Smart heating brand Tado has announced a new range of Matter-enabled smart heaters that should be simple to install and use.
The Tado X range includes wired and wireless smart thermostats, a smart radiator valve, a temperature sensor, a heat pump optimizer and Bridge X, the brand’s Thread edge router. They’ll all be available to buy on Amazon from November 1st and we have the prices below.
Truly integrated smart heating
More than 240 smart home brands, including Google, Amazon, Apple, Samsung and Philips Hue, are adopting the Matter connectivity standard, meaning Tado X devices will work with new gadgets from all of these companies.
If you set up a Matter-enabled smart home network that includes Tado X home heating, you can use the Bridge X, the Wireless Smart Thermostat X, or a third-party edge router, such as an Apple HomePod, as the main controller for your smart home.
The exciting thing about all this is that this might just be the first opportunity for non-techies to start building a truly integrated smart home system: as more devices work with Matter-over-Thread, you’ll be able to add them to your network and control them within the same app.
Tado X devices can also be voice controlled by leading home assistants: Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home.
The fact that the new Tado devices connect to each other via a Thread mesh network, rather than Wi-Fi, should make it a better option for larger homes, offering improved range and coverage. Tado X devices will also be compatible with heat pumps and underfloor heating.
Can Tado save you money?
However, Tado’s main claim has always been that its smart thermostat and associated devices can help save money on electricity bills by managing home heating more efficiently.
Tado now claims that its devices can save users an average of 19% on their bills, but that kind of savings is only possible if you don’t do anything to monitor or reduce your energy usage right now.
Tado smart thermostats use a number of energy-saving features and the more you use them, the more likely you are to save money. Here are the main features:
- Smart planning
- Geofencing (turn down the heat when no one is home)
- Open window detection (heat your home, not your garden)
- Weather adaptation (which takes into account sunshine hours when programming heating)
- Energy IQ information (including tips for reducing heat waste)
Other features, like Air Comfort, are, as the name suggests, more focused on home comfort. They give you insight into the humidity and temperature in your home, so you can adjust the conditions to your liking.
These features aren’t new to Tado X, but it’s likely that software upgrades will come in time for the new hardware, so some features might get a new look.
The hardware itself is designed in a fairly simple way. The devices aren’t as beautiful as the new Nest Learning Thermostat, for example.
But there are some nice features. The smart radiator valve, for example, charges via USB. Most smart radiator valves run on batteries, so this is a big improvement in terms of money savings and ease of use.
Will you need a subscription?
But there’s a slight catch. Tado doesn’t mention its subscription service in its new product announcement, but it’s very likely that to unlock all the features and maximize the money-saving potential, you’ll have to pay for Auto Assist.
However, it’s not as expensive as some competing subscriptions, costing £3.99 per month, or £29.99 per year.
At this point, you don’t need an Auto Assist subscription to use these features: Air Comfort, Smart Schedule, Insightful Reports, Weather Adaptation, and smart home integrations. You’ll also receive push notifications for open window detection and geofencing.
However, if you subscribe, open window detection and geofencing will be automated and you will also benefit from Energy IQ and a Care and Protect troubleshooting service.
Tado X Pricing
- Wireless Smart Thermostat X Starter Kit (with built-in Thread Edge Router), £159.99
- Wired Smart Thermostat X Starter Kit (with Bridge X), £159.99
- Smart Radiator Thermostat X Starter Kit (with Bridge X), £139.99
- Smart Radiator Thermostat X – £79.99 / Smart Radiator Thermostat X Quattro Bundle, £260.99
- Wireless Temperature Sensor, £89.99
- Heat Pump Optimizer X, £229.99
- Bridge X Thread Edger, (RRP) £59.99
You’ll be able to buy the Tado X range in the UK from Amazon from November 1st, and we’ll be reviewing the smart heating system as soon as we can. In the meantime, take a look at our roundup of the best smart thermostats available in the UK right now.
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