Nest Reviews - Security and Thermostat Rated

Do good looks always equal a good security product?

Alright, you caught us! Nest isn’t a company that offers a full alarm system… yet. So why did we review them on a security system website? Well, the equipment they do offer now is bits and pieces of a home security system but with the movement towards home automation and a ‘smart home’ Nest is fueled up ready for take off. Right now they offer a smart thermostat, smart smoke alarm (what makes a dumb one you ask?) and a security camera. Before going further here is a look at why you may or may not want to buy Nest products for your home.

The good and the bad of Nest Security:

Pros

Innovative
In stores nationwide
3 generations of products
Controlled via wifi, automatic updates done to app
Thermostat control and regulator
Overtime can save you money (but not as quick as they advertise)
Integrates with ADT Pulse security system

Cons

B BBB rating
Lots of fidgeting to get it running right. The ‘auto detector’ isn’t as smart as they claim
You end up using the thermometer itself to set temperature a lot due to your own preferences versus what it thinks you want
Very basic security products
High pricing costs
DIY installation with little to no installation support from Nest
Temperature gauge will show the target temperature and not the current temperature in the home
Not a standalone security system

No products found.

The Who, What & Why of Nest

Combine Twitter and Nest and what do you get? A birdhouse! Okay, bad joke. But what makes this company one product worth Google’s 3.2 billion dollar buyout? Hrmm… we aren’t sure either. Except that clearly, Google sees something in their technology that we don’t. Smart home automation and security are on the rise and that is why we have our eyes set on Nest in the coming future as they will continue to innovate the space.

Founded: 2010 by Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers (wiki source)

Where: Palo Alto, California. Next door to Google from the beginning.

Nest’s products reviews

So you want to be cool or save some money on your energy bill. Nest can help you out there. Their equipment is slick and modern looking and has good consumer ratings as well. It is on the higher end of things but you don’t pay for a monthly monitoring fee.

Nest Thermostat Inspection – Is it worth the price?

Alright, so it looks fancy, has the weather on the face of it and a few other things but let’s think about it logically… You already have your smartphone or other devices that have all that information and better. So let’s hope you aren’t spending a couple hundred dollars on all the features Nest does to make it look good. The only reason you should buy this product is to save you money on energy costs.

How does it help? The thermostat you already use most likely has schedules you can set for day and night etc. Where this comes into play is it learns your habits, you can control it from your phone (great for if you forgot to turn down the heat) and it has an energy history tracker used in their app. It can automatically adjust the temperature (up or down) as you come and go.

Price: $200-249 on Amazon – Click here for discount

Support: They have guides, Youtube videos and will respond 24/7 to emails or questions posted on their forums typically.

You get what you pay for in life. It will take 1 to 3 years to recoup a couple hundred dollars on your energy savings unless you are heating a mansion. In that case, you would need multiple thermostats so you are still out a few years before you see that money come back to your pocket.

Click here for the best price on Nest Thermostat

Security Camera Review

Have you always wanted to see in Night Vision mode? Because that is the coolest thing about their security camera. Albeit a little creepy, it’s a great solution for those worrisome parents who feel the need to check on their baby or child multiple times throughout the night. With this slim gadget now you can without cracking the door and waking them up!

Here is a short list of other things you can do besides feeling like you are a Navy seal with Night vision:

Listen. The camera captures audio so you know what’s going on. Now you can finally hear what the kids have to say about you when you leave on that date.
Mobile alerts. Use it as a dual motion detector and get alerts sent to your phone. Don’t do this if you have animals in the home.
Quick setup. Download the nest app and connect through wifi and your up and running.
Live streaming from anywhere. Nothing new here, most cameras offer this.

So what’s the big catch? The main thing that differs is the quality the image is taken. Most cameras will give you a video feed but you are not sure whether that’s your child or a Deer in the room. It’s got a sex appeal look to it and is wireless.

Click here for the best deal on the Nest camera

What to be on the lookout for

They try to upsell you on ‘Nest Aware’ which stores up to 10 days of video history. This is $9.99 a month and is not a monitoring solution. It is a self monitoring alternative and you won’t get security alerts or calls from a controlled center. They are just charging you to store footage in their cloud memory. Here is a screenshot of what they are going to try to upsell you on if you buy this product.

Smokey the Bear says Yes or No?

Why pay $99 for a Carbon Monoxide & Fire sensor? Because it looks cool… Let’s be honest that’s the main reason, to fill your home with these (by replacing your others) you are going to need 1 per hall or room so you may hit $1000 real fast. But let’s look into the technology of it and see if it’s really worth the cost. For a full review on this item read this.

What does it do?

Does NOT extinguish fires… Just making sure you know that.
Battery life of 10 years.
You can hush the annoying BEEP sound from your phone! Finally, no guessing which smoke detector is making the annoying sound that goes off every odd minute. If only a babies cry had this same ‘hush’ technology.
Smart control & alerts from your phone.

You can get a discount on this item and Free Shipping by clicking here.

Our conclusion

Well if Nest is good enough to offer 3 products and get bought out for over $3 Billion from Google, then it is obviously good enough for your home. They are making cool ways to make it connect to other home security devices as well so over the coming years you may be controlling your full home automation using their technology. We can’t give them a good rating on their security products because there’re only bits and pieces of a full home alarm system.

