Picture of the Honeywell RTH9580WF thermostat, displaying its -Home- screen, before calibrating temperature.

Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat Review

The Honeywell RTH9580WF/1005 color screen thermostat is a clear advance from the RTH8580WF model, reviewed earlier.

Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat Intro

Honeywell has upgraded the screen from the one-color green with black lettering, to a full-color, brighter, higher contrast LCD display.  Indeed you can set screen colors to match your room décor.  Plus, the screen has  a new indoor and outdoor humidity reading.

Further, perhaps you have learned the Total Connect Comfort website (see References section below for link). Maybe you learned it to remotely controll your older Honeywell WiFi thermostats. If so, then you’re still in luck. Why?  Because the RTH9580WF still uses that site. There’s also a Total Connect Comfort app, available for free, at Google Play and iTunes app stores.





This revised version of Honeywell’s wireless thermostat is once again, a state-of-the-art digital climate control regulator. It features lots of program settings. E.g. You can set it for different programs on each and all of the seven days of the week. So this is a 7-day thermostat.

Plus, it does not forget user programs, stored in its non volatile memory.  Indeed, the RTH9580WF offers most of the hallmark features of today’s best digital t-stats.  Plus, you can program it from anywhere where you have internet.

With this t-stat, you can check your home climate control systems. Use most any web browser as well as the free app for mobile devices.  From either a browser or the app, you can also…

  • Make and change program schedules.
  • Turn your furnace on and off.
  • Operate its fan.
  • Set the temperature.
  • Override the current program.
  • Check filter status.
  • Get critical maintenance alerts.
  • Operate a bunch of other climate control settings.

This is the latest in our series of digital t-stat reviews. This one thus far, is the best wireless color screen thermostat we’ve tested.

Features, Benefits, Advantages, and Pros of the Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Screen Thermostat 

All Features Accessible via Full Color Touch Screen

Large Choice of Predefined Color Themes to Choose From

The RTH9580WF comes with fourteen pre-programmed color themes. These match common home color schemes.  These include…

  • Aurora.
  • Plum.
  • Blaze.
  • Emerald.
  • Berry.
  • Sunshine.
  • Cabernet.
  • Pear.
  • Waterfall.
  • Tangerine.
  • Ice.
  • Rose.
  • Lavender.
  • Chrome.

Define your Own Color Theme Too

But if you like none of the default color theme choices, then create your own.  Just choose the Custom option on the color theme picker screen.

High Screen Contrast Options for Low-Vision Users on the Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat

You can create color screen themes with high-contrast.  You may either choose a bright foreground color and dark background, or vice versa.





Easier to Connect to WiFi

Connecting the thermostat to WiFi network is easier also.  No longer must you first connect a computer to the setup WiFi network as you did on the older t-stat.  In this model you enter the connection info on the t-stat itself.  You can even type in your WiFi password via the virtual keyboard.

Works with Both Amazon Alexa and Google Home Smart Speakers

7-day Programming

Each of the seven days in the week can have a unique program schedule.  But the unit also comes with preset programs that group the days together. These can cut energy costs a lot in the typical home without any changes.

Program Setup Wizard

The unit guides you through setup of program periods. Or, without the wizard,  you can directly edit the programs yourself, without wizard prompts.

The Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat has a Vacation Hold Mode

You may set up temp settings for when you’re away.  These stay active until the return date you programmed. Then at that time, the t-stat goes back to its regular program.

Auto Firmware Updating

This t-stat gets software updates from Honeywell as they come out all by itself.  So to install them, you need take no manual action.  But you must connect the unit to WiFi with internet access for this auto updating to work.

Lots of Documentation Online

You’ll also find a Quick Start Guide packed with the t-stat, along with wiring labels.





Comes with Mounting Hardware

The package includes the mounting wall plate, and all hardware you need.

Note the term “wireless” as used throughout this post though. This refers to the wireless way, through the internet, that you may access this t-stat.  But you still need the wires to connect this unit to your furnace / HVAC system. So this part of the system is by no means ‘wireless’.

The Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat Features an Internal Clock

The built-in clock keeps time very well. Plus, it sets itself for daylight savings time on the right days if you enable that.

Plus, the clock syncs itself to the right time when…

  • You register it with the Total Connect Comfort website.

So the time shown on the t-stat is always accurate.

Anywhere Monitoring and Control

Check furnace status and control it from anywhere you have internet access. Do this either via smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, or media players. Use web browsers like Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. Plus now, there’s the mobile device app.

Through the website or the app, check both indoor and outdoor temps. You can also see if your furnace is running or not. Check if the fan is running, and if your system is following a schedule.  Great for world travelers or anyone who spends much time far from home but wants to look in on their furnace.

