Let me start by saying I was skeptical about a 'renewed' smart thermostat, but this Honeywell RENEWRTH8800WF/U completely won me over. The unit arrived looking brand new—no scratches, no signs of previous use—with all the original hardware and clear instructions.

The installation was shockingly easy. Within 15 minutes, I had it mounted and connected to my HVAC system. What really impressed me was the auto-changeover feature. I set heat at 68°F and cool at 73°F, and it flawlessly switches between modes without me lifting a finger—no more waking up sweaty because someone forgot to switch from heat to AC!

Coming from a Nest (which died on me twice!), the geofencing on this Honeywell actually works. It detects when my phone leaves the neighborhood and adjusts accordingly. No more 'games' with temperature like Nest used to play where it would randomly override my settings.

The energy savings are real too. After two billing cycles, I'm seeing about 12% reduction in my HVAC costs. The monthly energy reports are surprisingly detailed—turns out we were overcooling our bedroom at night unnecessarily.

Pro tip: Make sure your C-wire is properly connected! I initially had issues until I realized my old thermostat's wiring needed adjustment. Once fixed, this unit outperformed my $300 Nest in every way.

The only hiccup? One unit had WiFi connectivity issues initially, but Honeywell's replacement process was painless. Now both thermostats in our home work perfectly, synced through the app where I can override kids' temperature meddling (we all know that struggle!).

For half the price of new premium models, this renewed Honeywell delivers everything: reliability, actual working smart features, and tangible savings. It's rare that a product exceeds expectations this dramatically.