Comparing the Honeywell RTH9580WF vs RTH9320WF5003

Last Updated on May 8th, 2017 by Patrick Sinclair

Honeywell has several smart thermostats that can connect to your Wi-Fi network and two of them are the Honeywell Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF and the Honeywell Smart Thermostat TH9320WF5003.

First Up: Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF

Honeywell created the Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF to compete with Nest Learning Thermostat.  We think that it is a very competent smart thermostat that gives Nest a stiff competition with its range of features.

Features of the RTH9580WF

Some of the main features of the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF include:

• Wi-Fi enabled and mobile app.  The name says it all.  You can connect your Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF to your Wi-Fi network and then control and manage everything from your smartphone, computer, or tablet.  You can use the mobile app to turn off your HVAC system when you are away and to turn it on even before you get home for instant comfort.
• Simple setup.  The Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF is very simple to set up and you wouldn’t need to program it.  To install, you just have to remove your old thermostat, hook up your Honeywell thermostat, and you’re good to go.
• Touchscreen controls.  If you do not have your smartphone with you, no problem!  You can adjust the temperature of your home using the touchscreen interface.  What’s more, the screen has a changeable background color to make sure that it does not clash with your home decor and paint colors.
• Learns your behavior.  Over time, the Honeywell RTH9580WF will learn your cooling and heating cycles, allowing it to optimize itself and give you the right temperature every time.  This will help make you more comfortable while also helping you save more money.

Advantages of the RTH9580WF

• Relatively Easy Setup: Honeywell promises that you can install the smart thermostat yourself, and that the setup is quite easy.
• Smart Learning: Another advantage is that it is a learning thermostat.  This means that it familiarizes itself with your behavior so that it could tweak the temperature at the right times, assuring you utmost comfort.
• Smart Scheduling: You can also work with a seven-day schedule.  Scheduling the Honeywell RTH9580WF is easy as it is very smart and flexible.
• Works with Amazon Alexa: Moreover, Honeywell RTH9580WF works with Amazon Echo, so you can use voice commands to control the thermostat.  You don’t have to stand or reach for your smartphone or your remote control at all. How’s that for convenience?
• Smartphone Notifications: Further, you can get maintenance notifications on your smartphone.  If the filter needs changing soon, you would surely know about it.
• Can Pay for Itself: However, what really makes the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF a good buy is that it practically pays for itself and it usually takes only a year to do so.  For instance, living in New York City, the average household could save around $286 per year with this smart thermostat.  The manufacturer has an energy savings calculator on its website if you are curious to know how much you can save using the thermostat.
• Plenty of Integrations: Lastly, you also have a range of integrations that helps extend the features and what you could do with your Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF.  The RTH9580WF works with Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Echo, Logitech, Yonomi, IFTTT, Panasonic Smart Home, Zonoff, Wink, Stringify, and other connected devices.

Things that Could Be Improved About the RTH9580WF

1. Needs C-Wire: The Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF needs a C-wire.  This means that if your current thermostat does not have a C wire, you might need to buy additional devices to make it work.  Honeywell also gives alternative wiring instructions for those without a C-wire, but that would mean the thermostat will be stealing power from the HVAC system, meaning it might turn your heating and cooling systems on and off just to draw power for itself.  This might also cause annoying fluctuations in temperatures and give rise to strange noises and other problems.
2. Acts Smarter than it Looks: Also, for a smart thermostat, Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF looks very much like traditional and older thermostats. This might be good for those who want their thermostats to look like older thermostats, but compare that to Nest and other modern-looking thermostats and you would see that the RTH9580WF fails.
3. Instructions Could be Improved: While the installation might be billed as DIY because you can certainly do it yourself, beginners might have a difficult time following the instructions given by the manufacturer.  Also, your current thermostat might make the installation a more complex process than expected.  Plus, the lack of a C-wire also creates another problem because the alternative wiring suggested by Honeywell might not work for every system.

Final word on the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF

The Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF is a very capable smart thermostat that learns your behavior in order to keep your home’s temperature at the right levels for you at all times.  Accessing, controlling and managing everything is very simple and easy because of the mobile app.

And while it does come with an easy and flexible schedule, you can do away with scheduling and just let it learn your behavior and use its algorithms to set the right temperature for you and at the right time.

Also, cutting all the hype and noise, the Honeywell RTH9580WF works really well.  It follows your set schedules and its algorithms are spot on in learning your behavior.  And you can also override things manually if you want the room to be extra warm or a bit colder on certain days.

Long story short, the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat RTH9580WF is a worthy competitor for the Nest Learning Thermostat.  But it does look more like the traditional thermostat while Nest has a modern look.

Honeywell Wi-Fi Touch Screen Programmable Thermostat TH9320WF5003

Honeywell Wi-Fi Touch Screen Programmable Thermostat TH9320WF5003 has the following features:

• Personalized display.  You can choose your own colors on the screen to help your thermostat match your room paint.  What’s more, you would appreciate its high-gloss frame, making it look very classy and elegant.
• Easy set up.  Set your Thermostat TH9320WF5003 easily.  You do not even have to rely on a manual as you can just follow the installation and set-up process that you see on your tablet or smartphone.
• Get all the information you need in one glance.  The Honeywell Wi-Fi Touch Screen Programmable Thermostat TH9320WF5003 has a big screen that displays all the information you need.  These include the temperature and humidity inside and outside the house, the current date and time, the cooling or heating status, the current temperature set, as well as information on whether the thermostat is following your set schedule or not.
• Works with just about any heating and cooling systems.  The Honeywell Wi-Fi Touch Screen Programmable Thermostat TH9320WF5003 works with a wide range of cooling and heating systems, including heat pumps, electric, gas, and oil.  It can also work with 3H/2C heat pump and 2H/2C conventional.
• Control and manage everything remotely.  The Honeywell TH9320WF5003 connects with your home’s Wi-Fi network and you can get the Total Connect Comfort app to monitor, manage, and control your thermostat from anywhere in the world.

Comparing the TH9320WF5003 vs RTH9580WF

The features and functionality you see on the Honeywell RTH9580WF are present on the TH9320WF5003.  That means the same personalized display, the same easy set up, and the same compatibility with a wide range of existing HVAC systems.

However, you should take note that the Honeywell TH9320WF5003 is not a retail product and is only available from professional contractors.  It comes with a five-year warranty.

Meanwhile, the Honeywell RTH9580WF is a retail equivalent of the Honeywell TH9320WF5003.  What does this mean?  The Honeywell RTH9580WF is available at retail stores and has a one-year warranty.  You can install the Honeywell RTH9580WF yourself and the one-year warranty will still be in effect.

On the other hand, you should only let professional HVAC contractors install the Honeywell TH9320WF5003.   If you install it yourself and something goes wrong, Honeywell would not honor the five-year warranty.

PLEASE READ: With that in mind, be wary and cautious when you buy Honeywell products.  The Honeywell TH9320WF5003 is not sold from the manufacturer’s website but Amazon has it for $199.99 as of this writing (check here for latest).  This should not be the case, though, as it should only be available from professional HVAC installers.  Naturally, people who buy it from Amazon are shocked when Honeywell tells them that the warranty has been voided.

Before you buy

Both the Honeywell TH9320WF5003 and the Honeywell RTH9580WF are highly capable smart thermostats that have all the features you see in other similarly priced smart thermostats, such as Nest and Ecobee3.

However, if you are looking for a smart thermostat that looks sleek and more modern, you might want to consider Nest or Honeywell’s own Lyric thermostat.

Ecobee and Nest also give you data reports that help you gain insights on how you use energy and more importantly, guide you on how to save more.