Introduction
The Honeywell Home X8S is not trying to disappear. Most smart thermostats are small pucks or rounded squares that quietly report a temperature. The X8S is a 5-inch color touchscreen with doorbell video integration, Matter support, IAQ and humidity monitoring, an included room sensor, and Wi-Fi 6. It wants the thermostat spot on the wall to become a household control panel.
That ambition explains the price. At $259.99 in this roundup, the X8S is the most expensive thermostat here. HoneywellHome.com's own product metadata captured during research showed $219.99, Tom's Guide described it at $220, and CNET listed it at $250, so street pricing may move. The buying question does not change much: even at the lower numbers, the X8S belongs in the premium tier. At $259.99, it has to justify itself against ecobee, Nest, Amazon, and cheaper Honeywell-adjacent designs.
The argument is strongest on screen and platform reach. Tom's Guide lists a 5-inch, 480 by 800 touchscreen, while HoneywellHome.com promotes a sleek 5-inch display for enhanced visibility. The X8S is Matter certified and works with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home. Tom's Guide also describes adding it to HomeKit by scanning a Matter QR code shown on the thermostat display. That is exactly the kind of setup story premium smart-home buyers want in 2026.
The argument is weaker on published HVAC detail. Honeywell Home and Resideo have deep thermostat credibility, and the X8S clearly targets the high end, but the accessible sources did not publish exact stage compatibility, heat pump limits, dual-fuel support, millivolt exclusions, or warranty length. A premium thermostat can still be excellent while omitting public details. It just cannot ask technically cautious buyers to assume them.
Design and Build
The X8S is physically closer to a small wall tablet than to a minimalist thermostat. Tom's Guide reports dimensions of 5.24 inches wide, 3.54 inches tall, and 0.96 inches deep, or 133 mm by 90 mm by 24 mm. That makes it wider than an ecobee square and much more rectangular than a Nest. In a hallway, it will be noticed. In a kitchen or entry area, that may be the point.
Resideo / Honeywell Home / HoneywellHome.com (Manufacturer product image)
Resideo / Honeywell Home / HoneywellHome.com (Manufacturer product image)
The display is the reason to tolerate the footprint. A 5 inches panel gives the interface enough room for legible controls, status, and the extra features Honeywell is selling. Tom's Guide lists 480 pixels by 800 pixels, and the product page highlights enhanced visibility. This is the one thermostat in the group that can plausibly act as a glanceable dashboard rather than a temperature badge.
Honeywell also lets owners change the face. Tom's Guide describes 8 idle screen options with different colors and designs. That sounds cosmetic, but wall devices live in rooms for years. A thermostat that can look less medical and more intentional has an advantage over a glossy white rectangle that never quite matches anything. The X8S is sold in white and black, which is not as flexible as Google's 4 finishes on the 2020 Nest, but it is enough to avoid the default-white-only problem.
The included room sensor is a major packaging win. Tom's Guide says the sensor feeds motion and temperature information to the X8S, and CNET's comparison table lists a room sensor included. Many competitors turn room balancing into an immediate accessory purchase. ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced works with SmartSensors but does not include one. The Nest Learning Thermostat 4th Gen includes a newer sensor, but it costs roughly $280. Including 1 sensor helps soften the X8S price because multi-room comfort is part of the box, not the second receipt.
The C-wire story is less elegant. The X8S requires a common wire. Tom's Guide explains that buyers without one need a C-wire Power Adapter from Honeywell Home, and the adapter is free through a promo code included in the box. Free is better than a $40 surprise, but a promo-code request is still friction. ecobee includes its Power Extender Kit directly in the box. The Amazon Smart Thermostat requires a C-wire and does not include an adapter by default. Honeywell lands between those approaches: generous, but not seamless.
Setup also routes through the First Alert by Resideo app. That makes sense for a thermostat tied to First Alert products and doorbell video, but it is another account layer for buyers who expected a simple Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa accessory flow. For a premium device, the ideal path is one app for setup and then platform freedom. The X8S appears to get to platform freedom, but not without Resideo's own doorway.
Performance in Everyday Use
The X8S has three daily-use identities: thermostat, room comfort manager, and video screen. The thermostat basics are the least controversial. It supports time-of-day scheduling, and Tom's Guide says setup walked through a schedule for the set temperature based on time of day. The more interesting layer is room priority. The reviewer described setting the bedroom sensor as the priority around 9:30 pm, then switching priority back to the thermostat around 10 pm. That is exactly how room sensors should work: the bedroom matters when sleeping, and the main hallway matters at other times.
Resideo / Honeywell Home / HoneywellHome.com (Manufacturer product image)
Resideo / Honeywell Home / HoneywellHome.com (Manufacturer product image)
Presence behavior supports that comfort-first pitch. HoneywellHome.com describes Advanced Occupancy & Presence Detection that senses and adjusts settings to maximize comfort when home and save energy when away, with Auto-Away enabled. The page does not publish a distance boundary, a setback amount, or a savings percentage. That restraint is preferable to a vague promise. The X8S can be credited for occupancy-aware control without pretending every household will get the same utility bill result.
