Smart Thermostats / ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) vs Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U)
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) vs Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U)
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01)
Best sensors and deepest heat-pump staging here — and still no Matter in 2026.
Wins overall by 1.3 points
Quick Verdict
A 1.3-point gap makes the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) the straightforward choice here. Best sensors and deepest heat-pump staging here — and still no Matter in 2026.
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) and Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) are both closely matched smart Thermostat models, and the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) is $40 cheaper than the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) ($219.99 vs $259.99). On C-Wire Freedom, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) leads (9.5 vs 4.5/10) — how likely this thermostat is to run on the wiring you already have — whether it needs a common wire, and whether the workaround is in the box, sold separately, or an electrician's visit. The single biggest cause of returns in this category.. On Installation, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) leads (8.5 vs 6.0/10) — wiring complexity, guided setup, and how likely a DIY install is to end in a service call. On HVAC Coverage, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) leads (9.5 vs 8.0/10) — stages of heating and cooling, heat pump and auxiliary heat handling, and humidifier / dehumidifier / ventilator terminals. Overall, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores 8.6/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.3/10 for the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) | Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $259.99 | $219.99 |
| Release Year | 2022 | 2025 |
| System Voltage | Low voltage 24VAC — furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, boilers, PTAC and fan coil units. Not for 120/240V line-voltage heat | Low voltage 24V. Home Depot's listing states plainly that it does not work with 120-240V electric baseboard heat |
| C-Wire Required | Not in practice. ecobee ships the Power Extender Kit in the box, which synthesises a common wire from R, W, Y and G at the furnace. Direct wiring uses C and Rc if you do have five wires | Yes — Resideo states the X8S needs a constant 24V supply through a common wire |
| Adapter / Power Kit Included | Yes — Power Extender Kit included. The same kit is a $24.99 extra on the Essential | Not in the box, but Home Depot's listing says the package contains a voucher for a free mail-in Honeywell Home C-Wire Adapter |
| Heating & Cooling Stages | 2H/2C conventional; boilers, PTAC and fan coil units with up to 3 fan speeds | Sources conflict: Resideo's own product page says up to 4 Heat/2 Cool on heat pumps or 3 Heat/4 Cool conventional, while Home Depot's listing for the same product says up to 3 Heat/2 Cool heat pump or 2 Heat/2 Cool conventional |
| Heat Pump & Aux Heat | Yes — heat pump 2H/2C plus 2 stages of auxiliary heat, the deepest heat-pump staging in this set | Yes, heat pump with electric backup |
| Humidifier / Ventilator Terminals | One 1-wire or one 2-wire accessory on the ACC+/ACC− terminals: humidifier, dehumidifier or HRV/ERV ventilator | Resideo advertises 'advanced indoor air quality control' but notes additional HVAC equipment may be required, and publishes no plain humidifier/dehumidifier/ventilator terminal list |
| Remote Sensors | One SmartSensor in the box; up to 32 pair, over a 915MHz radio at up to 60 ft. Extra sensors are $99.99 for a 2-pack | One wireless room sensor is included with the X8VMC9W and X8VWF10B SKUs only — not with this one. Up to 20 sensors per home, 200ft range, $44.99 each |
| Occupancy Detection | Radar occupancy and proximity in the thermostat, and every SmartSensor also detects occupancy over a 140° x 100° field to about 20 ft | Yes — onboard radar in the thermostat plus occupancy and presence detection in the room sensors |
| Matter Support | Not shipping on this model. ecobee's own spec page lists HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings and IFTTT and never mentions Matter; third-party write-ups describe a phased rollout, so treat Matter as unconfirmed here | Matter certified, but shallow. Matter Alpha's review found the air quality readings the thermostat measures are not exposed over Matter at all, and scheduling still has to happen on the thermostat or in the First Alert app |
| Voice & Smart Home Platforms | Apple HomeKit with Siri, Alexa built in (speaker and microphone), Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, IFTTT | First Alert app by Resideo (required — you cannot generate the Matter pairing code without it), Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Home via Matter |
| Utility Rebates & Demand Response | eco+ Community Energy Savings with 150+ North American utilities. ecobee states events move your temperature 1-4°F for no more than a few hours, a handful of times a year, and you can opt out of any event from the app; some programs pay an enrolment rebate up to $125 | ENERGY STAR certified and rebate-eligible; Resideo pitches enrolment in utility energy-management programs |
| Account or Subscription Needed | No subscription for eco+, energy reports, remote sensors or scheduling. ecobee Smart Security — the intrusion-monitoring layer on the same hardware — is the paid tier | No subscription for thermostat features. A First Alert account is required, and Resideo ships several different apps which reviewers found confusing |
| Warranty | 36 months | 24 months |
| Colors | Black | Black, White |
Category Scores
C-Wire Freedom
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 4.5 — a 5.0-point margin on how likely this thermostat is to run on the wiring you already have — whether it needs a common wire, and whether the workaround is in the box, sold separately, or an electrician's visit. The single biggest cause of returns in this category.. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) does not close the gap elsewhere.
