Honeywell RTH9585WF Wi-Fi Color Thermostat: Is $99.99 Worth It?

The Honeywell RTH9585WF brings a color touchscreen and Wi-Fi scheduling to your HVAC without a monthly subscription — here's who it makes sense for.

What you're actually getting for a hundred bucks

The RTH9585WF sits in a sweet spot Honeywell has owned for years: a genuine Wi-Fi thermostat with a color touchscreen and full 7-day scheduling, no subscription required. You get remote control through the Honeywell Home app, compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant, and a straightforward interface that doesn't require a tutorial to use. It's not a learning thermostat — it won't auto-adjust based on your patterns — but for households that just want reliable remote control and a solid schedule, it covers the bases cleanly.

The installation detail worth checking before you buy

The main consideration with this thermostat is the C-wire requirement. Most modern HVAC systems have one, but older homes sometimes don't, and without a common wire the thermostat can behave erratically or drain batteries fast. Honeywell sells a separate adapter kit, but that adds cost and complexity. Before ordering, pull the cover off your existing thermostat and look for a wire labeled C on the terminal block. If it's there, installation is a straightforward 30-minute swap. At $99.99 with free Prime shipping, it's a fair price for what it delivers — just not a screaming bargain if you end up needing extras.