Nest Thermostat review: An easy recommendation for budget shoppers

It's hard not to like a Nest Thermostat, but as the folks at Google learned over the years, the primary reason people cite for not buying one is they're too expensive. It's not as slick or sophisticated as the top-of-the-line Nest Learning Thermostat, but it carries enough of that device's DNA to be an excellent value at $130. Buy one and you'll get the familiar round form factor, a bright display with sharp visuals, and the ease of installation and day-to-day use that made the original product such as star. You'll adjust your HVAC system's target temperatures and the new Nest Thermostat's various settings using its outer ring, too. But instead of spinning a mechanism, you'll slide and tap your fingertip on the responsive touch-sensitive surface of the thermostat's outer bezel.