IAQ and humidity monitoring make the X8S feel broader than a temperature controller. HoneywellHome.com refers to maintaining optimal IAQ with humidity and ventilation control, and CNET notes humidity and air quality tracking. Those features are especially relevant in tight newer homes, damp basements, and regions where summer comfort depends as much on moisture as on temperature. The caution is that accessible sources did not provide detailed sensor specifications or accuracy numbers, so the right expectation is useful monitoring, not lab instrumentation.
Doorbell integration is the most unusual feature. HoneywellHome.com says the thermostat is compatible with First Alert VX1 and Ring streaming doorbells, and Tom's Guide reports live view plus two-way talk. The idea is genuinely appealing: if someone rings the bell while dinner is on the stove, the wall thermostat can show the visitor without reaching for a phone. It gives the large screen a reason to exist outside HVAC.
The execution appears mixed. Tom's Guide found the video feed clear, but incoming audio from the doorbell to the thermostat was choppy and sometimes dropped altogether. That does not ruin the feature; a quick visual check is still useful. It does limit the fantasy of the X8S as a fully reliable intercom. Buyers choosing it mainly for Ring or First Alert VX1 integration should treat video as the safer bet than long conversations.
Connectivity is unusually modern. Tom's Guide lists 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 with 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands. Many thermostats still live on 2.4 GHz only, partly because range matters more than bandwidth for small wall devices. Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 will not make heating faster, but it can make setup easier on modern mesh networks that handle older 2.4 GHz-only accessories poorly. Matter support is the bigger platform win. Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home coverage means fewer buyers have to choose a thermostat based on a single voice assistant.
Energy positioning is careful. HoneywellHome.com says the X8S is ENERGY STAR certified and helps reduce energy use for program participation and rebate opportunities. It does not publish a specific percentage savings claim on the product page. That is enough for a positive mark, especially because rebates can change the real price, but it is not enough to forecast a payback period. At $259.99, payback depends heavily on local rates, existing thermostat behavior, utility rebates, and whether Auto-Away is actually enabled.
The largest practical uncertainty is HVAC compatibility. The product is clearly designed for mainstream connected HVAC control, and Honeywell's brand history is reassuring. But exact stages, heat pump details, auxiliary heat limits, dual-fuel support, and millivolt exclusions were not published in the accessible sources. That means the X8S may be a great fit for many systems, but complex homes should not rely on inference. Before buying, match the current wiring to Honeywell's compatibility process or involve an HVAC professional.
Competitive Comparison
Against the ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced, the X8S wins on screen size, included room sensor, Matter, Apple Home certainty, and doorbell integration. The ecobee counters with a 4-inch 540 by 540 touchscreen, an included Power Extender Kit, published 2H/2C conventional support, heat pump support with 1 stage AUX heat, and accessory support for humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and ventilators. ecobee's public spec table is more technical, and that transparency matters. The X8S feels more premium on the wall; the ecobee is easier to trust before purchase.
Against the Google Nest Learning Thermostat 4th Gen, Honeywell's case is the rectangular touchscreen and doorbell role. Google's premium model has a 2.7-inch circular display, 600 by 600 resolution, Matter, a bundled room sensor, and a design language many buyers prefer. The Nest also leans harder into automatic scheduling. The X8S is better for someone who wants a visible control panel. The Nest is better for someone who wants the thermostat to look like decor and behave more quietly.
Against the Google Nest Thermostat (2020), the price gap is brutal. The Nest can be found around $92.50 in this roundup and offers a 2.4-inch mirrored display, 60GHz Soli presence sensing, Google Home control, Alexa, and Matter support reported after the April 18, 2023 update. It has no room sensor compatibility, no Auto-Schedule, and weaker HVAC staging, but it costs far less. The X8S must be chosen for its screen, room sensor, Apple Home confidence, and richer monitoring, not merely for being smart.
Against the Amazon Smart Thermostat, the X8S is almost a different category. Amazon's device is about $79.99, Alexa-only, C-wire powered, and built around app and voice control rather than a large screen. It does not support dedicated room sensors and does not play nicely with Google Home or Apple's HomeKit according to CNET. The X8S costs more than 3 times as much, but it brings multi-platform support, Matter, IAQ, humidity, an included sensor, and video viewing.
The Sensi Touch 2 is the awkward middle option. CNET lists it around $210 and describes a simple color touchscreen, C-wire requirement, Alexa, Google, and SmartThings support, with room sensors available separately at about $40 each. It lacks the X8S's published Matter and included sensor story. If a buyer wants a restrained touchscreen thermostat and does not need Apple Home through Matter, Sensi may cost less. If the goal is the most feature-rich wall interface, Honeywell keeps the stronger claim.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the X8S if the thermostat sits in a visible, central place and the household will actually use the screen. A 5-inch display makes sense in a kitchen, mudroom, or hallway where family members pass often. It makes less sense behind a door or in a dim utility corridor where the app will handle every interaction.
