Picture of the Honeywell RTH9580WF WiFi Smart Thermostat, displaying the Home screen.

Honeywell RTH9580WF Thermostat Review

The Honeywell RTH9580WF smart thermostat represents a clear advance from the RTH8580WF model, reviewed earlier.  On this model, they improved the screen from the green color so common with older thermostats with black lettering.  In this model, it’s now a full-color, brighter, higher contrast, LCD display.

Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Thermostat Introduction

The Full Color Touchscreen

First, you can set the color scheme to match your room décor.  Plus, the screen has a new indoor and outdoor humidity reading.

Further they have also made it easier to link this t-stat to your WiFi network.  No longer must you first connect a computer to the t-stat for this.  Now, you enter the connection info via the touch screen.  This includes password entry using the screen-based keyboard.

Finally, on the Total Connect Comfort site, you control this model t-stat the same way you do the earlier models.

Honeywell RTH9580WF Thermostat Updated Features Summary

This revised version of Honeywell’s signature wireless thermostat is once again, a state-of-the-art digital climate control system. It offers lots of settings that you change for different programs.

This is a seven day thermostat that also has battery backup.

Plus, it does not forget user programs; even if the batteries die.

The RTH9580WF has most of the hallmark features of today’s best digital t-stats. But in addition to those, you can work it via the internet.  All common furnace types can be regulated too.  E.g.

  • Heat pumps.
  • Gas furnaces.
  • Oil furnaces.
  • Electric heating units.
  • Single or multiple stage heating and cooling systems.

This unit supports up to a max of two stage heating and two stage cooling. The RTH9580WF can control standard and high efficiency furnace types as well.

Finally, you can check up on your t-stat from anywhere with internet access.

Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Thermostat Features, Benefits, Advantages, and Pros

All Features Accessible via Full Color Touch Screen

Smart Response Technology

The thermostat learns your particular furnace’s patterns heating and cooling times.  It also learns how long it takes our HVAC to raise and lower room temperature.  Finally, it starts up the HVAC a little before the scheduled time.  This way, when the scheduled time of the event passes, the home reaches the programmed temperature.

7-day Programming on the Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Thermostat

Each of the seven days in the week can have a unique program schedule.  However, the unit also comes packed with preset program schedules.  These  save energy in the typical home, without changing them.





Business and Home Modes

These select the number of and times of the default program daily periods.  However, you may modify these programs at will, if so desired.

Program Schedule Setup Wizard

The unit guides you through program schedule setup.  Or you can customize the programs yourself, outside the setup wizard.

Vacation Hold Mode

You may set this t-stat to maintain temperature settings while you’re away on vacation. This change then lasts until your scheduled return date. At that time, the thermostat resumes following the schedule it has on file.

Automatic Firmware Updates

The thermostat receives software updates from Honeywell as they’re issued.  No manual intervention is required. The unit must be connected to Wi-Fi with Internet access for this feature to work.

Extensive Documentation Comes with the Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Thermostat

See these pages online.  You’ll also find a Quick Start Guide packed with the thermostat, along with wiring labels.

All Mounting Hardware Included

The mounting wall plate, and all necessary hardware and wiring tips are included.  Note however, that the term “wireless” here refers to the wireless way, via the internet. You can control the RTH9580WF remotely.  Note that you still need wires to connect this unit to your HVAC.

Battery Backup

A coin type battery is also included. This lasts at least one but probably over two years, given a fresh battery.  It powers memory circuits inside, thus preserving programs and settings in the event of a power failure.





Internal Clock

The built-in clock keeps time very well, and automatically adjusts itself for daylight savings time if that feature is enabled.  If you connect the thermostat to the internet, the clock inside sets itself with internet time.

Auto Alerts

When you enable the internet-based features, Honeywell notifies you via email or on the app when various things happen.  If room temperature rises or falls too far, they tell you.  Or if connectivity to the RTH9580WF breaks, then again, they let you know.

Anywhere Monitoring and Control

Monitor and control your home heating / cooling equipment from anywhere that offers Internet access.  Do this via smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, and media players.  Access the TCC site with web browsers like Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.  Plus, they have an app for iOS and Android.

Through these, you can check the following.

  • Both the indoor and outdoor temperatures.
  • Whether your furnace is running currently.
  • Whether the fan is on.
  • If your climate control system is following the programmed schedule, or in one of the hold modes.  Great for world travelers or anyone who spends much time far from home.

The Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Thermostat Supports Wireless Access

This wireless home thermostat incorporates similar features to Honeywell’s RTH7600D model. This one however, adds wireless Internet access to those features.

Multiple Thermostats  

can be set up in various parts of your home and controlled from afar via the web site.

Both Home and Business Program Periods

Program each day in up to four periods.  For home use, these include…

  • Wake.
  • Leave.
  • Return home.
  • Sleep.

For business mode operation you have..

  • Occupied
  • Unoccupied.

Now you may not wish to enter scheduled times and temperatures for all these daily events.  Say you only want two temperature changes per day instead of the maximum of four. Then you can exclude the events you don’t want from the daily program.  Plus, you need not program anything at all if you like the built in  schedules.





Back Light Timeout Setting

You can program the touchscreen back light to stay on but at a low brightness all the time.  Then, it brightens briefly when someone touches the screen. Very handy for finding the t-stat in the dark.

Reads Indoor Humidity

The touch screen shows, along with the current indoor temperature, the current humidity.

Schedule or Manual Program Following

You may override programmed schedules temporarily (until the next scheduled period begins).  Or suspend the schedule permanently (until the user returns the thermostat to the “following schedule” mode).

Filter Reminders  

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

The Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Thermostat Features Compressor Protection  

This feature prevents HVAC unit from coming on too many times per hour.  Too many switch-ons in a short time can damage an HVAC unit.  So this t-stat does not allow that to occur.

All Plain-English Settings

The older models featured parameter numbers for things like disconnecting from Wi-Fi and setting the system time.  Now, many of these parameters are clearly spelled out in the improved menus and screen faces.

Simple Cleanup

Can be cleaned with a damp cloths using very mild detergent solutions with water.  There’s also a lock-screen feature.  You turn this on to keep unintended changes while wiping fingerprints off of the touchscreen.

Contains No Mercury

But does have a lithium battery which, according to the instructions, may require special handling procedures when disposing or recycling.

One year Limited Warranty





Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Thermostat Limitations, Disadvantages, Problems, and Cons

Needs Internet Service

Requires that the user provide internet access via Wi-Fi.

The Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Thermostat Requires Cloud Based Infrastructure

Depends on a web site / Internet infrastructure provided by Honeywell (the Honeywell Total Connect Comfort Solutions web site) for remotely controlling thermostat functions.

Set Anywhere Parameters Suggested

You set many of the thermostat advanced settings locally only.  That is, you cannot change them via the internet.  We’d like to change any and all of the settings via the internet, as well as at the touchscreen.

Needs a C Wire

If you’re replacing an older thermostat with this one, you may have to provide a power lead (C wire).  This runs from your heating / cooling system, to this thermostat.  The RTH9580WF  cannot function without it.

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 Smart Thermostat

The RTH9580WF surpasses the 8580 as the most useful home automation thermostat control device we’ve ever tested.  Given all its features and functions, we did not mind paying the roughly $180 for it.

Once you set it, forget it; unless you’re one of those who must constantly play with the controls.  If so, you’ll have plenty of settings here to tweak either locally or remotely.

Of all the digital Honeywell thermostat models, this Wi-Fi version is certainly the most complex. Yet it’s among the simplest to get up and running with default settings.  However, with its very rich feature set, a bit of complexity is unavoidable, and we find this understandable.  So, we rate this thermostat at 96 out of 100.  As it did with the predecessors, Honeywell has created yet another exemplary Wi-Fi smart thermostat here.

Other Posts About the Honeywell RTH9580WF Thermostat

  1. Honeywell RTH9580WF WiFi Setup Instructions
  2. Change WiFi Network on Honeywell Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF
  3. How to Change Honeywell Thermostat Temperature Setting
  4. Change Time and Day on Honeywell RTH9580WF Thermostat, How To
  5. Connecting Amazon Echo Dot to Honeywell Thermostats

References for this Honeywell RTH9580WF Smart Thermostat Review

  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
  4. What is a   Programmable Thermostat?   on Wikipedia

Revision History

  • 2020-04-18: Added more tags.
  • 2019-02-27: Added key phrase targeting, subheadings, and tags.  Fixed typos and corrected some features description errors.
  • 2016-12-14: Added links to the Suggested Reading section.
  • 2016-12-13: Added links to the References section.
  • 2016-02-13: Added a Suggested Reading section.
  • 2015-10-20: Added appropriate tags.
  • 2015-09-05: Originally published.