Honeywell Home RTH9585WF Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat Review

A thermostat is one of those household devices most people interact with every day without giving it much thought — until they want more control over how their home is heated and cooled, or they want to see what is actually happening with their HVAC system. The Honeywell Home RTH9585WF Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat is a second-generation model that aims to bring together remote control, flexible scheduling, and a customizable touch screen in one package. It is designed for the connected home, and it combines a color display with app-based management and a set of smart alerts. This review walks through what the thermostat offers based on the manufacturer’s stated features, so you can decide whether it fits your setup.

Design and Display

The RTH9585WF centers on a bright, easy-to-read touch screen that Honeywell describes as intuitive to operate. Rather than relying solely on physical buttons, the thermostat lets you make adjustments directly on the display. One of its more distinctive design choices is the customizable color touch screen: you can change the background color to match your paint color or personal preference. That is a small touch, but it matters for anyone who cares about how a wall-mounted device blends into a room.

Beyond the screen, the thermostat supports a straightforward DIY setup, which the manufacturer highlights as part of the product’s appeal. The display also shows local weather information, including a daily forecast on the screen itself and a five-day forecast available through the app. That turns the thermostat into a small information hub in addition to a temperature control.

Features and Smart Technology

The feature set here is broad, and several elements work together to reduce hands-on management. The thermostat is a 7-day programmable model, and Honeywell describes the programming options as fully flexible. That flexibility extends to how you handle temperature holds: you can choose permanent, temporary, or vacation hold, adjusting the temperature to suit your schedule. For households on a utility company’s peak rate pricing, the flexible programming is also positioned as a way to align heating and cooling with those rate periods.

Auto change from heat to cool is another stated feature. The thermostat automatically determines whether your home needs heating or cooling, which is intended to provide maximum comfort without you manually switching modes. Intelligent alerts round out the smart features. These send reminders to change your air filter and humidifier pad, and they also notify you of extreme high or low indoor temperatures and humidity. In practical terms, those alerts are about keeping equipment running at peak performance and catching conditions that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The thermostat also includes fan control options. You can set the fan to On, so it runs continuously; Automatic, so it runs only when the heating or cooling system is on; or Circulate, which runs the fan randomly about 35% of the time. Each option gives you a different way to manage air movement in the home.

Connectivity and App Control

As the name suggests, Wi-Fi is central to this thermostat. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection, or you can use the free app for smartphone or tablet to manage the thermostat remotely. Honeywell also notes that you can control it using your tablet or computer. The company describes the network as reliable and secure, which it states ensures app availability.

The RTH9585WF works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home in addition to the mobile app, so voice control and app-based control are both part of the experience. That means you can adjust the temperature from anywhere, whether you are in another room or away from home. The combination of on-device touch control, app control, and voice assistant compatibility gives you several ways to interact with the same system.

Compatibility and Installation Requirements

Compatibility is the area where this thermostat demands the most attention before purchase. Honeywell states that it is compatible with heating, cooling, and heat pumps, and specifically with forced air systems using gas, oil, or electric, hot water and steam systems, and heat pumps with electric backup. It also works with most heat/cool oil furnace systems.

There are important exclusions. The thermostat does not work with heat pumps that use electric baseboard heat rated at 120–240 volts, and it does not work with electric baseboard heat generally. It also will not work with heating-only oil furnace systems unless a C-Wire is present. A C-Wire is required for this thermostat. Honeywell advises checking whether the thermostat is compatible with your home and determining whether your home needs a C-wire power adapter before purchasing. Given how many system types exist, that pre-purchase check is not a step to skip.

Energy Reporting and Utility Programs

The RTH9585WF is Energy Star certified. Honeywell states that it can help save energy, and it provides monthly energy reports so you can track your heating and cooling, along with personalized tips on reducing energy use. The thermostat also ties into utility programs: Honeywell suggests checking with your energy provider about available rebates, and notes that eligible customers can enroll in their local utility’s Demand Response Program, which can reward you for allowing the utility to slightly adjust your AC or furnace temperature settings when there is high energy demand. Whether those programs and rebates are available depends entirely on your provider and your eligibility.

Who Is This Thermostat Best For?

This model suits homeowners who want remote temperature control and are comfortable with a DIY installation, provided their system meets the compatibility requirements. If you have a forced air system, hot water or steam heating, or a heat pump with electric backup, and you have a C-Wire available, the RTH9585WF is built for that kind of setup. It is also a reasonable fit for anyone who wants scheduling flexibility, whether around a household routine or a utility’s peak rate pricing.

It is less suitable for homes with electric baseboard heat at 120–240 volts, or heat pumps using that type of heat, since Honeywell explicitly states it does not work with those systems. Households without a C-Wire should plan for the possibility of needing a power adapter. And if you use Alexa or Google Home, the voice assistant compatibility adds a convenient control layer.

Final Verdict

The Honeywell Home RTH9585WF brings together a customizable color touch screen, 7-day flexible programming, Wi-Fi and app control, and voice assistant compatibility in a single second-generation thermostat. Its smart alerts for filter and humidifier pad changes, along with notifications for extreme temperature and humidity, add a maintenance and awareness layer that goes beyond basic temperature setting. Auto change from heat to cool and the three fan control modes give you more ways to manage comfort without constant manual input.

The main caveats are practical rather than cosmetic. Compatibility is specific: electric baseboard heat at 120–240 volts is not supported, and a C-Wire is required, with heating-only oil furnace systems needing one as well. Energy Star certification, monthly energy reports, and potential utility rebates or Demand Response participation are meaningful extras, but rebates and program eligibility depend on your provider. For the right home — one with a compatible system and a C-Wire — this thermostat offers a genuinely flexible, connected way to manage heating and cooling. For others, the compatibility check comes first.