The 4 Best Universal Remotes of 2024 (2024)

Best Overall Universal Remote

SofaBaton U2

SPECIFICATIONS

The Sofabaton U2 is an exceptional device. Featuring extensive compatibility and advanced features like programmable buttons, macro functions, and full customization of buttons, it is easily the best universal remote on the market. It also offers users full control of 15 simultaneously paired devices. The remote's ergonomic design makes it comfortable to hold and navigate, while its intuitive layout allows for effortless control of multiple devices. Whether it's your TV, cable box, soundbar, or streaming device, the Sofabaton U2 has you covered.

Our testers found the remote's programming process — which requires the use of a phone app — to be more cumbersome than other, more basic remotes. The Sofabaton U2 has no backlit buttons, but it does have an LCD screen to enhance some usability in low-light environments. Otherwise, this model delivers exceptional performance and convenience, making it a worthwhile investment for any tech-savvy household and a top-notch solution for consolidating all your remote controls into one. For easier setup, take a look at the reasonably priced Philips SRP2024A/27.

Best Bang for Your Buck

GE UltraPro 33709

SPECIFICATIONS

The GE UltraPro 33709 is a basic, affordable remote that is easy to program and use. This model can manage up to four devices and has a simple, easy-to-navigate user interface. The UltraPro is the obvious alternative to the remotes that are designed to accommodate tens of devices, with customized combinations that take considerable time and patience to program. This unit is among one of the most straightforward devices to set up available today, and it works well with satellite and cable boxes, too.

The UltraPro is easy to set up, but this ease is largely the result of limitations. For instance, the remote does not have programmable macro keys capable of performing multiple functions — this includes buttons like “Watch Movie” which, on other devices, will turn on a DVD player, change the input, and change the TV to the appropriate channel. In the same vein, it also does not include a programmable favorite channel button. Customization complaints aside, most users with basic home entertainment systems will find this remote more than enough to manage their devices. They also won't waste the better part of a day laboring to program the unit. If you want programmable buttons and macro functions, check out the Sofabaton U2.

Best RF Remote for Roku and Fire TV Users

Philips SRP2024A/27

SPECIFICATIONS

The Philips SRP2024A/27 is designed to address the problem posed by the radio frequency (RF) streaming devices such as the Roku and Fire Sticks that are increasing in popularity. Few “universal” remotes are compatible with these devices, so it's nice to see that one can forgo the expensive hub systems by simply storing the stick on the back of the remote. Other convenient features include a channel back button, a DVD open and close button, and a volume control on the side of the remote that's always accessible no matter what side of the remote you are using.

The Philips SRP2024A/27 is a good — and economical — option for both RF and IR devices, but this device does not program complicated actions into a single button. Additionally, this remote can only manage four devices at a given time. On the other hand, this limitation makes programming straightforward, particularly when using device code direct entry. The ease of operation goes a long way to offset the frustration of not having backlit buttons or included batteries. If you plan on pairing multiple devices, the Sofabaton U2 is the best remote for the job.

Best For Quiet Nights

GE Color Select

SPECIFICATIONS

The GE Color Select is a fantastic option for those seeking a remote for use in the bedroom at night, or during the day when “nap trapped” by a child. The large buttons don't make an audible click, so it won't wake any of your sleeping companions. It also stands out for its unique feature of customizable backlighting, allowing users to choose from a handful of colors to suit their preferences and mood, which makes it easy to navigate and control up to four devices, even in dimly lit rooms. This universal remote is compatible with a vast range of devices, including TVs, cable boxes, DVD players, and soundbars, and the setup process is relatively straightforward with direct code entry. A master volume control also means you can control device volume without navigating different devices.

The drawback with the simplicity and ease of setup is a lack of programmable functions or advanced features. Also, this remote can only control four devices, which might be standard among our test group but far from the most universal remote control we tested. But given its simplicity and functionality, the GE Color Select is particularly useful for its stealthy operation, especially if nighttime use is your norm. If you want optimal capabilities, you might prefer a model like the Sofabaton U2, which is less limiting.

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How We Test Universal Remotes

We researched and independently purchased the most promising universal remotes available today before testing and evaluating them in practical and repeatable scenarios. Our analysis consisted of cataloging the features of each remote, including the type, size, action, illumination, and layout of the buttons. More importantly, we set up all of the remotes to control a TV, DVD player, soundbar, and streaming device, paying close attention to the ease of programming and effectiveness in controlling multiple devices. Our team's research, testing, and documentation process has been fine-tuned to assure the delivery of accurate, easy-to-understand comparisons of the best products on the market.

