Hive Thermostat (with Hive Hub)
Our verdict · The most hand-held, low-fuss upgrade — ideal if you'd rather someone else touched the wiring.
Buy it if
You're a landlord, renter or first-time smart-home user who wants a simple, professionally-fitted thermostat with minimal fuss.
Skip it if
You want room-by-room zoning, Apple HomeKit or a Thread/Matter platform — Hive is deliberately simple.
Where to get it
Hive Thermostat (with Hive Hub)
From ~£119 (indicative; includes Hive Hub)
Indicative price at the time of review.
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Hive ranks third as the easiest mainstream upgrade rather than the most capable. The Hive Thermostat is an indicative £119 including the Hive Hub, and its stand-out is reassurance: you can add optional British Gas professional installation, which throws in a free year of Hive+. Core heating control needs no subscription; Hive+ (energy insights, boiler-health alerts, extended warranty) is optional at an indicative £3.99/month or £39.90/year. A cheaper entry point exists in the Hive Thermostat Mini at an indicative £79. It's widely fitted alongside popular boilers and its menu-light interface is repeatedly cited as the friendliest for non-technical users. The trade-off against tado° and Wiser is flexibility: Hive uses Zigbee via its hub rather than Thread/Matter, and there's no cheap smart-TRV ecosystem for room-by-room zoning — it's a simplicity-first, whole-home controller.
The good & the bad
Pros
- First-party British Gas pro-install option with a free year of Hive+
- No subscription needed for full heating control
- Simple, menu-light interface praised by non-technical users
Cons
- No cheap room-by-room zoning ecosystem to rival tado°/Wiser
- Zigbee/hub design rather than a future-proof Thread/Matter platform
How it compares
| Pick | WATTB Score | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.tado° Smart Thermostat X (Wireless Starter Kit with Hot Water Control) | 91/100 | From ~£129.99 (indicative; RRP £159.99) | overall |
| 2.Drayton Wiser Smart Thermostat Kit 1 | 90/100 | From ~£141 (indicative street; RRP £195) | no-subscription value |
| 3.Hive Thermostat (with Hive Hub)This pick | 84/100 | From ~£119 (indicative; includes Hive Hub) | simplicity and pro-install |
| 4.Honeywell Home T6R Wireless Smart Thermostat | 82/100 | ~£160-200 (indicative street price) | Apple Home and system boilers |
| 5.Google Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen) | 79/100 | From ~£219 (indicative; £199 for Thermostat E) | hands-off auto-learning design |
Key facts
- Best for
- simplicity and pro-install
- Typical cost
- From ~£119 (indicative; includes Hive Hub)
- Boiler compatibility
- Broad UK gas boiler support
- Included
- Hive Hub in the box
- Install
- DIY or optional British Gas pro-install
- Platform
- Zigbee (via Hive Hub)
- Subscription
- Core free; Hive+ optional ~£3.99/mo or £39.90/yr
Insider tip · On a tight budget, the Hive Thermostat Mini (indicative ~£79) gives you the same app control for less if you don't need the full unit's display.
Researched by WATTB
- Published
- 19 September 2026
- Updated
- 19 September 2026
- Last verified
- 19 September 2026
- Sources
- 13 sources
We research and rank options from public data, official information and published reviews. How we research →
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