Google’s Nest range remains one of the star attractions of the smart home world, despite many competitors. Even with the utility firms trying to offer their own “smart” solutions for many customers, even if these only report usage to an app, Nest remains the leading brand associated with thermostats, while the Nest Cam range and Protect smoke/CO2 detector also help .
With rumors of a lower-cost Nest thermostat and more devices to come, many other smart home products are ensuring they get some reflected glory from the Nest brand by offering compatibility, badged as “Works with Nest”.
In this roundup, we highlight some of the leading Nest compatible devices that can integrate and interact with Nest devices to improve your smart home live.
#1 LiFX
- Works with Amazon Alexa to support dimming, shades of white, and color settings through voice control (Alexa device sold separately)
- 16 million colors, warm to cool whites and infrared for night vision
- Easy to set up, built in wifi - no hub required. Beam Angle - 135 degrees
- Bright - equivalent to 75W bulb
- Works with Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant
You might struggle to think of a reason that your lights would need to connect to a thermostat. However, LiFX has thought of this, and when the Nest is set to Away mode, then the lights can be turned on or off at random intervals to make it look as though someone is home.
That may be useful in the winter, or scare the pants off you when you’re coming home and see a light go on, forgetting you enabled the feature, but it can be a nice to have!
If you have a Nest Protect unit as well, then the lights can be triggered to flash when there is an alert. that’s ideal for warning the hard of hearing, or just to encourage people to investigate or evacuate.
#2 Big Ass Fans Haiku
- FAN SETTINGS: 7 speeds, Whoosh mode (which simulates natural breezes), eco mode, and Timer
- BALANCED: factory-balanced and sound tested to ensure fan will never wobble, rattle or click, Seven speed settings with Sleep, Whoosh, Timer, and Fan Eco modes
- LIGHT SETTINGS: integrated LED light kit features 16 distinct brightness settings and emits a warm white color brighter than a 60-Watt bulb
- REMOTE: included slimline IR remote is wall mount capable and provides simple, convenient control of your Haiku L fan from anywhere in the room
- SMART: included WIFI module allows control with free Haiku smart phone app (iOS and Android) to personalize your fan’s comfort settings, use voice commands, and group with other Haiku products
This company’s high-quality ceiling fans definitely have a good reason to be compatible with Nest. Paired through an iOS app, when the central heating is on, they can be set to run gently to nudge that rising warm air to the bottom of the room where the people are.
As they benefit from being warmer, people are more likely to turn the thermostat down, saving money and enjoying a more efficient home.
Conversely, in summer, the fans can sync with Nest to run more aggressively, to stir up the air to circulate cooler air flow around a room or home and reduce the load on your air conditioning, with each degree adjustment saving around 5% on your electricity bill according to the company.
#3 Belkin WeMo
- Control from anywhere. Plug in a WeMo Mini Smart Plug, download the free app, and control your lights and appliances from your phone and your voice through Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Home Kit. Only needs Wi Fi. No hub or subscription required
- Compact size. WeMo Mini features a sleek new form factor that allows you to stack two Mini Smart Plugs in the same outlet. Minimum System Requirements Wi Fi router, Android 4.1 or higher, iOS 9 or higher
- Schedule automatically. Never come home to a dark house. Schedule the fan to turn on before you arrive. Sync lamps and devices to sunrise, sunset, or preset times automatically. Note: Refer to the PDF attached below in Technical Specification for Manual and Troubleshooting Steps
- Randomize Lights. The Mini Smart Plug protects your home better than a mechanical timer. “Away Mode” will turn your lights on and off randomly to make it look like you’re home even when you’re not. Electrical Rating: 120V /15A/60Hz/1800W
- Voice control with Alexa, the Google Assistant and Apple Home Kit. Pair with voice built in devices like Apple Home pod or Google Home and control your lights and appliances with your voice
Some products you might question as to why they work with Nest. Belkin’s WeMo smart plugs and camera are one example, their basic reason for Works with Nest compatibility is so that lights and appliances will be aware, thanks to the Nest settings, when you’re at home, or out or away, and can respond automatically.
