Trio VS Avalon Nano 3

In recent years, a few products have entered the market specifically for Bitcoin mining at home. Whether you’re looking to support the Bitcoin network, stack Sats without using an exchange, or make use of the heat these devices produce, there are now several options to choose from.

Heatbit’s mission is to create residential devices that generate income for users. The company focuses on tapping into the utility and economic value of Bitcoin mining, making it accessible and practical for everyday use. The Heatbit Trio is designed from the ground up to efficiently warm rooms and improve air quality while offsetting heating costs, supporting the Bitcoin network and decentralizing mining.

Canaan is a prominent Chinese ASIC manufacturer. They develop chips in house for bitcoin mining, and offer a handful of different products - mainly focusing on industrial ASIC mining hardware and infrastructure. Recently, they released the Avalon Nano 3—a compact, budget-friendly home miner that also puts out a light amount of warmth. This small device is marketed for small area heating, such as an office cubicle, with its ASIC-based technology.

So how does our home miner compare?

Functionality

Both the Heatbit Trio and Avalon Nano 3 are designed with home mining in mind. Not only do these two home devices efficiently mine bitcoin, they release the energy consumed for mining as heat that warms the air around you.

The Heatbit Trio is engineered from the ground up with this additional functionality in mind. Trio is designed as a proper home appliance, offering substantial heating power that can replace traditional heating setups. It offers added utility with its HEPA air purification filters, which clean the surrounding air while protecting the silicon ASIC chips that generate heat and Bitcoin. This third function improves indoor air quality and enhances the reliability and lifespan of the device’s internal components by keeping dust and debris away.

In contrast, the Avalon Nano 3 is more of a novelty device in terms of additional functionality. It provides enough warmth to keep hands or feet comfortable at a desk, but it isn’t designed for broader space heating. This device is more focused as an introduction to home bitcoin mining, with heat as a minor byproduct, rather than serving as a substantial heat source.

As a miner

From a Bitcoin mining perspective, the Heatbit Trio delivers substantial mining power, operating at 400 watts to achieve 10 TH/s of computational work. The Nano 3, on the other hand, performs at 140 watts with a mining rate of 4 TH/s, resulting in fewer Bitcoin rewards in comparison but operating with slightly lower energy demands. The Trio contributes its hashing power to the NiceHash Pool by default, while the Nano 3 uses Braiins Pool out of the box. Both can be adjusted in the miner firmware settings.

In industrial mining, efficiency (measured in J/TH, or the energy needed per unit of computational work) is crucial due to the high operational costs. However, for home miners like the Heatbit Trio, efficiency is less critical, as the device’s heat output provides direct value by warming your living space in addition to generating Bitcoin. This added utility makes the energy spent per unit of computational power less of a primary concern for users who benefit from both heat and mining rewards.

As a heater

From a heating perspective, energy consumption matters, since every watt used to mine Bitcoin is also released as heat. Both devices employ Bitcoin ASIC technology to convert electricity into heat with near-perfect efficiency, rather than relying solely on traditional resistive heating elements.

However, the Heatbit Trio offers significantly more heating capability than the Avalon Nano 3. Its 400-watt mining component is combined with a 1000-watt resistive heating element, which provides a heating boost during the colder days of the year. This dual heating system ensures that the Trio can comfortably warm larger spaces or quickly reach desired temperatures when needed. 

Source: Preston Pysh. Home Heating and Bitcoin Mining w/ Alex Busarov (BTC187)

The Heatbit Trio was designed as a premium heating appliance first, balancing both different technologies to maximize Bitcoin rewards in a cost-effective manner. This combination allows the Trio to provide effective heating for most rooms and climates while earning Bitcoin, while the supplemental heating element ensures it can handle even the chilliest days.

In comparison, Canaan’s Avalon Nano 3, with its 140-watt output, treats space heating as more of a secondary small benefit to novelty home mining. To put it in perspective, the Avalon Nano 3 releases as much heat as a Playstation 5 video game console. The Heatbit Trio, on the other hand, stands alongside premium heating models, designed to serve as a genuine heating solution with Bitcoin mining as a valuable byproduct.