Our testing is divided into the following three performance metrics:

• Capabilities (40% of overall score weighting)

• Ease of Operation (35% weighting)

• Setup (25% weighting)

Why You Should Trust Us

For this review, we brought in home entertainment and media enthusiast Ben Hickok. He frequently uses multiple media devices at a time, which, without a universal option, requires juggling multiple remotes across different signal inputs. His experience and expertise as a content creator and IT professional lend to his close examination of the nuanced differences in design and function of these remotes.

Analysis and Test Results

Our assessment of universal remotes consisted of three main test metrics: the setup process, the capabilities of each remote, and the ease of operation for general use. These metrics collectively cover key aspects of performance that contribute to overall user satisfaction. Below, we highlight the best models in each of our testing metrics.

Value

Although it isn't a standalone metric, the price-to-performance ratio is important in any purchase decision. For our purposes, we consider value as what you get relative to what you pay. While the award-winning SofaBaton U2 provides unparalleled performance across the board, it is complicated to set up and costs many times more than the other remotes we tested. If you don't need the best of the best, then our choice is the ultra-valuable GE UltraPro. This remote performed nearly as well as the top-tier models for a fraction of the cost.

Capabilities

Our capabilities' tests covered a broad range of features that are available on the various remotes in our test lineup. Specifically, we looked at what kind and how many devices each remote can control. We evaluated control methods like radio frequency (RF), infrared, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. We also considered the types of compatible devices like DVD players, TVs, cable and satellite boxes, and streaming devices. We also tested if a remote automatically assumes specific controls — will it control master volume, channel, and input selection? Or is it even more sophisticated, including programmable or macro keys to synchronize multiple functions into a single button?

This metric used a standard TV, DVD player, soundbar, and streaming device setup to test the capability of these remotes. We ran function tests to confirm that all the buttons work as advertised, including master volume controls that require the remote to automatically switch between devices. Additionally, we tested multi-function buttons, such as "Watch Movie", that coordinate multiple devices simultaneously.

The Sofabaton U2 proved to be the most capable and intelligent of the universal remotes we tested. It is certainly the most versatile, largely due to the app that allows you to customize almost every button on the remote and create macro functions to intelligently control a wide range of features and sequences.

With programmable macro keys, you can perform commands across multiple devices by pressing a single button. This feature on the Sofabaton U2 lets you streamline tasks such as powering on your TV, activating your Blu-ray player, and opening the disc tray, all with a single button. Furthermore, you have the flexibility to personalize the timing of each action, including the start time and pause duration. You can even initiate the TV power first and subsequently switch on the cable or satellite box after a 5-second delay, or create other similarly complicated sequences.

Beyond a dizzying level of customization, the Sofabaton U2 can support up to 15 devices simultaneously, and we had no issues pairing it with our test devices. This model will easily exceed most people's needs in a universal remote and give the more advanced users next-level control over their home entertainment systems.

Despite the name, universal remotes generally do not work with Roku, Fire TV stick, or other RF streaming devices. The Philips SRP2024A/27 addresses the problem posed by increasingly common radio frequency (RF) streaming devices by docking that extra remote to its back. It's important to note that RF technology isn't an inherent feature of the standalone Philips remote. But technically, the design solution consolidates multiple remotes into a single unit while also managing other devices like a soundbar and TV set. This met our base requirements and controlled the other devices used in our tests without issues. While some may disagree, from our humble perspective, this model absolutely qualifies as a universal remote.

Our four-device test setup — a TV, DVD player, soundbar, and streaming device — validated the capabilities of each of these models. In addition to the basic features common on all other remotes, the GE Color Select eked out a slightly stronger capability score because it also offers a color selector that toggles the backlight color of buttons through five options: blue, red, green, yellow, and white.

Coming in behind the rest of the products in our lineup, the RCA RCR313BR was the only model we tested that would not work with our soundbar. While this simple remote will work for simple setups, you'll need to look to other models if you want to control the master volume across multiple devices from a single remote.

Ease of Operation

Ease of operation evaluates the normal use of these remotes after they have been properly set up. This metric mainly considers the remote's navigation — particularly important for devices with complex functions — as well as the button layout, size, lettering, and backlighting. We recognize that some units are more complicated and thus require more time and skill to learn, program, and navigate. For remotes with more advanced capabilities, we also judged how easily you can customize those functions.

