for advanced features, a dealbreaker for me.
Instead, I’m leaning toward a Tuya-compatible thermostat from Avatto (~£30 with the gateway on Aliexpress). It supports Wi-Fi/RF433, app control, manual/program modes, temperature calibration, and works well with ZigBee automation (which I already use for smart lighting). I plan to use a ZigBee presence sensor to switch to away mode without relying on my phone’s GPS.
I’ll miss the Nest display and smooth design, but this setup gives me more control, flexibility, and no subscriptions for a fraction of the price.
I’ll place the Avatto thermostat freestanding to avoid heat buildup from wall mounting (some users reported inaccurate readings). It’s not as slick, but it looks functional enough.
👉 Has anyone here used cheap Chinese smart thermostats like Avatto long-term? Any thoughts on reliability or integration tips?
Thanks!
