Ecobee integrates Yale and August smart locks into its security system

Ecobee has been trying to expand its smart home footprint beyond thermostats for several years, positioning its best smart thermostats and very good security camera (and video doorbell) as powerful home security hubs. Today, the company announced a partnership with Yale and August to integrate these smart lock brands into its Ecobee Smart Security platform.

Users can already arm and disarm their Ecobee security system from the Ecobee app, and they can get live views from their Ecobee security cameras and video doorbells. Now when they add a Wi-Fi-enabled August or Yale smart lock, they can also view the status and operate those locks from the Ecobee app.

This news is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart home systems.

It’s been several years since we reviewed Ecobee’s Smart Security system, so we’ll take another look at it in the coming weeks, with one of Yale’s smart locks in the picture. We’re also long overdue for a review of Ecobee’s wired smart video doorbell, so look for an in-depth, standalone review of that product as well.

The last time I reviewed the Ecobee Smart Security system (marketed at the time as the Ecobee Total Home Comfort and Security Bundle), I noticed that relying on the thermostat as the center of home security offered a better experience than Ecobee’s security camera (and now its video). doorbell), because otherwise you would need to rely entirely on the smartphone app for a user interface, including buttons to arm and disarm the security system.

Ecobee still offers security subscription plans, one or the other of which is necessary to take full advantage of its smart home security suite. The company made a significant improvement to its premium service plan in late 2021, adding professional monitoring.

While its $5 per month ($50 per year) Self-Monitoring plan includes 30 days of cloud storage for a single security camera or video doorbell, its $10 per month ($100 per year) Self-Monitoring plan $ per year) is now one of the cheapest. We’ll find that includes professional monitoring, especially now that Ring has made professional monitoring a $10 per month a la carte add-on to its other service tiers.

But it seems that two of my biggest criticisms of Ecobee’s product as a home security system remain: There’s still no battery backup (aside from the addition of one of the generators from its parent company, Generac), and there is no broadband backup in the form of a cellular network. connectivity.