Smart Radiator Valves

Discover the Best Radiator Valves for Your Smart Home.

Like smart thermostats, smart TRVs (Thermostatic Radiator Valves) are heating controllers designed to improve comfort and convenience while enhancing home energy efficiency.

Unlike traditional thermostats, TRVs are specialized devices installed on individual radiators. They enable independent temperature control in each room by regulating the flow of hot water into the radiator, maintaining desired room temperatures, and maximizing energy efficiency.

You can elevate your comfort to the next level when paired with a quality thermostat. In this guide, we’ll explore the best smart TRVs for your home and provide all the necessary information to help you choose the right device.

How Hard Is It to Install a Smart TRV?

Although it might not seem like it, installing a TRV is quite straightforward. It’s a simple and noninvasive process that involves removing your existing valve head and replacing it with a smart TRV. You can finish the procedure in under 10 minutes, which anyone can handle.

Sometimes, a professional may need to fit a special adapter in place. However, this is rarely necessary as most radiators adhere to certain standards. The TRVs recommended in our Best Buy Guide are compatible with most radiator models.

Choosing the Right Smart TRV

Homey supports various smart TRVs, from individually operated units to those integrated via a central control hub. In addition to ensuring compatibility with your smart home thermostat, it’s crucial to consider additional features such as reliable communication protocols, battery longevity, and build quality. With that in mind, here’s what to look for in a smart TRV.

Compatibility

Verify compatibility with your existing heating control system to avoid issues and ensure seamless integration into your smart home setup. If you do not have an existing heating system, opt for standalone TRVs that don’t require a hub and can be integrated into Homey directly.

Connectivity

Look for TRVs with reliable connectivity options, such as Z-Wave or Zigbee, which ensure a stable connection and longer battery life.

Additional Features

Consider the importance of additional features outlined in our article, such as scheduling capabilities, open window detection, and energy monitoring.

Build Quality

Assess the smart TRV’s build quality, highlighted in our Best Buy Guide, to ensure durability, longevity, and compatibility with different radiator types and sizes for easy installation.

Price

Deploying multiple TRVs can easily strain your budget, so consider the price-to-benefits ratio highlighted in our article to make an informed choice.

Brand	Model	Protocol	Standalone	Price
Aeotec	Radiator Thermostat	Z-Wave		€49.99
Aqara	E1 Radiator Thermostat	Zigbee		€44.00
Danfoss	Ally Radiator Thermostat	Zigbee		€74.19
Eurotronic	Comet Z-Wave TRV	Z-Wave		€59.95
Fibaro	Heat Controller	Z-Wave		€79.99
Meross	MTS150 Thermostat Valve	Wi-Fi		€44.99
Netatmo	Smart Radiator Valve	Wi-Fi		€89.99
Plugwise	Tom Radiator Knob	Zigbee		€99.99
Tado	Smart Radiator Thermostat X	Thread		€99.99

The Aeotec Radiator Thermostat is a highly dependable smart TRV that seamlessly integrates with your Homey Bridge or Homey Pro via Z-Wave Plus. Z-Wave establishes a stable and robust connection, ensuring uninterrupted communication and“always online“ functionality. Powered by two AA batteries, it boasts an impressive battery life of up to one year.

The Aeotec Radiator Thermostat features three buttons and a backlit LCD screen, allowing for convenient manual adjustments of the set temperature on the spot. When paired with Homey, this TRV enables users to monitor and adjust the target temperature and thermostat mode effortlessly and keep track of battery life. It includes a built-in child lock mode that you activate to prevent access to the device’s physical buttons.

The Aeotec Radiator Thermostat doesn’t offer a modern or visually pleasing design like others on our list, which can deter some users.

The Aqara E1 is a beautifully designed radiator thermostat with a high-contrast color display, offering great viewing angles and crisp, colorful icons. Instead of buttons, the E1 has a rotating knob for changing the set temperature, delivering a nice, satisfying click as feedback with each turn.

This smart TRV has many adapters for easy installation, making it compatible with most radiators, including all Danfoss radiators. In rare cases (monotube radiators), a professional must install an aftermarket adapter.

The Aqara E1 is a standalone radiator thermostat that connects to your Homey Bridge and Homey Pro using Zigbee 3.0. Thanks to Zigbee and its energy-efficient hardware, the Aqara E1 has a battery life of one year. In Homey, you can read and change the temperature, create heating schedules, set thermostat mode, and monitor battery life. 

The Aqara E1 is a very budget-friendly option, ideal for large-scale deployment. The only downside is that this TRV is not completely silent, creating an audible noise whenever the motor operates the valve.

The Danfoss Ally TRV is a smart radiator thermostat offered by Danfoss, a global leader in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

This model has three physical buttons installed along its simple LCD screen for manually changing the temperature. The Danfoss Ally features a neutral, compact design that fits very well with most room interiors. Guests won’t even know you have a smart TRV!

The Danfoss Ally allows you to change the temperature and monitor battery usage by communicating with your Homey Bridge or Homey Pro over Zigbee. The TRV doesn’t support additional features like child lock mode, open window detection, or native heating schedules.

Danfoss boasts an incredibly long 5-year battery life on their Ally TRVs, making it the best TRV if battery longevity is your primary goal. While this TRV comes with a certain quality assurance from the company, it costs more than comparable thermostats.

The Eurotronic Comet Z-Wave is the latest addition to the well-known German manufacturer’s smart thermostat line-up. This TRV fits almost all radiators from various manufacturers, although you might need to purchase an adequate adapter separately. 

This pear-shaped TRV features a clean, glossy display, showcasing the current room temperature. Instead of a knob, there are two capacitive touch buttons you can use to change the target temperature and access the built-in device controls.

