How vacation hold works
A vacation hold keeps one temperature around the clock while you are away, then switches your normal schedule back on at a time you choose. Unlike a permanent hold, it ends by itself. Honeywell's VisionPRO counts it in days, ecobee uses depart and return dates, and the Amazon Smart Thermostat has a Vacation Mode switch in the Alexa app.
What does a vacation hold do?
It parks the thermostat at one temperature for a stretch of days, then hands control back to your schedule. Honeywell's VisionPRO TH8000 manual describes it as a way to "suspend the program schedule for extended periods of time." The temperature you pick is held 24 hours a day for the number of days you choose, and once those days are over, the schedule picks up again at the time you set.
That last part is what makes it different from an ordinary hold. You leave with an energy-saving setpoint, and the house is back on its normal schedule when you walk in, without remembering to cancel anything.
How is it different from other holds?
There are three kinds of override on many thermostats, and they differ mainly in how they end.
| Hold type | When it ends | What the schedule does | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary hold | Next schedule period, or a time you set | Paused for hours | A warmer evening |
| Permanent hold | Only when you change or cancel it | Off until cancelled | An irregular week at home |
| Vacation hold | After the days you chose, or at your return date | Off, then resumes on its own | A trip |
If you leave on a permanent hold instead, the schedule stays off after you return until you cancel it. That is a common reason a thermostat stops following its schedule. Honeywell's labels for the first two holds are in Honeywell hold vs permanent hold.
How do you set it on each thermostat?
| Brand and model | Name | How to set it | How the end is set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honeywell Home VisionPRO TH8000 | Vacation hold | Set the temperature, set the time the schedule should resume, press HOLD twice, then ▲ or ▼ for days | Number of days plus a resume time |
| ecobee | "Vacation" | App: Home > Account > Vacation > Set a vacation. Thermostat: Main Menu > General > Vacation, then the plus icon | Depart and return date and time |
| ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite, Essential | "Vacation" | Thermostat: Main Menu > Vacation, then the plus icon | Depart and return date and time |
| Amazon Smart Thermostat | "Vacation Mode" | Alexa app: Devices > Thermostat > your thermostat > Device Settings > Vacation Mode, then the switch | Not stated |
On the VisionPRO, the order of steps matters. You first use the arrows to set the temperature you want while away, then set the time of day the schedule should restart on your return. Only then do you press HOLD twice and choose the number of days. The screen shows "Hold Temperature Until" with a DAYS count.
On ecobee, you pick "I Depart" and "I Return" on the thermostat, or Depart and Return in the app, then open Vacation Settings to choose the temperatures and the fan runtime. Then select Save. You can edit it later from the same Vacation menu.
On the Amazon Smart Thermostat, turn on Vacation Mode with the switch and set your heat and cool preferences. Amazon says Alexa then maintains your preferred temperature. Amazon's page does not mention an end date, so plan to switch it off when you get back.
What happens when you get home early?
End the hold yourself. On the VisionPRO, press CANCEL (or SCHED) and the program schedule resumes. On ecobee, open Vacation in the app, tap the vacation and choose Delete Vacation. On the Amazon Smart Thermostat, turn the Vacation Mode switch off.
What temperature should you leave it at?
None of these manufacturers recommends a vacation temperature in the pages we checked. A sensible starting point is the setpoint their schedule already uses while the house is empty. On Honeywell thermostats that is the Away or Leave period; see schedule periods for the factory values. On ecobee it is the Away comfort setting, explained in ecobee comfort settings.
What does not count as a vacation hold?
Features that react to your phone or to motion are not timed holds. Geofencing switches settings when your phone leaves or returns to an area around the home. On Google Nest, the matching idea is Eco temperatures. These can work alongside a trip, but they do not count days for you. For the difference between location features and a fixed schedule, see schedule vs geofencing.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between vacation hold and permanent hold?
- A permanent hold has no end and keeps the schedule off until you cancel it. A vacation hold has an end built in: a number of days on the VisionPRO, or a return date and time on ecobee. When it ends, the schedule starts again without you touching anything.
- What if I come home early?
- Cancel the hold. On the VisionPRO TH8000, press CANCEL (or SCHED) and the program schedule resumes. On ecobee, open Vacation in the app, select the vacation and tap Delete Vacation.
- Should I change the thermostat batteries before a trip?
- Honeywell suggests it. The T6 Pro, FocusPRO 6000 and VisionPRO TH8000 manuals all say to replace the batteries once a year, or before leaving home for more than a month, even if no low battery warning has appeared.
- Can I set a vacation from my phone?
- On ecobee and the Amazon Smart Thermostat, yes: ecobee in its app under Account, then Vacation, and Amazon in the Alexa app under Device Settings, then Vacation Mode. The VisionPRO TH8000 sets its vacation hold on the thermostat itself.