The Best Universal Remote Control Reviews 2021

A best universal remote control to replace them all? This is the promise of universal remotes. Discover our favorite models without further delay. The universal remote controls allow you to limit the number of accessories you have to juggle to enjoy your multimedia setup. They can usually control more than 15 devices simultaneously. Blu-ray player, soundbar, television screen, game console, and other accessories are now accessible with a single remote control, no need to multiply them. Plus, they’re a great replacement when you lose one or it stops working.

Very easy to use and complete, there is now a wide selection at all prices. After comparing twenty models, Les Very Goods have selected the best universal remote controls that will allow you to control all your audio and video devices at a glance. We are going to present some best universal remote control to you below.

Logitech Harmony Elite Remote Control, Hub, and App

The Logitech Harmony Elite also links to the Logitech hub to offer very extensive functionality. Programmable activities allow you to create an unlimited number of situations, to adapt to each step of your daily life. It adds to this recipe a touch screen and an integrated infrared emitter which makes it less dependent on the HUB and your smartphone.

 This high-end model of the Harmony series is the most advanced solution currently. It incorporates the extended compatibility and advanced connectivity of the Companion while adding additional options. Infrared, for example, no longer depends only on the hub but is also integrated into the remote control. A second relay is included in the box and dimmable backlighting is also provided.

To manage your activities, the brand has integrated a touch screen into the box, which eliminates any limit related to the number of buttons. This leaves many more possibilities to create your own routines, without limitation. It can also link to 15 devices which makes it a module capable of managing a large part of your connected home.

The ergonomics have been adapted to this addition: the buttons are moved to the lower part and the numeric keypad is transferred to the screen. The whole thing remains intuitive to use while being easy to learn. High-end requires, an integrated battery is also appearing, which is much more practical on a daily basis.

Home Theater Control

Harmony Elite is that the powerful, intuitive thanks to controlling your entertainment. But life doesn’t only happen in the front room. Harmony Elite goes beyond TV and films. Use it to regulate the music from the kitchen, adjust the lights from across town, and therefore the blinds consistent with the time of day. Compatible with Amazon’s Alexa for straightforward voice integration and activation.

Create Unique Home Experiences

Getting your lighting, locks, thermostat, and more to figure together for one-touch experiences like ‘welcome home’ or ‘good night’. Set room lighting to automatically dim once you start a movie. Activate multiple devices at slightly, create custom schedules, or trigger them with sensors.

With Alexa Voice Control

Using Amazon Alexa together with your Logitech Harmony Elite remote to start out and stop Harmony Activities, or to show on your television to your favorite channel. for instance, say “Alexa, activate the TV” to power on your Harmony Watch TV Activity, or “Alexa, activate Netflix” to start streaming content from almost any device.

Easy Switching

Instead of only controlling one device at a time, Harmony groups your devices into one-touch Activities. Touch ‘Watch a Movie’ or ‘Watch TV’ and therefore the right devices automatically power on and switch to the proper settings.

Color Touch Screen

Controlling your entertainment is as familiar as controlling your smartphone. Just swipe and tap to vary channels, fast-forward or rewind, and adjust the volume. Easily add one-touch access to your 50 favorite channels. And everybody within the house can control it all with the remote or their smartphone or tablet via the Harmony app.

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Logitech Harmony Companion All in One Remote Control for Smart Home and Works with Alexa

The Harmony Companion universal remote is a slightly more streamlined version. Like the first, it is compatible with more than 270,000 multimedia devices and can manage several devices such as TV decoders, disc players, or even game consoles. This way you can drastically reduce the number of remote controls needed to operate your installation. It also works in conjunction with the hub for easy and immediate management of all your devices. In addition to the traditional functionality of remote control, sound, or channel management among others, it can be combined with smart bulbs like Philips Hue, automatic locks, and even thermostats. It then becomes a real ultra-connected tablet that centralizes a lot of actions. With the Logitech Harmony app, you’ll be able to turn your phone into a remote again. A real plus, especially to manage everything even remotely.

