Not as many people are in need of a universal remote control nowadays, which is why the category is declining and it’s difficult to find great options. However, if your home-entertainment system is more complex than a basic media player, TV, and soundbar combo, and you’re looking for one remote to control all your equipment, the Sofabaton U2 Universal Remote Control stands out as the best option we’ve found. Despite having some notable flaws, this model can control a wider variety of home-entertainment devices and has a better physical design than its competitors.
Our top pick
This remote can control 15 AV components, including Bluetooth-based devices, and the button layout is intuitive. However, it lacks backlighting and activity buttons, and programming advanced tasks can be challenging.
The Sofabaton U2 Universal Remote Control offers more features and control options than similarly priced competitors. It is capable of controlling up to 15 devices, including both infrared- and Bluetooth-based AV devices, making it more flexible than many lower-priced remotes, which typically only work with IR devices.
The remote’s button layout is intuitive, and the OLED screen at the top makes it easy to switch between the AV devices you want to control. You can program the U2 using a setup app for iOS or Android, and the app provides a lot of customization options to reassign what the remote’s buttons can do.
While the U2 remote is better than everything else we tested, it still has some notable drawbacks. It lacks backlighting and has no dedicated activity buttons for grouping different devices together to perform tasks such as “watch TV” or “watch a movie.” You can still create activities and assign them to random buttons, but you have to figure out all the programming yourself—and we fear that the app’s learning curve may be difficult for someone who has never programmed a universal remote.
Runner-up
This remote can control eight AV components, has a logical button layout, and is fully backlit. However, it can’t control Bluetooth devices, and the setup process is outdated.
The Insignia 8-Device Backlit Universal Remote is a good choice for people whose gear works via infrared control (IR); it doesn’t work with devices that you control by Bluetooth, radio frequency (RF), or Wi-Fi. If you’re not sure how your device is controlled, try this: Point your device’s remote at the floor in the opposite direction from the device’s location and then press a button. If the remote still executes the command, it’s likely using Bluetooth or RF, not IR.
This fully backlit remote can control eight devices and has all the important buttons you need, including three activity controls that allow you to group devices together to watch a movie, listen to music, or watch TV. The layout is clean, albeit somewhat generic-looking, and the buttons are fairly large.
The programming process is old-school, though: You have to manually input codes for your different AV devices and then teach the remote any functions that are missing or executing incorrectly. These steps are not as quick or intuitive as using an app, and the owner manual is not as clear and concise as it could be. But at the end of the process, this remote should be able to do most everything you need it to.
