Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat Review

About the Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat

• Smart home assistants: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings
• C-wire: Yes
• Colors: Black, white
• Dimensions: 3.25 X 5.6 X 0.77 inches
• Connectivity: 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

The Sensi Touch 2 is a rectangular, black thermostat with rounded edges. It has a 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen. The system monitors temperature and humidity and can be expanded with up to 15 extra Sensi room sensors. The system does not come with any auxiliary sensors.

It connects to the Sensi Smart Thermostat app via your home’s Wi-Fi network and gives you control of home HVAC systems via your phone.

You might have seen the Touch 2 referred to as the Emerson Sensi Touch 2. The Emerson climate technology brand was incorporated into Copeland in 2023.

How we tested the Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat

Reviewed’s chief scientist, Dave Ellerby, tested the Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat using a simulated heating and cooling system.

We used a National Institute of Standards and Technology calibrated thermometer to test the Sensi Touch 2’s accuracy. We also received one auxiliary temperature sensor to test.

What we like

It has useful scheduling features

Like most smart thermostats, the Sensi Touch 2 offers customizable schedules including time-based scheduling, geofencing, and direct controls on the app or interface. All can help you cut back on utility bills.

It’s easy to customize and tweak to fit your habits using the app or thermostat touchscreen.

The Touch 2 includes optional geofencing to automate your HVAC system based on your location. With geofencing enabled, your thermostat can do things like automatically adjust the temperature to something that uses less energy when you leave home.

Whether you use calendar schedules or geofencing, you can also always make adjustments directly, whether on the app or via the physical interface.

It won’t change up on you

The Sensi Touch 2 shares a price point with some of the most powerful smart thermostats on the market like the Nest Learning Thermostat and the Ecobee Premium. However, the Sensi Touch 2 does not share what is arguably the most advanced feature of this bunch—one that can also be a thermostat’s most annoying: machine learning.

Machine learning abilities generally adapt based on your family’s habits, occupancy numbers, when your home was built, and other factors such as local energy prices. At best, these tools can be excellent at saving money on your energy bills (and saving your community resources).

However, we’ve heard horror stories of machine-learning thermostats turning off heat at moments of high local energy consumption (such as the evening) when homeowners are home and want to be cozy, or consistently adjust the temperature away from where a homeowner actually wants it to be.

For many, machine learning is a plus, for others, it’s an annoyance. If you’re of the latter party, then the Sensi Touch 2 is a good pick.

The installation is a breeze

The Sensi app guides you through installation, right from the beginning. A wiring compatibility check will ensure the device works with your home’s wiring scheme.

The app helps you uninstall your older thermostat, noting the types of wires and assigning them to the correct places on your new thermostat.

The plastic base has a spirit level to help you attach it to the wall properly using screws. Push connectors attach the terminal, making it far easier to assemble than if it were all screwed together.

We found the app setup to be smooth. Once connected via Wi-Fi, it quickly ran a firmware update. We found the whole process to be quite easy and without hitches.

The thermostat's simplicity and intuitive design go far

Across so much of the tech and smart-home landscape, it’s products with heaps of features that get the spotlight. Among smart thermostats, it’s largely no different. However, the Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat is one of those exceptional products that stands out for its simplicity.

The Sensi thermostat’s physical design is reminiscent of traditional thermostats both in size and appearance, albeit with a generously sized touchscreen. This sets it apart from the entry-level Sensi Lite, which doesn’t have a touchscreen. The screen is also large compared to competitive systems.

The Touch 2 uses the same app as the Sensi Lite. The app isn’t cluttered with options for smart features that don’t inherently have much to do with a thermostat.

The Sensi’s design has a strong sense of gestalt. If you want something with focused features and a design that won’t have you banging your forehead then this is the one.

What we don’t like

Simple is also basic—especially for the price

While we appreciate the intuitive design of the Sensi Touch 2, that same simplicity will be a detractor for some.

The Sensi thermostat costs about as much as Wi-Fi thermostats like the Nest Learning Thermostat and the Ecobee Premium, but it isn’t as feature-filled. Both Nest and Ecobee smart thermostats offer more intuitive smart tech, like machine learning.

The Nest Learning Thermostat will use machine learning to guide you to savings on energy bills. It displays a leaf when your system is set to temperatures that will save power. The Nest’s Home/Away Assist feature can also be set to enable Eco Mode when it senses you’re out.

When compared to the Nest’s motion-activated, colorful screen, which is set into a round shape, the Sensi looks a bit like older programmable thermostats dating to the years before “smart” tech—just with a large touch screen added. Further, Sensi’s auxiliary sensors are only available in white.

A C-wire is required for use

The Touch 2 requires a C-wire, no buts about it. In older homes, installing a C-wire can be an expensive and or difficult endeavor, so take this into consideration before you invest.

The entry-grade Sensi Lite Smart Thermostat makes its ability to get around needing a C-wire into a central selling point, but not so here.

While most smart thermostats do require a C-wire for all of their systems to work optimally all of the time, many come with power extenders that will help you wire around the issue, by drawing power from the fan wire for example.

Should you buy the Sensi Touch 2 Smart Thermostat?

Yes, if you want a simple smart thermostat then this one is great

This traditional-style system is one of the best smart thermostats we’ve tested. The Touch 2 is a fantastic smart thermostat for homes that prefer a more intuitive-to-use set of smart features.

It doesn't have the same powerful machine learning abilities, double as a DIY security hub, or offer as many ways to interact with smart home ecosystems like some other thermostats. If these features appeal, then it’s a better idea to invest in a more advanced smart thermostat, like Google Nest Learning Thermostat and the Ecobee Premium.

All in all, the Sensi Touch 2 is an easy and remote way to keep your home comfy using a simple smart thermostat. It’s also a great choice for large homes that may need multiple sensors.