However, they are worth mentioning because the Belkin app happily shows you data from the Nest devices, saving the user from having to switch between apps – a common moan from many smart home users. That means if the temperature is showing as a bit low, you can kick a dumb electric heater connected to a WeMo smart plug to give a particular room a boost.
#4 August Door Lock
- Works with Alexa for voice control (hub required, Alexa device and hub sold separately).
- Connect your August smart lock to Alexa to Lock, unlock and check lock status. Alexa can also provide notifications when your batteries are running low so you can proactively replace them, or you can set up smart reorders to make sure you always have replacement batteries when you need them.
If you have your front door secured with August’s Smart Lock and Doorbell Cam, then it’s a bonus that it can work with your Nest setup.
For a start, it can sync with the home and away settings to ensure the door is locked when you are supposed to be out.
It can also work with the Nest Cam, so if you see a visitor on the Doorbell Cam and decide to allow someone entry, you can then track them with the Nest Cam, assuming it is suitably located, when they enter the home. August’s app also allows you to monitor the Nest temperature settings, saving you swapping between smart home apps.
#5 Amazon Echo
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In most homes, when you’re sat down for the evening, getting up to adjust the thermostat seems decidedly non-smart. And, if you’ve left your phone charging in the kitchen, then your options are limited.
However, with an Amazon Echo (or Google Home) in the house, you can talk directly to your Nest Thermostat and adjust the settings via voice control.
The Echo range has a Nest Smart Home Skill that you can enable using the Alexa app. Once the Nest Thermostat is discovered, you don’t need a phone to chat to the wall-hugging dial.
Commands include “Alexa, what’s the temperature in Nest?” Or, “Alexa, what’s the temperature in the house?” or “Alexa, what temperature is my Nest set to?”
#6 Wink Hub
- VOICE CONTROL: Works with Alexa and Google Assistant (devices sold separately)
- CONNECT ALL YOUR SMART DEVICES: Easily connect and manage your smart home ecosystem with Wink Hub 2. Compatible with all major smart home categories, including cameras & doorbells, lighting & locks, thermostats, sensors & alarms, appliances, speakers and more.
- ONE SIMPLE APP: Control all your home’s smart devices, no matter where you may be, using the Wink app on your smartphone. Set up shortcuts that let you turn off all your home’s lights with a single tap or automatically turns up the thermostat when the front door is unlocked.
- ULTIMATE COMPATIBILITY: Wink Hub 2 enables you to connect and control 400+ smart home devices, including those made by Nest, Philips, Ring, Ecobee, Go Control, Schlage, Sonos, Arlo, Yale and Chamberlain.
- THE LARGEST PROTOCOL SUPPORT: Wink Hub 2 supports Bluetooth LE, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Kidde, and Lutron Clear Connect. Works with more smart home protocols than any other platform.
The nest is designed to work in its own little environment, but many smart homeowners still have a hub to control everything. The Wink Hub is one that is happy to play with the whole Nest range, and other devices can be triggered by changes in settings and data from the Nest devices.
Slick integration means that users can control settings and operating modes via Wink and it is easy to create automation settings and rules for other devices. Key among these will be if the Nest Cam senses motion or the Nest Protect triggers an alarm, all of which can be used by the Wink to trigger alerts or other devices to help out in a crisis.
#7 Almond Smart Home Router
- EASY SETUP: Ridiculously easy to set it up in minutes using the Touchscreen Wizard; NO PC/Mac/CD needed for Setup or Management
- EXTENSIVE COVERAGE: Almond 3 covers 1,300 sq. Ft. Add extra Almond 3 units to create a network for total home Wi-Fi coverage
- SPEED and RELIABILITY: Smart Home Wi-Fi System covers your entire home with Ultra Fast and reliable Wi-Fi.
