Lux’s $153 Kono Smart Thermostat might be worth your money if you’re looking for a relatively affordable thermostat with neat-looking hardware and lots of smart home integrations. The single knob on the thermostat and its small display screen (not touch-enabled) make it tedious to adjust manually in person, though, which is annoying — and may be a deal breaker for some.
If you’re looking for a better all-around connected Wi-Fi thermostat for roughly the same price, consider the $150 Honeywell Lyric T5. The Ecobee3 Lite and the Nest E are also great, but cost slightly more at $169 each.
The specifics
The Kono thermostat reminds me of Samsung’s Family Hub Refrigerator — both come in a black stainless finish and are divided into quadrants, a fresh design that’s starting to spread across smart home product categories. I like the way the Kono looks, and if you don’t want a dark gray thermostat, it’s available in 10 other colors, ranging from hibiscus red to driftwood, an off-white wood-look finish (available separately for $10 each if you want to swap out the covers).
A knob in the bottom right quadrant controls everything on the thermostat — and a small screen in the top left quadrant displays the current and set temperatures, as well as any other settings you navigate to.
Turning the knob to the various settings you want is annoying. It doesn’t feel sturdy when you’re turning it and the display screen is small and somewhat difficult to read.
The Kono works better with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri and the straightforward Lux app for quick temperature adjustments.
I tested the Kono with an Amazon Echo Show, a Google Home Max and a HomePod. All three speakers let me use a simple Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri command to adjust the temperature.
The installation was straightforward, too. Always consult a professional if you have questions about replacing an existing thermostat, but here’s the gist (it should only take about 20 minutes):