The Sofabaton U2 excelled in our ease of use metric. Not only does it have a practical layout and good button sizes, but with programmable and macro keys, it both simplifies and speeds up any complicated tasks. While tech-savvy users may love using a phone app to create complex button tasks, the layperson is unlikely to take advantage of the advanced programming features and customizability of this remote. It includes a small scrolling wheel and an OLED display to keep track of paired devices. The OLED display is also motion-sensitive, which is helpful for finding the remote in the dark, but we wish this otherwise excellent remote included backlit buttons.

Some people prefer to watch TV in bed, where a bright light may disturb a partner who falls asleep a little earlier. Or perhaps the dim lighting of a home theater or dark living room means finding a remote can be challenging. For those situations, backlit buttons on remotes add significantly to a model's ease of use.

You can choose the backlight color on the GE Color Select, although we found some color options to be a little less vibrant than others and the white to be rather greenish. However, these backlighting options coupled with large, soft buttons with no clicking sounds mean you can use this remote discreetly.

The GE Pro 40081 is nearly identical to the GE Color Select, offering an almost entirely identical button layout with the same soft button texture, functions, and ergonomic housing. The only difference is that the backlit button color is fixed to white. The GE UltraPro and the Philips SRP9141A/27 and SRP4229B/27 also all feature large buttons, intuitive layouts, and master volume controls that make each remote easy to use.

While the aforementioned models did well when it came to button size and layout, we did find the button layout of the Philips SRP2024A/27 to be less intuitive. However, its unique layout is the consequence of also being able to control an attached Roku or Fire TV remote.

Without being able to make the RCA RCR313BR work with our soundbar and its limitation to only three devices, this remote may seem less user-friendly than the others we tested. However, its compact size and backlit buttons make it a bit easier to use in dim light, and might be particularly handy for those with diminishing eyesight or dexterity.

Setup

There's a catch-22 inherent in the setup of a universal remote: in general, the easier the setup of the remote, the less functionality it will ultimately provide. Our testing protocols for this metric consist of programming each remote to a TV, a DVD player, a soundbar, and a streaming device. Most units we tested come with a device code library, which, in general, is the most straightforward and effective setup method. Additionally, if a model has accompanying setup software that runs on a computer or a smartphone app, we also tested that method.

Although remotes like the SofaBaton U2 can be programmed to pair with 15 devices simultaneously and has multi-function programmable keys that allow one to complete complex actions, programming such functions takes considerably more time and attention to detail than simply setting a remote to operate a few basic devices.

The overall low-ranked RCA RCR313BR is a breeze to set up thanks to its extensive device code library. The remote can only handle three devices at a time, and there are no programmable keys. Consequentially, all of these limitations add up to minimal setup time.

The Philips SRP2024A/27 is another high-ranking model for setup. It technically doesn't require pairing to either the Roku or Fire TV stick remote that it physically connects to, which eliminates having to configure a streaming device. The rest of the device configuration can easily be done via a code library and manual entry.

The three GE models and the other two Philips models all perform similarly when setting up. You simply find your device(s) in a large code library and manually enter it to pair the remote with the device. Each model supports up to four devices, so the process involves repeating these steps no more than that many times.

The Sofabaton U2 was easily the most difficult remote to program. You have to pair it with a smartphone running the Sofabaton app, and then you either need to look up or manually enter the device model number before the remote can pair to that device. After completing the initial setup, custom button functions can be programmed while tethered to the smartphone app. It's also possible to create more complicated macro functions for launching multiple functions with a single click of the remote. As you can probably guess, this level of setup and customization can be quite complicated — it is certainly a far cry from simply pairing four devices to a remote. Due to its complex setup, we would only wholeheartedly recommend this highly capable remote to the tech-savvy crowd who will make full use of the advanced features.

Conclusion

Our hands-on review of universal remotes looks at all the aspects of functionality and performance and lays out the results for comparisons across devices. Specifically, we assessed the set up and capability, which focuses on a remote's ability to perform complex tasks. Additionally, we considered ease of use, which focuses on the execution of those tasks. We're here to make choosing the perfect universal remote the easiest part of the whole setup process. That way all you have left to do is pop some corn, kick up your feet, and turn on your favorite movie, all with the click of a button.