The best universal remotes of 2026
Nine remotes that replace the pile on the coffee table, from a $15 basic to a full home theater hub.
The SofaBaton U3 is the best universal remote for most people. It replaces the U2, the top pick at CNET, The New York Times and TechGearLab, which has sold out. For a home theater with gear in a cabinet, step up to the SofaBaton X2, or the X1S for less. On a budget, the Insignia 8-Device Backlit adds learning and activity buttons for about $30; the GE Backlit is the cheapest at about $15. If you only have one TV brand, a dedicated remote such as an LG or Samsung replacement is often the better buy.
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Everything we recommend
What you need to know
A home theater with a receiver, several sources or gear in a cabinet, or anyone tired of juggling three or more remotes.
Device support, real buttons, learning and macros, and hub features, compared across published tests from CNET, Wirecutter, TechGearLab and Tom's Guide.
Cheap remotes control only infrared devices. Many streamers and consoles use Bluetooth, which needs a SofaBaton or a hub.
The picks
SofaBaton U3
The replacement for the SofaBaton U2, which CNET, The New York Times and TechGearLab picked as the best universal remote before it sold out. Wirecutter notes the U3 adds a 2.4-inch touchscreen, a rechargeable battery, RF control, an air mouse, Google voice control and app-built macros such as "Watch TV."
It costs about $130, roughly two to three times what the U2 did, and no reviewer has fully tested it yet. Without a hub it can't reach gear inside a closed cabinet.
SofaBaton X2
Tom's Guide's top pick. An aluminum remote with a color touchscreen, a charging dock and a hub that controls gear hidden in a cabinet. One button can turn on the TV, receiver and streamer together.
Expensive, at around $360, and setup takes an evening.
SofaBaton X1S
Most of the X2's hub features, including one-button activities and voice assistant support, for much less money. It is the most common Logitech Harmony replacement.
Wi-Fi control covers only Roku, Sonos and Philips Hue, there's no number pad for cable channels, and Wirecutter found the app takes time to learn.
GE Backlit 4-Device
Under $15, with backlit buttons and codes for most TV, soundbar and streaming brands.
No learning feature, so you can't fix a button that sends the wrong command, and no voice or smart TV shortcuts. For learning and activity buttons, spend a little more on the Insignia.
Insignia 8-Device Backlit Universal Remote
Wirecutter's budget pick. Fully backlit, with three activity buttons, a learning feature to copy commands from your old remotes and a "master volume" setting that locks volume to your soundbar or receiver. About $30 at Best Buy.
IR only, so it can't control Bluetooth streamers like Chromecast or a Roku voice remote setup, and programming is done with codes, not an app.
Sideclick
CNET's pick if your streaming remote almost does everything. It clips onto a Roku, Fire TV, Google TV or Apple TV remote and adds eight buttons that learn TV input, receiver volume or soundbar commands, for about $25 to $30.
IR only, so it needs line of sight. CNET found the clips can break over time; replacement clips are sold separately.
Flipper Big Button Remote
Large, color-coded buttons for power, mute, volume and channel, with a number pad behind a slide-down panel and a favorite-channels option. Wirecutter's testers found it easier to set up than other big-button remotes.
Not backlit, and it controls only a TV and one cable or satellite box, so it can't run streaming apps.
Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro
Adds backlit buttons, programmable shortcuts and a lost-remote finder to any Fire TV.
Only works with Fire TV devices.
Function101 Button Remote
A plain button remote for people who dislike the Siri Remote's clickpad. It also controls TV power and volume.
No Siri and no voice search.
Hub or no hub?
A hub sits near your gear and sends signals over IR, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, so the remote works without pointing and can control devices inside a cabinet. A remote without a hub only works with what it can see or pair with directly.
Not sure if a device uses IR? Point its remote at the floor, away from the device, and press a button. If the device still responds, it uses Bluetooth, RF or Wi-Fi, and an IR-only remote like the GE or Insignia won't control it.
Logitech stopped making Harmony remotes in 2021. If yours still works, keep it, but the setup software is no longer updated, so new devices may not be in its database.
- Need a hub: gear in a cabinet, a receiver, or more than four devices
- No hub: a TV, a soundbar and one streamer in plain view
The best universal remote for each setup
- TV, soundbar and streamer: SofaBaton U3, or a Sideclick if your streaming remote does most of the job.
- Home theater with a receiver or gear in a cabinet: SofaBaton X2, or X1S to spend less.
- Seniors: Flipper Big Button, or the GE Backlit with large keys.
- Samsung TVs: a SolarCell remote or SofaBaton U3; see best remotes for Samsung TVs.
- LG TVs: a Magic Remote or SofaBaton U3; see best remotes for LG TVs.
- Apple TV: Function101 or Inteset INT-422 for real buttons.
- Fire TV: Alexa Voice Remote Pro.
- Free option: your TV or streamer's own phone app, such as Google TV, Roku, LG ThinQ or SmartThings. Skip ad-filled "universal remote" apps; most only work with smart TVs on your Wi-Fi.
How we picked
We compared published lab tests, owner reports and maker specs, and ranked on:
- Device support and setup
- Hub features: activities, IR blasters, voice
- Battery and charging
- Price
More on our process is in how we research.
Others we considered
- JubileeTV: a subscription TV hub with a big-button remote and camera that lets family check in on older relatives; $39 a month.
- SofaBaton U2: The former top pick at CNET and NYT, now discontinued. Worth buying only if you find one cheap.
- Amazon Fire TV Cube: A Fire TV streamer with an IR blaster and Alexa that controls a TV, soundbar and cable box by voice; CNET's best control hub.
- One For All URC-7880: A cheap learning remote with a big code library; good if the GE doesn't cover a device.
- Inteset INT-422: A learning remote popular with Apple TV, Roku and Shield owners who want real buttons.
- BroadLink RM4 Pro: A phone-controlled IR and RF hub with no physical remote; good for automation.
- Logitech Harmony Elite: Discontinued; only worth it secondhand at a low price.
Questions
What is the best free universal remote app?
The official app for your TV or streamer: Google TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, LG ThinQ or Samsung SmartThings. They work over Wi-Fi and have no ads. Phones can't send IR, so apps can't control older TVs, soundbars or cable boxes.
What is the best universal remote for seniors?
A big-button remote such as the Flipper, which has only power, channel and volume and can be locked after setup.
Is SofaBaton as good as Logitech Harmony?
For most homes, yes. The X1S and X2 copy Harmony's one-button activities and hub, and SofaBaton still updates its device database.
Will a universal remote work with my smart TV?
Yes for power, volume and inputs. Some smart TV menus and voice buttons only work with the TV's own remote.
What replaced Logitech Harmony?
SofaBaton's X1S and X2 are the closest replacements, with hubs and one-button activities.
Can a universal remote control a streaming stick?
Yes. Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV all accept IR or Bluetooth commands from most universal remotes.
- Wirecutter (The New York Times), "The Best Universal Remote Control," Jun 2026
- CNET, "Best Universal Remote for 2026," Jun 2026; The New York Times, "The 3 Best Universal Remote Controls of 2026," Jun 2026
- TechGearLab, "The Best Universal Remotes of 2026"; Tom's Guide, "The best universal remote in 2026," Sep 2026
- Maker product pages for SofaBaton, GE, Flipper, Amazon and Function101, checked Oct 19, 2026
Prices and offers change often; confirm at your address before you order. How we research
Jean founded ShopHighSpeed after trying to find one straight answer about business internet in his own town. He has been a Comcast and Verizon Fios customer, and ranks providers on what they actually deliver, not on what they advertise.