Wireless Access

This wireless home thermostat has similar features to Honeywell’s RTH7600D model. This one though, adds wireless internet control.

Backlight Timeout Setting on the Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat

You can set the back light to stay on low when no one is setting the t-stat.  Then, when someone does touch the screen, it brightens briefly.

When in standby mode, the back light is quite handy for finding the t-stat in the dark.

Reads Indoor and Outdoor Humidity

The touch screen shows, along with the current indoor and outdoor temps, how most the air is.

Scheduled or Manual Programs

You may override programmed schedules on either a temporary or permanent basis.  A temporary override stays in effect until the next scheduled period begins. Permanent override lasts until the user again sets the t-stat to the “following schedule” mode.





Vacation Hold

There’s also a vacation hold feature. This lets you stop programmed settings while you’re on vacation.  In this mode, you set the desired temp for 24 hours a day. It retains this setting until the date and time that you set. Then, normal program schedule takes over again.  You set the number of days from the current day, in which vacation hold will stay in effect.

The Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat Gives Filter Change Reminders  

These alert you when it’s time to change the air filter.

Includes Compressor Protection  

Stops the HVAC from turning on and off too many times per hour.  This protects the compressor from needless wear and tear.

The t-stat also has auto changeover from heating to cooling and vice versa.

Simple Cleanup

Clean the case and screen with a damp, soft cloth. But be sure to use very mild, oil-free soap with water for this.

Screen Lock

Further, there’s also a lock-screen feature. Set this ON while cleaning to prevent unintended activation of functions while you clean the t-stat.

No Mercury

This t-stat has no mercury switches.  But it does have a lithium battery which may have special handling procedures when disposing or recycling. This depends on where you live.

Controls Common Furnace and HVAC Types

Also, it can control all common furnace types.  E.g. heat pumps, gas, oil, or electric units. It can also control single or multi heat and cool stages.  This t-stat supports up to two stage heating and two stage cooling.

One Year Warranty





Limitations, Disadvantages, Problems, and Cons of the Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Screen Thermostat 

You may Save Only the Current Custom Color Theme

On Windows computers, you can save any number of custom screen themes. But not on the RTH9580WF. This t-stat does not permit saving any that aren’t in use.  So, only the current color theme is savable.  Thus, to switch to another custom theme, you must define a new theme from scratch.  Creating a custom theme involves choosing the foreground, shading, and background colors, and tweaking those choices to your tastes.

The Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat Uses Cloud Servers

This t-stat depends on servers provided by Honeywell (the Honeywell Total Connect Comfort Solutions  web site) for remotely control.

Make All Settings Remotely Adjustable

Many advanced settings you adjust on plain-English screens, but locally only.  You cannot change these via the internet.

But we’d like to change any and all settings via the web as well as at the touchscreen.

The Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat Needs a C Wire

If you replace an older t-stat with this one, you may have to run a power lead (C wire). This would come from your heating / cooling system. Note that This t-stat will not work without a C wire.

Picture of the Honeywall Total Connect Comfort Web Site Device Control Page.
Honeywall Total Connect Comfort Web Site Device Control Page

Our Rating for the Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat

The RTH9580WF surpasses the 8580 as the most useful color screen thermostat we’ve ever tested.  Given all its features, we did not mind paying the roughly $180 for it.   Once you set it, you can forget it, unless you like playing with the controls.  If so, you’ll have plenty of settings to tweak either at home or on the go.

Of all the Honeywell thermostat models, this color screen one is likely the most complex. Yet it’s among the easiest to get going with its default settings.

With its very rich feature set though, a bit of complexity is unavoidable.  But this does no make the t-stat overly hard to for most people to grasp.  So, we rate it at 96 out of 100.  As it did with earlier models, Honeywell has built yet another awesome WiFi touchscreen thermostat here.





Related Posts to Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat

  1. Change WiFi Network on Honeywell Color Screen Thermostat RTH9580WF
  2. How to Fix Honeywell Thermostat Not Following Schedule
  3. Connecting Amazon Echo Dot to Honeywell Thermostats
  4. Honeywell Thermostat Wiring Color Code
  5. Unregister Honeywell Thermostat RTH9580WF Instructions

References for Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat

  1. Additional Info on Wi-Fi Thermostats from Honeywell
  2. Honeywell Total Connect Comfort Solutions web site
  3. Where to buy   the Honeywell RTH9580WF Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

Revision History

  • 2020-04-18: Added tags.
  • 2019-08-26: Added key phrase targeting for ‘Honeywell RTH9580WF Color Thermostat’, removed ad code, and added more tags and links.
  • 2017-02-20: Originally published.