It is also a strong candidate for mixed-platform homes. Matter, Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home support mean the thermostat can survive a shift from one phone brand or voice assistant to another. That matters for families with iPhones, Android phones, Echo speakers, and Google displays under one roof. A thermostat should last longer than a smart speaker fad.
The included room sensor makes the most sense in homes with one room that never matches the hallway. A bedroom that runs cold at night, a nursery that warms quickly, or a home office over a garage can all benefit from scheduled sensor priority. The X8S lets that capability start with 1 sensor instead of requiring an accessory purchase on day one.
Skip it if price is the first filter. At $259.99, this is not the rational budget pick. The Amazon Smart Thermostat and 2020 Google Nest Thermostat handle basic connected control for far less. Skip it if the HVAC system is complex and the owner needs published stage compatibility before ordering. Skip it if doorbell video sounds like a novelty, because part of the X8S price is clearly buying that big-screen idea.
The best buyer is someone who wants the thermostat to become a visible smart-home endpoint: temperature, humidity, air quality, occupancy, room priority, and front-door video in one place. That person may find the X8S expensive but coherent. A buyer who just wants lower bills and remote temperature control should spend less.
Final Verdict
The Honeywell Home X8S is bold in a category that often rewards restraint. The large touchscreen is genuinely useful, not just decorative. Matter support puts it on the right side of smart-home history. The included room sensor gives it a comfort advantage over products that make sensor support theoretical until another box is purchased. Doorbell integration is clever, even if Tom's Guide's audio complaint keeps it from sounding fully polished.
The problem is not that the X8S lacks features. The problem is that a premium thermostat needs premium clarity. At $259.99, buyers should not have to dig for exact HVAC stage support, warranty length, Thread transport details, Bluetooth status, or maximum room sensor count. Some of those omissions may be harmless. Together, they make the product harder to recommend for the complicated systems Honeywell's reputation naturally attracts.
For a mainstream C-wire home with Apple Home, Google Home, or Alexa devices, the X8S can be an excellent command center. For a technically complex home, verify compatibility before purchase. For a budget buyer, do not rationalize the price unless the 5-inch screen, included sensor, and doorbell view will be used every week.
The rating lands below the enthusiasm of Tom's Guide's best-overall label because value and transparency matter. The X8S may be the most capable-looking thermostat in this roundup. It is also the one that most needs a full public compatibility sheet to match its premium price.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Honeywell Home X8S cost?
This roundup uses a $259.99 price. Research also found HoneywellHome.com metadata at $219.99, Tom's Guide at $220, and CNET at $250, so buyers should check live pricing before ordering.
Does the X8S require a C-wire?
Yes. Tom's Guide and CNET both indicate that a C-wire is required. Tom's Guide says Honeywell provides a free C-wire Power Adapter through a promo code included in the box, but it is not simply sitting in the package by default.
How large is the X8S display?
The touchscreen is 5 inches. Tom's Guide lists the resolution as 480 by 800, and HoneywellHome.com highlights the large display for better visibility.
What are the physical dimensions?
Tom's Guide lists the thermostat at 5.24 inches wide, 3.54 inches tall, and 0.96 inches deep, or 133 mm by 90 mm by 24 mm. Weight was not published in the accessible sources.
Does it include a room sensor?
Yes. The X8S includes 1 room sensor according to CNET, and Tom's Guide describes a sensor that feeds motion and temperature information to the thermostat. The maximum number of supported sensors was not published.
Does the X8S work with Apple Home?
Yes. HoneywellHome.com lists Apple Home support, Tom's Guide lists HomeKit, and the Tom's Guide reviewer described adding the thermostat to HomeKit by scanning a Matter QR code on the display.
Does it support Matter?
Yes. HoneywellHome.com calls the X8S Matter certified, and Tom's Guide lists Matter in its compatibility information. The accessible sources did not specify whether Matter uses Thread or Wi-Fi transport.
Can it show a video doorbell feed?
Yes. HoneywellHome.com says the thermostat works with First Alert VX1 and Ring streaming doorbells. Tom's Guide reported clear video, but also said incoming audio was choppy and sometimes dropped.
Is it ENERGY STAR certified?
Yes. HoneywellHome.com says the X8S is ENERGY STAR certified and can help with energy program participation and rebate opportunities. No specific percentage savings claim was published on the product page.
Is the X8S better than ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced?
It depends on priorities. The X8S has a larger 5-inch screen, Matter, Apple Home confidence, and an included room sensor. ecobee publishes more detailed HVAC compatibility, includes a Power Extender Kit, and may be easier to trust for technical pre-purchase planning.