One household can have a ton of remotes to keep up with, so it’s really no wonder people opt to replace all of their clickers with one universal remote.
A universal remote allows you to consolidate the controls for your separate streaming devices, game consoles, and media players in your entertainment center into one unit. Some universal remotes can even control smart home devices like lights or thermostats.
Universal remote controls make your home more convenient and less cluttered, but which one is best for you? Here is a look at the different types of universal remotes to help you decide.
What Is a Universal Remote?
A universal remote is one remote that controls more than one device. But there are two kinds of universal remotes available:
- Multibrand: they come preprogramed with the unique codes for different devices
- Learning: they sync to a device’s original remote and will “learn” all of its functions
Whichever kind you choose, a universal remote will certainly streamline your life and make your devices more accessible.
Why a Universal Remote Makes Sense
In just one average home entertainment center, you could have separate remotes for your:
- Speakers or sound bar
- DVD player
- Blu-ray player
- Television
- Streaming devices
- Video game consoles
- Cable box
- Satellite receiver
But with a modern universal remote you can control all of those devices as well as several smart home elements including:
- Programmable light bulbs
- Smart thermostats
- Security cameras
The Different Types of Universal Remote Controls
The Standard Universal Remote
Best for: General use with home theater and streaming devices
These remotes tend to have the ability to operate anywhere between four and eight devices, such as:
- Televisions
- Cable boxes
- Blu-ray players
- Streaming devices
The Philips Universal Remote Control is perhaps one of the most popular and inexpensive universal remotes you can buy. This remote is so popular because it’s:
- Simple to program
- Easy to use
- Straightforward in its design
The Simplified Universal Remote Control
Best for: Elderly or visually impaired individuals
Universal remote controls don’t have to be complicated in their design and contain a lot of buttons. In fact, for some it works out better if they have a remote with fewer buttons to figure out.
A great option for a senior citizens or visually impaired individual is the Flipper Big Button Universal TV Remote. The layout is simplistic, the large buttons are easy to read and feel, and non-essential buttons hide behind a panel that easily flips open when needed.
The Remote-less Universal Remote
Best for: Convenience-seekers and people who often lose their remotes
If you are like most, you are more likely to be fishing in the sofa for a remote control than a lost phone. The logic behind devices like the Logitech Harmony Hub is pretty ingenious because most of us always have our smartphones within reach.
The Harmony Hub isn’t actually a remote. Instead, it transforms your phone into a remote to use with your entertainment devices.
Setting up the Harmony Hub only takes three easy steps:
- Plug in the hub
- Connect your devices to the hub
- Access the controls via the app on your phone
By the way, if you have a hard time keeping track of your devices (like phones), smart tracker tech is an awesome investment.
The Universal Remote With Smart Home Integration
Best for: Smart-gadget owners
Smart home automation devices have grown increasingly popular. So, if you have a few smart home devices that you would like to control with the same remote you use for your home entertainment devices, look for a remote that works with smart home devices, too.
The Logitech Harmony Elite remote is a good choice if you don’t mind a more substantial investment. This particular universal remote claims to work with over 270,000 smart home and entertainment devices. So, you can flip the channels on your TV, adjust your thermostat, and dim your smart lights all from one handheld control center.
The remote also has an onboard touchscreen, works with Alexa Voice controls, and allows you to combine up to 15 remotes into one.
The Universal Remote for Game Consoles
Best for: Gamers
Some universal remotes are designed to function with certain game consoles, which can be especially convenient if you use your console for more than gaming.
The INT422 Universal Backlit IR Learning Remote is designed to work with four devices at one time, including Xbox One and Xbox Series X. As a major plus, the remote also works with:
- Roku
- Apple TV
- FireTV
This particular remote even has intuitive “learning” features, which makes it easy for the remote to map functionality according to the device.
Simplify Life With the Right Universal Remote
The fact is, universal remote controls make entertainment and home automation simpler to handle. You could go all out with a high-end remote that controls almost anything with a few (or a plethora of) buttons, connects to your phone, and has voice-recognition technology.
Then again, many people are satisfied with a basic all-in-one universal remote that controls just a handful of devices. Either way, you’ll be able to consolidate your controls and declutter your coffee table with these great universal remote options.