- INTEGRATED SUPPORT for Phillips Hue, Nest and Amazon Echo. UNIVERSALLY COMPATIBLE with almost all the ISP's modem/router (Comcast, Verizon, TimeWarner etc.)
- SMART HOME FUNCTIONALITY: Almond 3 doubles as a hub to transform your house into a Smart Home. REMOTELY ACCESS and CONTROL connected sensors using the free Almond iOS and Android apps
With a Nest, you’ve already got one LCD display in a corner of the room, but the Almond provides a full smart home router and control system for your smart home devices.
Working with Nest, it provides another screen to adjust the Nest settings, if your original thermostat is tucked away in a less traveled part of the house.
With Almond likely to be closer to the home’s more traveled paths, you can check the battery status of the Nest Protect, which is usually tucked out of the way, and set home or away modes for the Thermostat.
#8 SimpleHuman Sensor Mirror
- TRU-LUX LIGHT SYSTEM - At 600 lux and with a color rendering index (CRI) of 95, the tru-lux light system closely simulates natural sunlight's full color spectrum to show every detail.
- SENSOR ON/OFF - Automatically lights up as your face approaches the mirror — no need to touch any buttons.
- NEVER CHANGE A BULB - Traditional bulbs fade or burn out. Our mirror's LEDs have been rated to perform like new after 40,000 hours — that's an hour a day, every day, for more than 100 years.
- 5X MAGNIFICATION - Provides exceptional detail while still allowing you to see your entire face at once.
- CORDLESS AND CLUTTER FREE - No messy cords to take up space on your bathroom countertop or vanity
Ladies, this one is for you. If you have a NestCam then you can stick it in any room you plan to be entertaining in. Then, the SimpleHuman Sensor Mirror, usually located in your bedroom can take measurements from the lighting conditions from that room, and use its own display to show how your makeup would look under that lighting.
If looking beyond good, and as near to perfect as possible, is an essential part of your entertaining plans then this useful trick could come in very handy but is obviously limited to special occasions.
#9 Energenie MiHome Radiator Control
Since most people get a Nest Thermostat to control their home temperature, the MiHome Radiator Control that allows you to manage per-room heating is an ideal accompaniment.
These devices work together with the Nest Learning Thermostat to reach your target temperature on a room-by-room basis and give you an advanced and smarter home-heating setup.
Link the MiHome app to let your system know who is home and what rooms need heating when, and it can work with Nest to provide optimal heating control.
#10 Bosch Appliances
The wave of smart kitchen appliances is growing fast, and the latest Bosch models will work with Nest Thermostat, if the oven has been left on and you are set to be away, it can send you an alert, and be turned safely off.
Or, if the Protect smoke alarm is triggered by the oven overcooking something when you nipped out to the shop, it can provide a similar service to prevent damage.
Overview of the 10 Best Compatible Nest Devices
| Product | Category | Works with Nest | Usefulness |
| LiFX | Lighting | Thermostat and Protect | 7/10 |
| Big Ass Fans | Cooling | Thermostat | 8/10 |
| Belkin WeMo | SmartPlug | Thermostat | 4/10 |
| August Door Lock | Security | Thermostat and Nest Cam | 6/10 |
| Amazon Echo | Smart Control | Thermostat | 6/10 |
| Wink Hub | Smart Control | Thermostat, Nest Cam and Protect | 8/10 |
| Almond | Smart Control | Thermostat, Nest Cam and Protect | 9/10 |
| SimpleHuman Sensor Mirror | Lighting | Nest Cam | 3/10 |
| MiHome Radiator Control | Heating | Thermostat | 9/10 |
| Bosch Appliances | Kitchen | Thermostat and Protect | 6/10 |
Final Take Summary
Most smart home products are rapidly adopting support for Nest and Alexa, as the main leading ways to integrate and share information.
Expect plenty more devices to do so, and to work smarter with the information and services to hand to help create a smarter home. Sure, some are pretty limited or have niche applications for now, but things will change rapidly.
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