A universal remote in 2022 automate several tasks—such as turning on your TV and soundbar and changing to the correct settings—all with a single button press, so you don’t have to pick up three or four remotes just to Netflix and chill.
Having a streaming stick (or two), a cable box, a soundbar, a TV, and maybe even a stereo receiver helps to have one of the best universal remotes in 2022 to control everything from one device.
With home theater techniques riding a wave of tremendous consumer interest, new technology for digital cable, DVR, HDTV, DVDs, and CDs increase at high speeds. Moreover, these new gadgets come with new devices to utilize them — adding up to three, four, five, even six or more remote management on your coffee table.
These remotes contain a host of operations –programming your cable box to document your favorite shows, putting up movie subtitles, and handling CD volume. The opportunities are seemingly endless, but so is the potential to misplace a remote or become dominated by all programming options.
A universal remote arrives in handy — it permits you to consolidate multiple remotes into one. Universal remotes come in a broad spectrum of varieties — some have lots of buttons and some only a few. However, they’re usually more significant than your standard manufacturer’s remote, so they’re not so easily lost between the couch cushions.
Many universal remotes come with glow-in-the-dark features like luminescent buttons or a backlit screen that permits you to employ the remote even when the lights are turned low. In addition, some high-end models come with an LCD screen for displaying information, and this component often includes touch-screen buttons.
Unlike most standard remotes, many universal remotes come with a battery backup feature such as flash memory that permits you to save your programmed commands between battery changes. Charging cradles are another alternative for ensuring that you don’t lose programmed memory.
Best Universal Remote in 2022
Logitech Harmony 665
The best universal remote for those on a budget, the Logitech Harmony 665 has a small display (which is not a touchscreen) with buttons arrayed around it, letting you quickly access activities, favourite channels and more. On-screen help makes it relatively easy to troubleshoot any issues. The Harmony 665 can be paired with up to 10 devices. You can program up to 23 of your favourite channels on the remote, too. However, the Harmony 665 works via infrared (IR) only, so you can’t hide any of your entertainment center’s components, and the remote can’t be used to control smart-home devices. But those may not be important if all you’re looking for is an inexpensive universal remote that feels great to use.
| Pros | Cons |
| Inexpensive, Comfortable, Controls up to 10 devices | Somewhat involved setup, Non-rechargeable battery |
Logitech Harmony Elite
Logitech’s top-end remote, the aptly named Harmony Elite, can control up to 15 devices at once. In addition to physical buttons, it has a colour touch screen to select a favourite channel quickly. You can also create custom buttons, such as Watch a Movie, to automatically turn all your devices to the correct settings. The Harmony Elite works in conjunction with the Harmony Hub (included), enabling you to hide electronics in a cabinet. It also works with several smart-home devices, including Philips Hue lights and the Ecobee smart thermostat. In addition, it can be connected with Amazon Alexa so that you can issue Harmony Elite commands using nothing but your voice. It’s one of the best Google Home compatible devices, too.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy setup, Intuitive interface, Dedicated smart home buttons, Works with a vast number of devices | Heavier than the previous version, Expensive |
Logitech Harmony Companion
Similar to the Harmony Elite, the Harmony Companion can also control smart-home devices in addition to your entertainment center. The most significant difference between the Harmony Companion and the Elite is that the Companion lacks a screen of any kind, so you’ll have to designate physical buttons to enable Watch TV mode, for instance. However, the Harmony Companion comes with the Harmony Hub, so you can hide all your AV components and let you use Alexa and Google Assistant to control your TV and more. We also like that it has a physical number pad—something the Harmony Elite lacks—so it’s easier to jump to specific channels on your cable box.
| Pros | Cons |
| Inexpensive, Controls smart home devices | Lacks touchscreen |
Caavo Control Center
While the Caavo Control Center can only control four devices at once, it separates itself from Harmony’s remotes in that it offers a unified interface, through which you can search through content on any connected device, as well as several streaming services. It even works with Sonos, meaning that you can see what’s playing, pause, skip and view your Sonos playlists right from your TV. You can also connect streaming services directly to the Caavo, obviating the need for separate streaming devices. Here’s a list of all the streaming apps Cavvo supports. In addition, the Caavo remote has built-in voice search and a unique section of lists of shows and movies curated by others—That’s something Harmony doesn’t have. To get all this, though, you’ll need to sign up for a Caavo subscription, but you can contact the Contro Center and a lifetime subscription for $160. Caavo also has a Watch With Friends app, which lets you sync Netflix on Roku, Apple TV and Chrome browsers, so you and your friends can watch shows simultaneously—and you don’t need a Caavo Control Center to use this feature.
| Pros | Cons |
| Accurate voice search, Works with a variety of devices, Aggregates content from all your devices into one interface | Can only connect four devices at once, Requires subscription |
Function101 Button Remote for Apple TV
It prizes form over functionality, which with its minimalist design, is a real pain. The Function101 remote may not look as sleek as the Apple TV remote, but it’s a heckuva lot easier to use. And, its larger size makes it more comfortable to hold. However, the Function101 remote does not have a Siri button, so you can’t use Apple’s voice assistant to look up shows or enter passwords. But, at $39, it’s a worthwhile tradeoff — until Apple designs something better.
| Pros | Cons |
| Inexpensive, Easy to use | No Siri button, Buttons not backlit |
Conclusion
Some universal remotes in 2022 even have smart home controls and voice search, so you can look for shows, movies, and more across multiple streaming services more efficiently.