HVAC Coverage
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 8.0 — a 1.5-point margin on stages of heating and cooling, heat pump and auxiliary heat handling, and humidifier / dehumidifier / ventilator terminals. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Multi-Room Sensing
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 9.0 — a 0.5-point margin on remote sensors: included or extra, how many pair, and whether they read occupancy or only temperature. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Smart Home Integration
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 6.5 — a 1.0-point margin on matter, Apple Home, Alexa and Google support — and how much each one actually exposes. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Scheduling & Learning
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 7.5 — a 1.0-point margin on learning, geofencing, away detection and how much of it works without babysitting the app. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Display & On-Device Control
The Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 9.0 — a 0.5-point margin on screen quality and how much you can do at the wall instead of in the phone app. If that is what you are buying for, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Installation
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 6.0 — a 2.5-point margin on wiring complexity, guided setup, and how likely a DIY install is to end in a service call. If that is what you are buying for, the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.5 — a 0.5-point margin on what the money buys once accessories, adapters and sensors are added in. If that is what you are buying for, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) if…
- • C-Wire Freedom matters most to you — the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores 9.5/10 here (how likely this thermostat is to run on the wiring you already have — whether it needs a common wire, and whether the workaround is in the box, sold separately, or an electrician's visit. The single biggest cause of returns in this category.).
- • Installation matters most to you — the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores 8.5/10 here (wiring complexity, guided setup, and how likely a DIY install is to end in a service call).
- • HVAC Coverage matters most to you — the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores 9.5/10 here (stages of heating and cooling, heat pump and auxiliary heat handling, and humidifier / dehumidifier / ventilator terminals).
- • Smart Home Integration matters most to you — the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores 7.5/10 here (matter, Apple Home, Alexa and Google support — and how much each one actually exposes).
- • Scheduling & Learning matters most to you — the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores 8.5/10 here (learning, geofencing, away detection and how much of it works without babysitting the app).
Choose the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) if…
- • You want to spend less — it's $40 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is matter.
Pros & Cons
ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01)
Pros
- +The Power Extender Kit is in the box, so the C-wire problem is solved at purchase rather than at $25 extra or a $200 electrician call
- +Heat pump 2H/2C plus two auxiliary stages beats every other thermostat here on staging depth
- +SmartSensors detect occupancy as well as temperature — Google's, Honeywell's cheaper models' and Sensi's sensors mostly do not
- +Built-in speaker and mic make it a working Alexa device, and it doubles as an ecobee Smart Security hub
- +3-year warranty, a year longer than Google and Resideo
Cons
- −No Matter. ecobee's own spec sheet lists HomeKit, Alexa, Google, SmartThings and IFTTT and nothing else, which is a strange gap on a $260 flagship in 2026
- −$259.99 is the second-highest price here and it went up — ecobee has quietly raised list prices across the range
- −The air-quality monitor produces a score and advice, not a calibrated PM2.5 or VOC reading you can act on
- −Alexa built in means an always-listening mic on your hallway wall, with no hardware mute switch of the kind Echo speakers have
- −Only one accessory circuit — a humidifier and an ERV cannot both be wired at once
Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U)
Pros
- +Up to 20 room sensors at 200ft range — more sensor coverage than any other thermostat in this comparison bar the ecobees
- +5in colour touchscreen with a customisable idle screen, and it can display a Ring or First Alert doorbell feed
- +Radar occupancy in the thermostat plus presence detection in each sensor, at $40 under the ecobee Premium
- +The C-Wire Adapter is free — by mail-in voucher — where Amazon, Copeland and ecobee's Essential all charge for theirs
Cons
- −Matter support is thin: air quality data is not exposed over Matter at all and you still cannot schedule through it
- −You must install the First Alert app just to generate the Matter code, which defeats much of the point of Matter
- −Resideo's own page and Home Depot's listing give different stage counts for the same thermostat — verify against your system before buying
- −The free C-wire adapter is a mail-in voucher, not a part in the box, so a C-wire-less install stalls until it arrives
- −Reviewers hit setup failures at launch and found the doorbell integration buried and limited to Ring and First Alert VX1
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) or Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for C-Wire Freedom, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) or the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U)?+
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores higher on C-Wire Freedom (9.5/10 vs 4.5/10) — how likely this thermostat is to run on the wiring you already have — whether it needs a common wire, and whether the workaround is in the box, sold separately, or an electrician's visit. The single biggest cause of returns in this category..
Which is better for Installation, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) or the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U)?+
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores higher on Installation (8.5/10 vs 6.0/10) — wiring complexity, guided setup, and how likely a DIY install is to end in a service call.
Which is better for HVAC Coverage, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) or the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U)?+
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores higher on HVAC Coverage (9.5/10 vs 8.0/10) — stages of heating and cooling, heat pump and auxiliary heat handling, and humidifier / dehumidifier / ventilator terminals.
Which is better for Smart Home Integration, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) or the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U)?+
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) scores higher on Smart Home Integration (7.5/10 vs 6.5/10) — matter, Apple Home, Alexa and Google support — and how much each one actually exposes.
Is the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) worth the price difference over the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U)?+
The Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) is the cheaper option at $219.99 versus $259.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in C-Wire Freedom.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) is the better fit if you mainly care about no-c-wire. The Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) is the better fit for matter.
What's the warranty on the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) vs the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U)?+
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium (EB-STATE6-01) ships with a 36-month warranty; the Honeywell Home X8S (X8VMC8B/U) ships with a 24-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Sensi Touch 2 (ST76) — $189.00
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.