Alexa Voice Control

Use Amazon Alexa together with your Logitech Harmony hub-based remote to start out and stop Harmony Activities, or to show on your television to your favorite channel. For instance, say ‘Alexa, activate the TV’ to power on your Harmony Watch TV Activity, or ‘Alexa, activate Netflix’ to start streaming content from your Roku device.

Turn Home Smartphones into Personal Remotes

The Harmony App lets anyone within the house turn their iOS or Android smartphone or tablet into a universal remote, complete with up to 50 one-touch Favorite channels and multi-device Activities.

Customize Home Experiences

Get your lighting, locks, thermostat, and more to figure together for one-touch experiences like ‘welcome to home’ or ‘good night’. Set room lighting to automatically dim once you start a movie. Activate multiple devices at slightly, create custom schedules, or trigger them with sensors.

Control from Indoor or Outdoor Home

Take control of your smart-home and entertainment devices directly from the remote or the Harmony smartphone, tablet app, or use it with Amazon’s Alexa for integrated voice controls. Smartphones, locks, thermostats, blinds, lights, and other products sold separately. Initial online or mobile setup required.

 

Control Entertainment Using Your Smartphone

Logitech Harmony Companion integrates connected lights, locks, blinds, thermostats, sensors, home entertainment devices, and much more all controllable from your Harmony remote or Harmony mobile app. Customized multi-device Activities make movie night more epic, date night cozier or hour happier.

Featured Remote

Touch an Activity button like “Watch TV” and every one the proper devices change to the proper settings. A streamlined button layout and full number pad make it a breeze to vary channels, adjust volume, fast-forward, and rewind. Plus, you’ll control individual or grouped devices, like lights or plugs, with dedicated home automation buttons.

 

 

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The Logitech Harmony 665 Advanced Remote Control

If you want to manage a typical home theater that includes, say, a TV, audio and video amplifier, digital recorder, and Blu-ray player, the Logitech Harmony 665 is a great choice. It can control up to ten devices, its backlit color display is easy to read, and the built-in Remote Assistant feature helps resolve issues efficiently. If the remote control fails to perform the requested task (such as turning up the volume on the TV), you can follow the suggestions in the Remote Assistant guide to quickly find a solution. However, the Harmony 665 can only control equipment operating by infrared.

Logitech Harmony 665 Advanced remote is simple to discovered, easy to use, and provides you better control of your home entertainment. The online setup makes it easy to program with no clumsy trial and error codes. Use Activity buttons to show on all the proper devices to the proper settings with only one button press.

Customize 23 programmable buttons to leap right to your favorite channels. And Harmony remote controls work with 270, 000 plus devices, including Apple TV and Roku, so you’ll have the control you would like today and tomorrow. Harmony 665 makes juggling multiple remote controls a thing of the past.

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SofaBaton Universal Remote Control with Mobile Phone APP

The Sofabaton mobile app turns smartphones into full-featured remote controls, super easy one-click to feature your devices from the real-time code library database, supports both Bluetooth & Infrared devices, just a scroll to modify different devices (up to fifteen devices). Everyone within the house can download the Sofabaton APP to show their iOS or Android device into personal universal remote, complete with their own set of one-touch macro buttons

World’s Most Compatible Remote

U1 universal remote conveniently can control up to fifteen devices in your house directly. It doesn’t matter although your remote is lost, the cloud code library can match your model. Uniquely this one remote replaces the remote for your TV, DVD, Blu-ray, TV box, and Streaming media players like Apple Tv, Roku.

Strong Updating Codes One Altogether

By U1’s ever-growing update database, it can surely work well together with your newest devices. Our remote support 350,000 plus devices from 6000 plus brands and therefore the code still updates as new devices begin. Enjoy whole house or single room control with U1 handheld remote for a clutter-free cocktail table.

OLED Display, Motion-Activated & Scroll Wheel Design

AN Advanced OLED screen directly displays the present devices. The motion-activated feature automatically adjusts the remote brightness and auto wake or sleep to save lots of energy. An ergonomic scroll wheel design can easily switch devices just with an easy scroll.