As an air purifier

The Heatbit Trio goes beyond just hashrate heating—it also improves indoor air quality through an integrated HEPA air purification system. This feature serves a dual purpose: it improves the surrounding air quality by filtering out dust and allergens, and also protects the sensitive ASIC chips from dust buildup, which could compromise performance over time. Designed as a home appliance first and optimized for the practical benefits of Bitcoin mining, the Trio’s air filtration system highlights Heatbit’s commitment to user-friendly functionality and long-lasting performance.

Ease of use and operation

Simplicity is key. Traditional industrial Bitcoin miners are often loud, bulky, and require technical expertise, high power access, and DIY skills to be adapted as hashrate-powered heaters for home use.

Heatbit has done the heavy lifting to make home mining as easy as plugging in the device and connecting it to the internet—no special setup required. It’s great to see other companies, like Canaan, working toward similar goals with Avalon Nano 3, making it accessible for everyday users interested in mining Bitcoin at home.

The Trio enhances ease of use with a faster setup, an intuitive smart touch display, and mobile app compatibility. It offers multiple mining and heating modes, convenient remote control options for managing temperature settings from anywhere, and a straightforward interface for cashing out Bitcoin mining rewards.

The Nano 3 offers a mobile application as well, although it’s limited to low-medium-high power settings and led color controls. Both devices are extremely quiet, at 40 dB or below - no louder than a soft conversation.

Safety

Safety is essential for any device you plan to keep in your home, especially when it comes to heating. Nothing is more important than the well-being of your family and loved ones. Heatbit places safety at the forefront of its product design, being the only Bitcoin mining heater with UL certification, which includes built-in tip-over protection and fire safety features for extra reassurance.

In contrast, The Avalon Nano 3 lacks any formal safety certifications in its marketing. While it functions as a small-scale heater while it mines, its focus remains primarily on entry-level home Bitcoin mining rather than household heating, and it lacks the robust safety specifications that are standard for dedicated home appliances.

Cost

The Heatbit Trio is a premium device, built with premium materials like aviation-grade aluminum and leather. It offers an all-in-one solution that combines Bitcoin mining, heating, and air purification. This extensive engineering means the Trio offers unique features, such as high heating power, custom-designed hash boards, a microcontroller for remote access, a robust mobile app, and UL-certified safety measures, all designed to make it as user-friendly as possible.

While the Trio’s price may seem higher on a cost-per-mining-power basis ($/TH/s) compared to more straightforward home mining devices like the Avalon Nano 3, the additional functionality - namely, robust heating power, air purification capabilities and ease of use tailored for the home - makes it much more than a simple bitcoin miner.

The price of each device reflects the unique value each one delivers: the Heatbit Trio combines the utility of home heating and air filtration appliances with the rewards of Bitcoin mining, while the Avalon Nano 3 is an efficient option for those seeking supplemental warmth and a light introduction to home mining.

Conclusion: which device is right for you?

The choice between the Heatbit Trio and the Avalon Nano 3 depends on your needs and what you want out of a home mining device.

If you’re looking for a practical replacement or supplement to a standard heating appliance, the Heatbit Trio is the ideal choice. Its advanced design prioritizes ease of use, safety, and power, providing enough heat for larger spaces and offering a steady return in Bitcoin over time. It’s perfect for those who want a plug-and-play device that integrates seamlessly into their living space, balancing comfort, bitcoin rewards, and air purification.

On the other hand, if you’re interested in a small, portable addition to your desk or workspace that offers supplemental warmth, the Avalon Nano 3 could be a fun, budget-friendly entry point. While not powerful enough to replace a full room heater, it provides a light heating effect alongside Bitcoin mining, making it a suitable option for smaller spaces and for users interested in a novelty, low-power device.

Both products bring Bitcoin mining into the home in unique ways, but if you’re looking for an appliance that reliably heats and cleans your living space and makes mining accessible without the need for DIY setup or additional technical knowledge, the Heatbit Trio stands out as a versatile, all-in-one solution.