Six of the best universal remotes to zap your tech

Posted by T3 Magazine on Sat 18 Jul 2009

Achieve lounge omnipotence with these versatile zappers

If, like us, you’re sick of losing your remotes down the side of your sofa, fear no more. We’ve picked our six favourite universal remotes, so all you’ll have to worry about is keeping the volume down.

Philips SRU8015 Prestigo

Price: £67

The Prestigo tames 15 unruly gadgets and places them at your beck and call. Controlled by the buttons, scroll wheel and two-inch, colour LCD screen, it’s extremely intuitive to use. To feel like the true master of your domain, hit the “Watch a Movie” button. The Prestigo will set to work, switching your TV to the perfect settings, turning the amp on and booting your Blu-ray player.

Buy one here: Philips | Amazon | Comet

Sony RM-VL1400T

Price: £78

Control ten devices from the comfort of your armchair with electroluminescent buttons that are perfect for late night TV channel fl icking. If you’ve got a penchant for retro audio gear, the Sony remote controls both MiniDisc and tape, and you can even cue up to 32 separate commands – TV off, Sexy Time mix tape on, volume up – with the press of one button.

Buy one here: Sony | Amazon | John Lewis

Logitech Harmony 1000

Price: £200

Us the enticingly colourful, 3.5-inch touchscreen to control up to 15 devices and add your favourite functions from your old remote by simply pointing the Harmony at it. Don’t fret about replacing batteries either, the Harmony comes with its own charging dock. You’ll need Mac OS X or a PC running Windows Vista to install it. Once that’s done it’s a doddle to use.

Buy one here: Logitech | Play | Comet

Logitech Harmony One

Price: £94

This second piece of Logitech gadgetry is capable of controlling 15 bits of kit, and has the added bonus of super-sleek design. It may look menacing clad in glossy black, but the Harmony One is very simple to use. The online guide takes you, step by step through set-up, there’s support for over 225,000 devices from 5,000 brands, and the touchscreen adds an extra sheen of usability.

Buy one here: Logitech | Amazon | Play

One For All Xsight Touch

Price: £150

This massive remote can operate an impressive 18 devices and comes with a charging cradle to dissuade you from losing it down the back of the sofa. The touchscreen displays channel logos to make fi nding obscure digital channels easier and every family member can create their own list of favourites. The Xsight ensures that aimless channel surfi ng will become a thing of the past.

Buy one here: One For All | Amazon | Comet

Marantz RC9001

Price: £440

Thanks to the 64MB memory, this Marantz remote can be programmed to control as many devices as you can possibly cram into your house, including lighting, heating and even security cameras. It taps into your Wi-Fi so you can adjust the volume of your TV while lounging in the bath if you wish. You can even upload music to gleefully soundtrack your zapping.

Buy one here: Marantz | Amazon | John Lewis