If you have any experience or tips about using Nest devices please share below.

Latest Posts

Isabelle Landau

Growing up with Law and Order and CSI shows taught Isabelle Landau one thing: if people back then had high-quality home security systems, those series would have been way shorter. In our modern world, technology helps us keep burglars away easily, and this is what Izzy studies and writes about: alarm systems, home security, protection systems, and more.

Last update on 2023-05-14 at 03:33 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Kat Wilson says

02/06/2017 at 11:28 am

BEWARE Nest Return Policy and Customer Service: I received a Nest Outdoor Camera as a Christmas present. It is not an item that I will use. The camera was purchased from Nest online. I checked the Nest website and could not find information about “Returns”. I contacted Nest by phone for assistance. I was advised by a recording that the anticipated wait time for assistance would be ten minutes. The first customer service rep (CSR) I spoke with took my email address and the order reference number, then explained he would put me on hold while he pulled up the order in his computer system. Once the CSR returned to our call, he informed me that returns are supposed to be made within 30 days, but since this item was a gift (at this point 45 days from ship date) Nest may still be able to accommodate the return and he would refer me to another Nest CSR / department for assistance. I waited for the next Nest CSR, and once connected I explained that I wanted to return a Nest product that I had received as a gift. Once again I was put on hold while my order was pulled up in the system. I was told that returns must be made within 30 days of purchase and that the information is available on the Nest website. I explained the Nest product was a gift that I did not receive until Dec. 25, and that the previous CSR told me Nest may be able to assist with the return since it was a gift. I was told that was not the case, I might have to sell the Nest product on my own (yes, incredibly, that was a suggestion), that the product was purchased in November and the 30 days return period had expired. I mentioned that the Packing Slip indicated the Nest product did not even ship until 12/7/16. I asked to speak with a more senior person at Nest and was informed that there was no one else I could speak with–that the person whom I was speaking with was the final decision maker. So my “customer service” experience with Nest is that it took 30 minutes of my time and I learned that Nest is not flexible with its policies. Contrast this Nest experience with home improvement retailers Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc. that include a “Returns” information button on their home pages and a 90-day return policy. Nest buries the “Returns” information in the “Store” section and only extends a 30-day return time period–from the date of purchase, not even from the date a customer receives the item.

Comments

Lena says

02/28/2017 at 8:39 pm

It’s crazy what Nest is coming out with now. I feel like they are a lot bigger and more well known in their retail channels (Home depot, Walmart). When researching online I see much better products and company then Nest but since they are backed and owned by Google Inc I suppose we will continue seeing great innovation from them.

Kat Wilson says

02/06/2017 at 11:28 am

BEWARE Nest Return Policy and Customer Service: I received a Nest Outdoor Camera as a Christmas present. It is not an item that I will use. The camera was purchased from Nest online. I checked the Nest website and could not find information about “Returns”. I contacted Nest by phone for assistance. I was advised by a recording that the anticipated wait time for assistance would be ten minutes. The first customer service rep (CSR) I spoke with took my email address and the order reference number, then explained he would put me on hold while he pulled up the order in his computer system. Once the CSR returned to our call, he informed me that returns are supposed to be made within 30 days, but since this item was a gift (at this point 45 days from ship date) Nest may still be able to accommodate the return and he would refer me to another Nest CSR / department for assistance. I waited for the next Nest CSR, and once connected I explained that I wanted to return a Nest product that I had received as a gift. Once again I was put on hold while my order was pulled up in the system. I was told that returns must be made within 30 days of purchase and that the information is available on the Nest website. I explained the Nest product was a gift that I did not receive until Dec. 25, and that the previous CSR told me Nest may be able to assist with the return since it was a gift. I was told that was not the case, I might have to sell the Nest product on my own (yes, incredibly, that was a suggestion), that the product was purchased in November and the 30 days return period had expired. I mentioned that the Packing Slip indicated the Nest product did not even ship until 12/7/16. I asked to speak with a more senior person at Nest and was informed that there was no one else I could speak with–that the person whom I was speaking with was the final decision maker. So my “customer service” experience with Nest is that it took 30 minutes of my time and I learned that Nest is not flexible with its policies. Contrast this Nest experience with home improvement retailers Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc. that include a “Returns” information button on their home pages and a 90-day return policy. Nest buries the “Returns” information in the “Store” section and only extends a 30-day return time period–from the date of purchase, not even from the date a customer receives the item.

Carl says

10/26/2016 at 6:49 am

The cons seem to seriously outnumber the pros in this case… I mean, high prices and basic security products? I’d rather stick to something less advanced but actually useful, thanks

- Abigail says
  
  04/18/2018 at 9:51 am
  
  Good point. You do not really get a sense of this company having it all together right now. There is a missing link, and I think that many consumers can sense this.
  
Frank S. says

05/22/2016 at 10:18 am

I purchased a Nest indoor camera primarily because it can be connected to a wi-fi so I can easily view the livestream at any time. But playback requires a subscription fee. There are other add ons that may be useful, but you’d have to see for yourself if it’s worth the extra bucks. I like that it detects motions and sounds. That’s really a cool feature. It’s a bit pricey but the great features justify the cost.