Why You Need Kono by Lux – A Gorgeous New Smart Wi-Fi Thermostat

Soooo, my husband and I have been on a bit of a smart things kick recently.

The desire to convert our house to an amazing smart hub of smartiness is an itch that we have been able to scratch recently due to tax return season, or “Taxmas” as I like to call it.

We recently bought our first Alexa, and have since converted our door locks, security cameras and outdoor lighting and some of our interior outlets to smart devices. It is WAY COOLER and a trillion times more convenient than I can even begin to convey! I seriously feel like I am living in the “House of Tomorrow”… (does anyone else remember that attraction at Disneyland? Or the smart house in Innoventions in Tomorrowland?? Yeah, that’s meeeeee!!!!)

So when I had the chance to check out this new smart thermostat by Lux, I geeked out and tossed out my fugly Honeywell unit in a heartbeat! It seriously looked like it belonged in a 1980’s sci-fi spaceship control panel movie-set.

But before I get into my favorite features, first here’s a bit more about the product and the company!

About Lux Products

From the Lux website (CLICK HERE to visit!):

For more than a century, LUX has been making your life easier and more comfortable. We’ve built a rich heritage designing and manufacturing innovative products for your home. From our first timing devices created back in 1914 to the acclaimed smart thermostats we produce now, everything we do revolves around you. Today, we make a wide variety of superbly designed, feature appropriate, reliable thermostats for every home. In addition to our great products, we provide impressive US-based customer service when you need it. LUX is one of the only smart thermostat companies with its own manufacturing and all of our products are designed right here in the USA at our Philadelphia, Pennsylvania headquarters and distributed nationwide from our Laredo, Texas distribution center.

Our philosophy is simple – design products around you, making your life easier and more comfortable.

• Leader in Thermostats and Smart Products – Est. 1914
• Headquartered in Philly
• US Based Customer Support Team
• Eco-friendly Products
• EME Member Company
• R&D Center in Hong Kong
• Distribution Plant in Laredo, TX
• More than 1 million thermostats sold each year

About the New Kono Smart Thermostat

From the Lux website (CLICK HERE to visit the product page):

An inviting home makes a visitor feel welcome, and nothing is more inviting than ultimate comfort mixed with great design. That’s why we named our new line of thermostats KONO, the Hawaiian word for “invitation”.

Our new KONO Smart thermostat was made with you in mind. With KONO Smart, we’ve made it personal.

Your comfort is our focus and expertise, but we also put an emphasis on design and personalization. KONO Smart comes with our gorgeous black stainless cover, but it’s about you and we want you to love KONO, so how KONO looks in your home is up to you. Blend in or stand out, it’s up to you with changeable Décor-snap covers – select from our designer colors or make your own mark with our paintable finish.

And it’s more than a pretty face, there are numerous smart features to love about KONO too. The Home and Away Aware feature automatically adjusts your comfort and savings. And to make life even easier, KONO Smart connects effortlessly with major smart products like Amazon Alexa, Apple Home Kit, and the Google Assistant .

Product Features Include:

• Works with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home Kit, & the Google Assistant
• Home and Away Aware geofencing feature for effortless savings
• Smart scheduling with utility cost estimator
• Learning and adaptive smart tips
• Built in indoor air quality mode
• Interchangeable Decor-Snap Covers™
• Energy and runtime usage reporting
• Free iOS and Android apps with easy scheduling feature
• Powered by C-Wire or LUX Power Bridge (included)

My Thoughts on the Kono by Lux

Right off the bat, I gotta say, I love this thing! I have quite a few “smart” products now, and while some of them are very functional, am finding that often many smart products are more novelty than anything. I honestly wasn’t sure where this thermostat would fall, I mean, how hard is it to change the temperature, and how often do you really need to change it the settings? Amirite?!

Well, I have been using the thermostat for a couple of weeks now, and I have to say that this is VERY functional, and belongs up there in the “smart home” essentials! The fact that the face plate is interchangeable to suit your rooms décor is also a HUGE bonus… I am always changing up the look of our home, and I love changing up colors for the holidays. Green for St. Patricks Day? CHECK! Red for Christmas.. we got this! I love that the thermostat is actually attractive in addition to being functional. And it is crazy easy to use… It is SO EASY to use, in fact, that my 2 year old knows how to ask Alexa to change the thermostat settings! (Not even joking!)

While the energy and money saving features inherent in the app are intellectually my favorite elements, I must say that the two things that tickle my fancy are:

• I really enjoy controlling my thermostat by voice. When I am piled up with tiny children, or feeding a baby, or have my hands loaded up with laundry or dishes or what have you, it is absolutely heavenly to feel the air getting stuffy, or feel a bit chilly and then say, “Alexa, set the heat to 72.” Then, BAM!! Done!
• Forgetting things when I walk out the door is my specialty. In the short time I have owned this thermostat, twice now I have walked out the door for a trip, gotten hours from home, and thought, “Oh geez, I forgot to turn off the thermostat!” In those instances, all I had to do was pull out my phone, and set my thermostat to the settings I chose for “Away”. WHAT A FRIKKIN’ TIME TO BE ALIVE!!

I once read that we use 20% of our possessions about 80% of the time, and that once we identify what those are, we can make wiser investments in those belongings. I would have to say that a thermostat is one of those items that fall in the “20%/80%” category.

Especially now that we have such ready control of the thermostat, we use it far more than I imagined we would. For instance, while writing this blog post, my husband came inside from working out in the yard (it’s reeeeally cold outside and warm inside), and feeling stuffy he asked Alexa, “Alexa, what is the temperature in the house?” And got his answer right away.

Yes, yes, I know he could have walked over to the thermostat to check for himself, but being able to have such full, convenient control of your home is such a liberating luxury! I didn’t have to stop blogging to go check the temperature for him. He didn’t have to walk across the house tracking sawdust and mud everywhere to get an answer to a simple question. He got the info immediately and without effort. HELLO, luxury!!! (Lux, indeed!)

If you are in the market for an awesome smart thermostat that looks gorgeous, is flexible with décor, saves money and is convenient and fun as heck, I would highly recommend the Kono by Lux!

Interested in buy your own? Check it out! It is currently listed as an, “Amazon’s Choice” on Amazon! (CLICK HERE to buy on Amazon.)

[Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links in this review. I am an independent product reviewer. I only review products I am truly interested in. I don’t accept payment for reviews. The products I take the time to jabber on about are either items I have personally purchased, or the product has been provided for review after me initiating contact and incessantly nagging for a sample. All of my reviews are unbiased regardless of how the item was obtained.]