Best Universal Remote in 2024

The closest thing you can get to Harmony’s universal remotes is the SofaBaton X1S. The remote itself has an attractive, comfortable design with just the right number of buttons — which are backlit, to boot. There’s a small scroll wheel just underneath its display to let you switch between activities and devices; you then use the circular d-pad underneath to control your system. We liked the smooth, rounded edges of the X1S, and its buttons offered just the right amount of resistance and feedback.

The X1S has a built-in battery (there’s a USB-C port on the bottom of the remote), but it will last for weeks before it needs recharging. I wish it came with a small recharging cradle, which would make things just a little bit easier.

The SofaBaton X1S sends its commands to a hub, so you can hide everything away behind a cabinet, for a cleaner look. Because the hub is connected to Wi-Fi, you can also link it to Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free operation. It can even control some smart home devices, but it’s so limited it isn’t worth bothering to set up.

You can program the X1S with a number of macros to automatically turn your entertainment center to the right settings. The setup process has also become a lot more intuitive since the last time we tested a SofaBaton, which is why our opinion has improved, and why it’s the best universal remote out there.