There was a time when one specific remote was needed for your TV. You had to make sure it was included with the purchase, and when it broke or stopped responding, you had to go through the manufacturer for a new one.

Thankfully, someone came up with the concept of a universal remote. No longer would you need to keep consistent with brands, and you could use one remote across several devices if it was compatible.

Today, universal remotes can keep you in control of over a dozen electronic systems at once. You want the best universal remote on the market for all major TV brands, and you found the right place to look for it.

Why Should I Get the Best Universal Remote?

Finding the best universal remote shouldn’t come down to factors like price, features, or brand name.

Your remote serves a simple purpose: letting you comfortably enjoy your couch or recliner while enjoying whatever is on the screen in front of you. Whether you’re watching the season finale, screaming at your team for a botched play, or conquering the final boss, you need a great remote to control all of your TV settings.

Your TV won’t be the only thing you control with a universal remote. If you have a dedicated media player, A/V receiver, or other electronic devices set up in your entertainment center, your remote will be in charge of keeping things at your preferred level.

Once you find the remote you’re looking for, you’ll wonder how you ever existed without it. The added comfort of reclining or lying down while adjusting your volume levels across all your devices will be the icing on the surround sound cake that you’ve made.

What Is the Best Universal Remote for Most TV Brands? Our Top 2


Your choices for a universal remote are huge in 2018. The controller in your hand will feel less like a remote and more like a smartphone. In fact, many universal remotes feature just as many touchscreen options as they do buttons.

Speaking of touchscreens, the Logitech Harmony Elite prominently features one where you might expect to find a bunch of buttons in the center.

If you’re used to giving voice commands to Alexa, don’t worry – you can use this remote to issue whatever you want to your Amazon-enabled device. A total of 15 separate devices can be manipulated with the Logitech Harmony Elite, and it won’t surprise you if you run out of boxes in your house to control.

You can even set up the Logitech remote so that multiple devices fall into a group. If you need to access, for example, the TV and receiver all at once, or give yourself quick access to a device with the touch of a button. If you want to fire up a movie, all you have to do is touch “watch a movie,” and the remote immediately access your preferred app for streaming or playing.

Thanks to the touchscreen, you won’t have to worry about symbols or pictures on buttons for rewinding and fast-forwarding. The same goes for the volume, and you’ll find a convenient slider bar in the touchscreen, letting you skip the needless button-mashing that comes with volume adjustment.

With the Logitech Harmony Elite comes a hub, letting you point at a specific location if you need to place it apart from your media center. An added convenience is an app for iOS and Android devices, which allows any of your mobile phones or tablets to become an extra remote.

The battery life in this remote has seen a marked improvement over previous editions. You can’t go wrong with the Logitech Harmony Elite.


RCA 3-Device Palm-Sized Universal Remote, Long Range IR, Replaces Most...
  • Controls Up To 3 Devices, Replaces and Consolidates Most Major Remote Brands, Simplifies Device Setup With Automatic,...
  • Palm-sized design makes the remote easy and comfortable to hold
  • Easy-to-use keys with multi-colored keypad, 2 AAA batteries sold separately

Okay, maybe this isn’t the most deluxe model on the market. Comparing this to the Logitech Harmony Elite is unfair, but maybe you don’t need a remote that can control over a dozen devices at once. RCA has been making universal remotes for decades, and the RCR ensures that you always have a remote ready to go for your TV.

You can program up to a total of three things with this remote, giving you access to a DVD player and a cable or satellite box.

A pair of AAA batteries will last you forever, and by the time you have to replace them, you might be replacing the device you control with it. Thanks to the universal codes programmed into the RCR remote, you won’t have to worry about rearranging the relationship between the remote and new device.

If you have large hands, you might need to be a little gentle with this one. It feels like it can get lost easily, so keep that in mind if you have larger cushions or a deep pocket inside your recliner. It costs less than a month of most streaming services, and even before you program a new TV into it, you might already be taken care of. The RCR is preprogrammed for 10 brands right out of the packaging.

If you only need a remote to replace the one that came with your TV, the RCR is an excellent choice. It isn’t going to wow anyone for its aesthetics or compatibility with internet-enabled products, but it will turn your TV on and off with ease.

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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