Best universal remote control

There was a time when a single brand dominated the universe of universal remote controls: Logitech’s Harmony–at least it was until Logitech discontinued the Harmony line and exited the space. These days, the second-generation Caavo Control Center is the most powerful universal control.

Sure, you can still find a sub-$20 “universal remote” if your regular clicker breaks, but those are little more than cheapie replacements, not true universal remotes that live up to the name. There are also uber-expensive remote controls you can buy from customer installers, but TechHive focuses primarily on the DIY market, so we’ll ignore those in this story.

Caavo Control Center — Best universal remote control

Pros

• Incredibly intuitive and easy to learn
• Ability to use mobile phone as a remote is a nice addition for some users
• Some amazing setup tricks get some devices up and running in seconds
• Sonos control and TiVo integration

Cons

• Only four HDMI inputs, so it can't support very complex home entertainment systems
• You'll need a separate subscription for each Caavo unit you deploy

Now that Harmony is off the playing field, the Caavo Control Center is the most powerful universal remote control on the market. It’s a powerful system that also lets monitor a Caavo-connected television remotely, set permissions on what can be watched based on its rating, and even send a message that pops up on the remote TV.

Read our full Caavo Control Center (May 2019 update) review