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Get a Nest Thermostat E for $109.99

This smart thermostat might even be free after rebates from your local utilities. Plus: three bonus deals!

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
4 min read

CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones , gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter!


nest-e-6

The Nest Thermostat E has rarely been cheaper.

Chris Monroe/CNET

Once I switched my home over to a smart thermostat, I knew I could never go back. It's just too awesome to be able to check and adjust the settings from afar (like in bed or heading home from the airport after a vacation).

If you've been thinking about a smart HVAC controller of your own, today's deal is definitely worth a look. Today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the Nest Thermostat E for $109.99. Shipping is free for Prime subscribers, $5 for everyone else.

This Nest lists for $169, and that's what you'd pay for it at most other stores. And just to be clear, Woot is selling them new, not refurbished.

The Thermostat E is the lower-end, plastic Nest model, with most of the same smarts as its pricier metal sibling, but a lower-resolution display and six wire terminals instead of 10 -- so make sure it's compatible with your HVAC system before buying.

You should also check in with your local gas/electric utilities, because many of them offer rebates on smart/learning thermostats like this one. Believe it or not, you may be able to recoup some -- or all -- of the cost of the Nest. Heck, you might actually make a few bucks on the deal.

Because I'm currently an Ecobee user, I'm going to turn you over to CNET's Nest Thermostat E review:

The only ding that really matters, if you ask me: No support for remote temperature sensors. But I daresay this Nest is meant for smaller homes, where perhaps there aren't so many variances in temperature from room to room. Update: Whoops! I guess CNET's review is a bit out of date. The Nest does indeed support remote sensors now!

Also, according to one Woot commenter, the Nest lacks a simple "temperature hold" option, one that stays set until you manually override it. There's a workaround, but that's kind of a dumb oversight, if you ask me. All smart thermostats should have a "vacation" mode.

Those issues aside, this is a pretty sweet deal on a popular -- and useful -- product, one that should actually save you money on heating and cooling over the long haul.

ace-teah-waterproof-phone-pouches

Waterproof phone pouches. 

Ace Teah

Bonus deal: Warm weather is coming -- unless you live here in Michigan, where winter has decided to give spring a miss. (Seriously, it's 29 degrees right now.)

Still, during that two-week period when it's warm enough to enjoy boating, swimming and the like, we'll need a way to protect our phones. Like this: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Ace Teah has two waterproof phone pouches for $5.99 with promo code 4E3INDKH.

These not only provide a waterproof seal for your phone, cash, cards and whatnot, they also allow you to interact with your phone while it's in the case. Plus, they glow in the dark!

They do not, however, expressly float, though if there's some air in the bag, they probably will (depending on the weight of your phone). I've used these before when kayaking and paddleboarding; they're great, and a no-brainer at six bucks for a pair.

yunmai-smart-scale

Smart scale. 

Yunmai

Bonus deal No. 2: Here's how scales work: You step on, check your weight, step off. Do we really need to add an app into that mix?

Actually, if you're all about the quantified self, a "smart scale" is kind of cool. It not only syncs your weight to your various health/fitness/weight-loss apps, but also provides additional information that a traditional scale can't.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, the Amx Store (via Amazon) has the Yunmai Smart Scale for $29.95 with promo code dealym50. It's regularly $39.95, and it was well over $50 the last time I wrote about it.

The scale measures your weight, of course, but also things like body fat, BMI, muscle and more. (Can it really do all that accurately, using just foot-sensors? I don't know, but the user reviews are overwhelmingly positive -- and legit, according to Fakespot and ReviewMeta.) 

Bonus deal No. 3: I love me some nature documentaries, and while there are plenty of great ones to be found on Netflix already, here's your chance to own a couple on the cheap.

For a limited time, Vudu is offering two BBC Earth documentaries (in HDX format) for $9.99. You can choose from 20 available titles; my picks would be "Life" and "Planet Earth." If you have young kids, there are some terrific animal-oriented options as well.