Simple Settings

It’s a really user-friendly app, you’ll directly download the mobile APP, and select the device model, and then it works. The operation is extremely simple, and therefore the setting is often successful in only a couple of minutes. There are three modes of operation, IR Mode, Traditional Learning Mode, and Bluetooth mode. Infrared learning mode is one of my most used ones.

The facility of the cloud code library, even without fear about my original remote being lost because I can extract the button database directly from the cloud. Compare with Logitech 650, it must hook up with the pc input with a USB port, and for U1, it’s easier.

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Inteset 4-in-1 Universal Backlit IR Learning Remote

The Inteset 4-in-1 universal IR remote is meant to figure directly with the foremost popular streaming devices. From the solid feel to the velvet coating on the rear, once you hold the INT-422 remote you recognize it’s a high-quality product. Its most of the features found only in high-end remotes but at a fraction of the value. Those features include volume and channel lock, macros, custom button labels, key punch-through, full backlighting, and an enormous built-in AV device database. If a tool isn’t found you’ll be able to quickly program those functions with the remote’s intuitive learning capability.

The 4 buttons at the highest of the remote are pre-programmed for Apple TV (A), Xbox One (B), Media Center (C), and Roku (D) excluding Roku Stick in order that you’ll use the remote immediately with these streaming devices. You’ll be able to easily assign any AV device like your TV or cable box to the unused device buttons or program over any of the pre-programming. Applying the included stickers above your programmed buttons helps users find the proper keys effortlessly. The Green, Red, Yellow, and Blue buttons function because of the standard Xbox color control buttons (A, B, X, Y). For Media Center, they invoke the TV, Movies, Pictures, and Video screens. For Roku, they invoke Amazon, Netflix, and other apps.

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GE Universal Remote Control for Samsung, Vizio, LG, Sony, Sharp, Roku, Apple TV, RCA, Panasonic, Smart TVs, Streaming Players, Blu-ray, DVD

The GE universal remote control can simultaneously work with 4 (four) different devices like a smart TV, Cable and Satellite receivers, Roku players, Blu-ray and DVD players, and other streaming media players apart from the Roku Streaming STICK and other streaming devices performing on radio frequencies.

This GE universal remote is compatible with the newest and every one major brand of audio and television equipment. It comes with an easy found out in your PC or laptop via the internet. It also comes with a master volume control and auto-scanning technology so you’ll control the quantity of the devices the remote is functioning with.

Multiple Device Remote Control

Operate up to 4 (four) different audio and video components like smart TVs, Blu-Ray, DVD players, satellite receivers, Roku boxes, and other streaming media players, soundbars, and more.

Easy Setup

This remote includes a simple to follow online setup video providing trouble-free setup, auto-scan technology, and a master volume control, allowing you to regulate the quantity regardless of what device is chosen.

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Philips Universal Remote Control

Home theater setup with the Philips 4-Device Universal Remote in your choice of gold, rose, blue, graphite, and black finishes. Designed to work three separate devices, including your TV, Blu-ray player, cable, satellite, and more, this universal remote allows you to consolidate your controllers into one ergonomic, handheld device. This universal remote comes pre-programmed for Samsung TVs and Roku boxes.

Easy Setup

This remote comes preprogrammed for Roku and Samsung TVs and includes a simple to follow online setup video providing trouble-free setup, auto-scan technology, and a master volume control, allowing you to regulate the quantity regardless of what device you’re operating.

Multiple Device Remote Control

Operate up to three different audio and video components like TVs, Blu-Ray, DVD players, cable receivers, Roku boxes, and other streaming media players, soundbars, and more.

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Sony RMVLZ620 Universal Remote Control

Sony RMVLZ620 can work with eight devices a bit like Logitech Harmony 650 and 350. Fixing the remote requires you to carry down two buttons at just one occasion before you type within the device code.

The Sony RMVLZ620 can work with all kinds of devices like TVs, DVD Players, AV Equipment, Blu-Ray Players, DVRs, and even your old VCR that’s collecting dust on the shelf somewhere. And, this universal remote has the power to program Hot Buttons too. So, you’ll tell it to show the TV on, the DVD on, attend the beginning menu, and await you. Plus, the RMVLZ620 features a Learning Mode for when it can’t control a tool like Soundbars, Fans, etc. the way you would like it to. Setting this feature up is straightforward therein all you’ve got to try to do is tell it to line then use the function on the first remote while facing it towards your new Sony remote. then, your custom function should be able to go.

