This slate back is the trim the Nest Thermostat actually deserves

When you're installing a Nest Thermostat, you've got a couple options. One is for it to ride on your wall bareback. Or you can use the plastic trim piece that comes with it. The former may look cleaner, of course — particularly on relatively new (or at least clean) walls.

A little extra texture can go a long way toward making your Nest Thermostat stand out even more.

For those of us in older homes, however, the space around a thermostat's wiring may be marred by countless coats of paint. or screw holes that just never cover up properly. So, in that case, a trim piece makes sense.

But the plastic trim that comes with a Nest Thermostat is bland, at best. It's functional, but it definitely doesn't add anything to the Nest — itself as close to a work of art as you could call a thermostat. We can do better

Amazon is lousy with trim plates for a Nest Thermostat. There are round plates. Rectangles. Square. Metal. Plastic. And, as I found, slate. Sure, you could make your own. (And if you're at all crafty, maybe you should.) But me? I'm a buyer.

This one — which ran me $45, a price that I admit may be a little high for this sort of thing — has a little bit of an indentation cut out of it, so the thermostat itself is recessed ever so slightly and has a flatter point of contact than the facade. You'll use the same screws that came with the Nest, and the whole thing takes about 2 minutes to install. Just take your time and line it up, using the thermostat's built-in bubble level.

It's added a nice new dimension to my Nest Thermostat, a sort of intermediary between the distinguished piece of tech and my otherwise unimpressive 1980s drywall. Whether you go with this one, something similar, or something way out there, it's definitely worth a look — and will make your Nest look that much better.

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Phil Nickinson
13 Comments
  • Currently unavailable. 😂😂😂
  • Womp. ... Loads others out there though.
  • I don't understand why people buy Nest thermostats over the ecobee 4.... The ecobee beats the nest in every metric?
  • While I agree, even as a Nest owner, the answer is simple. Marketing. Nest is marketed everywhere, espscially Google and at home improvement stores. They occupy prime realestate on end caps. Ecobee, not so much. If they could get their marketing in gear, they'd have a better shot at showing off what they can do.
  • Yea that makes sense... R.I.P. DivX One thing people need to think about when buying a smart thermostat is if your Energy & Gas company offers rebates for certain models. I bought my Ecobee for 180 dollars on sale, and then my Electric provider gave me $125, and my Gas company gave me $75... I made $20! But neither my gas or my electric company provided rebates on Nest thermostats.
  • This makes no sense whatsoever. Why would you want a plate behind your thermostat? Trying to spin it into something you somehow think looks good when in reality you are just trying to cover your laziness is just silly. Patch the wall! https://i.imgur.com/Z86G4sK.jpg
  • Reading the post he talks about how the old thermostat was probably large and square or there is odd screw holes so the plate covers that up because the nest unit itself often doesn't (I'll take it you haven't installed a smart thermostat) This is a beauty. I'm on my phone and couldn't tell what it was from the thumbnail in the app but opening the post and seeing that it's actual slate rock it's fitting for the $
  • I guess you didn't click on my image link. I installed two in my house, and patched the holes behind on both. It's not hard.
  • Nice work BTW. I just stuck with the plate that came in the box.
  • I like the extra dimension it gives. And it was easier than patching holes. :p
  • I think it looks nice and gives the thermostat some artistic Flair, rather than just having a round thing on the wall... heck I'd put that on the brand new wall regardless if I'm trying to cover something up or not.
  • I live in an apartment. I used the plate because when I move out, im reinstalling the old one and taking my nest with me. Sorry we aren't all in a position to be home owners...
  • This looks great, unlike the included plastic trim. My old Honeywell was round and only slightly bigger than the Nest, so I didn't use the awful plastic trim. I just touched up the paint. I favor the Nest for its sleek look and the plastic trim takes away from that, I think. I'd have to paint it light grey to match the wall color at least.