The Eurotronic Comet TRV can detect an open window and automatically change the heating mode. For parents, a child lock feature is bundled in a parental controls menu, and there is a vacation/holiday control mode. This TRV operates quietly; you will barely notice it closing your radiator valve.

This TRV is available in both Wi-Fi and Z-Wave variants. However, using Z-Wave to connect to your Homey directly is preferable. It requires no additional hubs, resulting in a better, more stable connection.

Once paired to Homey, you can remotely change the target temperature, set operation mode, create heating schedules, and even set the position of the valve as a percentage (for instance, Open 40%).

The Eurotronic Z-Wave is larger than most radiator thermostats, which is important to consider if you want to conceal the device.

The Fibaro Heat Controller is a top-tier smart TRV made by a reputable Polish brand of the same name. It utilizes Z-Wave technology to seamlessly integrate with your Homey Bridge or Homey Pro. Its sleek design, resembling a small light bulb, is complimented by a stylish LED ring used as a visual indicator.

One of its best features is its ability to learn the layout of your room. After installation, it scans the space and adapts its heating pattern accordingly. This enables precise and intelligent heat management, maximizing comfort while optimizing energy usage.

It’s also smart enough to notice sudden temperature drops, like when a window opens. It will adjust the heating automatically to save energy. If you have children, it has a local protection mode for turning off the manual knob for an added peace of mind.

What’s neat about the Fibaro Heat Controller is that it uses a rechargeable battery, which can last through the heating season. When integrated with Homey, you can easily check and control battery levels and room temperature from your phone.

Its advanced room scanning feature, beautiful design, and small footprint come at a premium, making the Fibaro Heat Controller pricier than comparable models.

The Meross MTS150 is a sleek and elegant smart TRV featuring a clean, all-white design and a modern status display. It can be attached to most radiators, including all Danfoss models, and ships with all the necessary adapters for easy installation.

This model supports local schedules and open window detection, automatically turning off your radiator to save energy. In Homey, you can view the current temperature, change the target temperature, and set the TRV operation mode.

The Meross MTS150 requires a dedicated mini-hub for pairing the TRV with platforms like Homey. However, it communicates with the hub using 433 MHz technology. A single hub can support up to sixteen separate TRVs.

At around €30 per piece, this Meross TRV is a very affordable option and a great choice for mass deployment.

If you own Netatmo’s Smart Thermostat, consider enhancing your heating system by adding Netatmo’s Smart Radiator Valves. These valves utilize long-range radio signals to connect with the main thermostat, transforming your home into a multi-zone heating setup.

The Netatmo Smart Radiator Valve is made from translucent plexiglass and features a sleek and timeless design. Without the small status screen, it would be easy to mistake it for a regular radiator valve.

The Radiator Valves have an Auto-Adapt feature that automatically adjusts heating based on outdoor temperature and home insulation levels, ensuring a consistently comfortable indoor temperature.

In addition to managing all valves through the Smart Thermostat, users can individually control each TRV within their Homey. This includes setting target temperatures, adjusting operation modes, and configuring heating programs to suit specific preferences.

Netatmo Smart Radiator valves run on two AA batteries, which last around two years thanks to their low-power radio communication method. 

One thing worth noting is that Netatmo TRVs need recalibration after installation since the reading temperature is usually off by +3 degrees.

The Plugwise Tom Radiator Knob is a smart TRV that you can use to expand your existing Plugwise heating system. Its brother, Plugwise Floor, specializes in underfloor heating systems, usually installed in the distribution box. 

This device blends seamlessly into your home decor since it resembles a regular radiator knob. You can install it on most radiator types. It uses batteries or an adapter to power the TRV, which changes the device’s behavior in a Zigbee network. With batteries, it operates as an End Device and saves power. When plugged in, it acts as a router, relaying traffic from adjacent Toms and solidifying your Zigbee network.

The Plugwise Tom is an excellent choice for a smart TRV if you already own other Plugwise heating devices, like their Anna or Lisa thermostat controllers. Even though the knob uses Zigbee to communicate, it needs their Adam HA for operation, and you can add a total of 80 Toms to a single hub!

Paired with Homey, you can adjust the temperature, create heating zones, and set up Flow cards for each Tom, fully automating your heating setup.

The Plugwise Tom Radiator knobs are expensive, retailing for around €99 each, and their cost is only justified if you’ve already invested in a Plugwise heating system.

Similar to Plugwise and Netatmo, the Tado Radiator Thermostat X is a smart TRV designed to expand your existing Tado heating system. While it is typically used alongside Tado’s Smart Thermostat X, it can function independently with a compatible Thread Border Router, such as the Homey Pro.

This TRV features an elegant, minimalistic LCD display that shows both the current and target temperatures. Adjusting the target temperature is as simple as turning the knob, and the device also includes a child lock feature for added safety.

The Tado Radiator Thermostat X runs on a USB-C rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery, with a lifespan of up to one year. As it communicates via Thread, a mesh networking protocol specifically designed for smart homes, the Tado Radiator Thermostat X offers reliable and stable communication.

This smart TRV integrates seamlessly with Homey Pro, allowing you to measure and control the temperature, set schedules, and pause the device’s operation. While outfitting your home with multiple Tado TRVs can be costly upfront, they significantly enhance comfort and lead to long-term energy savings.

Final Thoughts

If your ultimate goal is to save energy, a reliable combination of a smart thermostat and a capable TRV is essential. Operating these devices remotely with Homey is as easy as it sounds, elevating convenience and comfort levels.

From standalone options like the Aqara E1 and Eutronic Comet to compatible add-on TRVs for your current heating system, such as Netatmo, Tado, and Plugwise, this Best Buy Guide assists you in making an informed decision.