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Honeywell Home CT87N1001 Review

This analog thermostat offers users very little besides a minimalistic dial interface design
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Honeywell Home CT87N1001 Review
Credit: Honeywell
Price:  $75 List
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Manufacturer:   Honeywell
By Nick Miley and Matt Spencer  ⋅  Aug 11, 2022
45
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Ease of Use - 40% 4.0
  • Install & Support - 30% 7.0
  • Remote Access - 20% 0.0
  • Accuracy - 10% 8.0

Our Verdict

It is our opinion that there are several better models than the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 available that offer far greater functionality at a sounder price point. However, if you like simplicity and analog dials as opposed to digital interfaces and complex smart appliances, this very well could be the unit for you. The thermostat's internal thermometer is accurate, and there is no guesswork in the setup or the operation of the device. But before you make any purchase decisions, we recommend looking at other models in our thermostat review.
REASONS TO BUY
Simple design
Easy to operate
REASONS TO AVOID
No smart feature
Poor visibility in the dark

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Honeywell Home CT87N1001 is a basic thermostat that lacks any setting, programming, or scheduling. Heck, it even lacks a backlight to see at night. Still, in a world filled with passwords, WiFi connectivity, and digital interfaces, we must acknowledge that some people might want a basic device such as the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 to control their HVAC system.

Performance Comparison


honeywell home ct87n1001 - if you want a thermostat that will take you back to the good ol'...
If you want a thermostat that will take you back to the good ol' days when things were easier to understand, the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 is device you seek.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use


This metric looks at set-up, programming, clarity of the device's interface, and a smattering of other details that will affect your overall satisfaction with the purchase, should you make it. While the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 is easy to use, it lacks many of the features of its more technically endowed peers and thus suffered mightily in this evaluation. However, it is worth noting that this device is perfect for those who don't consider themselves particularly tech-savvy.

Setting up the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 is easy — simply plug in wires and attach the unit to the wall. That's about it with this device, as it lacks a screen or any buttons to speak of. It also lacks scheduling, time and date, or any other advanced setting.

honeywell home ct87n1001 - setting up this device is about as easy as it gets -- just hook up...
Setting up this device is about as easy as it gets -- just hook up the wires and stick it to the wall. That's it.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

While the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 is a barebones device, its dial display is easy to read in the light. However, it becomes difficult to see the numbers on the dial at a distance. Moreover, the device lacks an onboard light to aid you when accessing it at night.

honeywell home ct87n1001 - though clear close-up, the exact setting of the thermostat is more...
Though clear close-up, the exact setting of the thermostat is more difficult to read from across the room.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Install & Support


After the ease of use metric, installation and customer support are the next most critical items affecting one's like or dislike of this model. While the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 didn't shoot the moon in this evaluation, it did pretty well, considering it is competing with smart devices with digital interfaces.

To assess the quality of a manufacturer's customer support, we email the company with a back help question and record the time it takes to get a response and the quality of the response. Unfortunately, Honeywell took seven days and a follow-up to get a response. However, once we got the response, it was informative and satisfied our needs. To be frank, the email was unneeded as the supplied instructions are detailed, and the device is simple to install. There is one caveat, however — the process requires a small screwdriver. Lastly, the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 lacks WiFi connectivity; thus, there is no WiFi set-up and no app to download. Therefore, those assessments in our ease install and support evaluation are not applicable.

honeywell home ct87n1001 - the installation of this device is easy enough. however, honeywell...
The installation of this device is easy enough. However, Honeywell has decent support and documentation if you get stuck.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Remote Access


As many of the devices in our review are considered smart appliances, we test the remote access provided by their apps. However, the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 lacks this kind of sophistication and thus, lacks remote access.

Accuracy


The accuracy evaluation assesses the thermostat's internal thermometer. We use a lab-grade thermometer as our control and then run the thermostat through various settings and compare the setting with what control registers. Happily, the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 is accurate to within a degree of the control at all settings.

honeywell home ct87n1001 - the honeywell home is about as bare-bones as a thermostat can get.
The Honeywell Home is about as bare-bones as a thermostat can get.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Value


We look at value as a comparison of the cost of an item in relation to its performance and how that comparison lines up with the other models in the class. By this standard, the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 is not a very good value. There are a number of other devices that perform better for a lower cost.

Conclusion


This review of the Honeywell Home CT87N1001 thermostat takes a careful look at the details of the device that will be of interest to a potential consumer. Specifically, we look at the ease of use, installation and customer support, temperature accuracy, and remote access gained through an app. The Honeywell Home CT87N1001 did not fare well in our analysis. The unit is completely analog — which some folks might want — yet the lack of digital features does not significantly lower the cost. All told, one can do better looking at other models in our thermostat review.

Nick Miley and Matt Spencer