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What to Look for When Buying a Universal Remote Control

To determine which models are the most interesting, we used the following criteria:

Finding a universal remote control is not particularly complicated in itself, but the main challenge is to find one that will be compatible with most, if not all of your devices while being pleasant to use on a daily basis.

Compatibility

What is the point of buying a universal remote control if it can only interact with a limited number of devices you have? Depending on what you want to do with it, make sure that the remote control of your choice can work with the targeted devices. In this sense, brands generally offer a dedicated site.

Connection Interface

Intrinsically linked to compatibility, it determines the way your remote control interacts with your devices. Infrared is the most common, less expensive, and more restrictive solution, but it tends to disappear with the advent of connected devices, which depend more on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Logitech also integrates management by a smartphone into using a dedicated application.

Ergonomics and Integrated Controls

The main purpose of a universal remote control is to bring together all the features of those supplied with your devices. It must therefore have as many integrated controls as possible. They need to be arranged intelligently for easy access. At the same time, the format must be worked on so that the order is light and pleasant to handle.

Automation

The majority of universal remotes you discover will merely allow you to modify between controlling different devices, but some solutions like Logitech’s Harmony lineup offer automation. Just hit one button to show on your TV and receiver, switch to the right input, and even dim the lights.

Programming

The more advanced models incorporate a notion of programming. This allows, at the push of a button, to activate a set of pre-recorded actions according to a defined situation. For example, you can set up a “Cinema” activity that dims the lights, turns on your home theater, and activates Netflix on your TV. Of course, the more you go upmarket, the more possibilities are extended.

Smart Support

Going beyond standard automation, some universal remotes are commencing to support virtual assistants like Google Home and Amazon Echo. If you would like to tune to your favorite game on ESPN or launch a game on your PlayStation with the command of your voice, make certain to seem for a foreign that supports smart home devices.

Power Supply

The choice is simple: The first solution generally offers a higher autonomy but can be less practical if you do not have a stock at home or do not use rechargeable batteries while the second is more interesting on a daily basis, but less enduring. Using these elements, we were able to halve our list of ten models. Then, reading numerous tests and user reviews allowed us to make our selection of the best universal remote controls on the market.

FAQ

What is Remote Control?

The remote control is a device, generally small in size, used to control another remotely, by cable, infrared, radio waves, or Bluetooth.

How to Install a Universal Remote Control?

Start by turning on the device you want to control with the universal remote control. Then, since you do not have a search code button, you will have to improvise. Press and hold at the same time the ignition button and the device button on your remote control.

What Is The Best Universal Remote Control?

If you’re looking for a universal remote to control a traditional audio and video set, the Logitech Harmony 665 (the new version of our old favorite, the Harmony 650) allows you to control up to 10 devices with the same ease of installation as our first choice.

How do I Find My Remote Control?

When lost, it can often be found on the couch. If you can’t find it in these places, it’s likely to be in less visible corners. So check under magazines, clothing, blankets, books, etc.

How do I Find the Right Remote Control?

To find your remote control, take the reference, and or the brand of the controlled device. Our search engine will offer you several devices, among which will certainly be yours. Then consult the list of spare parts offered to find your remote control.

How Does The Remote Control Communicate With the Television Set?

All it takes is the push of a button. Such a natural gesture-enabled by infrared. Thanks to the remote control, your TV set obeys your finger and your eye well especially your finger.

How Does Remote Controlled Infrared Work?

It emits infrared rays that travel through the air in the direction of the remote control points. To receive infrared signals, each remote control device has a receiver. This receiver is a photodiode, which is able to transform the light signal it receives into an electrical signal.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use best universal remote control that can control up to eight audio or video components as well as some connected home equipment, we recommend the Logitech Harmony Companion. Harmony remotes are the easiest to set up and their intelligent, Activity centric system makes it easy to control your entire home theater. To our knowledge, no other model provides such control, connectivity, and such extensive compatibility at this price.