Emerson Sensi Pro
Score: 83/100
Honeywell Home RTH9600WF
Score: 78/100Rankings
The Emerson Sensi Pro is a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled thermostat with a touchscreen LCD, offering broad HVAC compatibility and robust smart-home integration. Its main drawbacks are the need for a C-wire for certain features and lack of battery backup, limiting installation flexibility. Ideal for homeowners seeking extensive features and a long warranty.
The Honeywell Home RTH9600WF is an ENERGY STAR-certified smart thermostat featuring a vibrant color touchscreen and extensive smart-home integration. Its requirement for a dedicated C-wire and incompatibility with certain heating systems limit installation flexibility. Ideal for homeowners with compatible 24 VAC systems seeking advanced display and remote control.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
5 yearsbest | 2 years | |
| ↓ lower better | 0.336 kg | 0.318 kgbest |
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| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
General(2) | ||
HVAC Compatibility | Single/multi-stage gas, oil, electric, heat pump (up to 4H/2C), dual fuel, boiler, cool‑only, AC with AUX heat | Works with 24 VAC systems (forced air, heat pump, hydronic, hot water, steam); requires C-wire; incompatible with millivolt, 120/240V baseboard heat, heating-only oil furnaces without C-wire |
Warranty (years) | 5 years | 2 years |
Connectivity(1) | ||
Smart Home Integration | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, iOS, Android |
Power & Installation(1) | ||
Power Source | Battery, Hardwire/Common, Power Sharing | Battery |
Display(1) | ||
Display Type | Glass LCD touchscreen (backlit) | LCD color touchscreen with backlight |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Device Weight (kg) | 0.336 kg | 0.318 kg |
Device Dimensions (H×W×D) (mm) | 25.4×149.35×95.25 mm mm | 89x22x114 mm mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers and editors commend the Sensi Touch 2 for its straightforward, app-driven installation, robust smart-home ecosystem compatibility, and contractor-focused features such as batch registration and keypad lockout. Its energy-saving functions and 5-year warranty further bolster its reputation, earning it an Editors' Choice accolade. The primary criticisms revolve around the need for a C-wire for HomeKit and the absence of battery backup.
Consumers generally praise the thermostat's remote access, intuitive scheduling, and useful humidity and temperature alerts. Recurring complaints focus on the requirement for a C-wire in some setups and the limitation to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, as well as the lack of battery backup during power outages.
Professional reviewers such as Consumer Reports evaluate the RTH9600WF on smart-feature performance (Smart IQ), manual operation ease, and automation capabilities, but detailed ratings are behind a subscription wall, leaving only a general acknowledgment of its comprehensive smart-thermostat functionality.
