Infrared, Bluetooth or hub — three different products

The best universal remote controls for 2026

One remote for five boxes sounds like a solved problem and is not, because the devices no longer speak one language. Infrared reaches anything with a window and needs line of sight; Bluetooth is required by several streaming boxes and pairs one to one; a hub sits in the cabinet and converts between the two, including over IP. Match the technology to what you own before anything else. Then the two features that determine whether the household adopts it: a learning function, which copies a code from an original remote and rescues any device the database misses, and macros or activities, which turn "watch a film" into one button rather than four. Practical detail worth reading: backlighting, since this product is used in the dark by definition. We compare control technology, device database and learning, macros and activities, backlighting, and power source.

What we recommend

1. 

   Thomson learning replacement remote for Sony televisions

   A replacement rather than a universal — preloaded for Sony, with a learning function for anything the database misses and buttons that glow.

   Technology

   Infrared, with a stated 10 m range

   Intended for

   Sony televisions — a 1:1 replacement with the same functions, stated

   Database

   Preset for the most common Sony sets; further codes by manual entry or code search — stated

   Learning

   Learns additional functions from an original remote — stated

   Backlighting

   Volume and channel keys glow in the dark — stated

   Simple mode

   SIMPLE mode restricts the remote to essential functions — stated

   Supplied

   2 × AAA batteries, instructions with a code list — stated

   Amazon reference

   B07D1L73XQ (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4047443375957

   • Works out of the box on common Sony sets, with no code hunting
   • A learning function, which rescues any function the preset codes miss
   • It is a Sony replacement, not a universal remote — one brand, and manufacturer-specific keys

   Best for: A broken or lost Sony television remote, in a household that wants the same buttons back.

   ≈ 10 €

   Check price on Amazon
2. 

   SeKi Slim learning universal remote with large keys

   It learns rather than looks up — which means it works with any infrared device, including ones no code database has ever heard of.

   Technology

   Infrared, learning — stated

   Programming

   Copies the signals from an existing infrared remote in a few steps — stated

   Keys

   Very large, clearly marked for volume, channels and power — stated

   Ergonomics

   Designed for users with reduced grip strength or coordination difficulties — stated

   Intended for

   Older people, children and anyone wanting a simple remote — stated

   Code database

   Not applicable — it learns rather than looks up

   Backlighting

   Not stated in this listing

   Amazon reference

   B0046H5RV0 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4251061521027

   • Learning rather than database-driven, so it works with any infrared device including obscure ones
   • Very large keys with clear markings, which is the point of the product
   • It needs a working original remote to learn from — a lost remote cannot be copied

   Best for: Simplifying a remote for someone who finds the original one difficult, while the original still works.

   ≈ £11 / 9 €

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3. 

   Hama universal TV remote for 2 devices, large keys

   The one genuine universal on this shelf: a database of over a thousand devices, a learning mode for what it misses, and codes that survive a battery change.

   Technology

   Infrared, up to 10 m stated range

   Devices controlled

   Up to 2 — smart TV, DVD player, satellite, DVB-T, cable receiver or set-top box, freely assignable

   Database

   Over 1 000 preprogrammed devices, including LG, Philips, Panasonic, Sony and Sharp; direct code entry possible

   Learning

   Learning mode to take functions from an original remote — stated

   Code storage

   Permanent — codes survive a battery change, stated

   Keys

   Large, clearly arranged — stated

   Supplied

   2 × AA batteries, code list, instructions — stated

   Amazon reference

   B0DQ1P6D9P (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4047443532282

   • A database and a learning mode together, which is the combination that actually works
   • Permanent code storage, so a battery change does not undo the setup
   • Two devices only — a television, a receiver and a disc player is already one too many

   Best for: A television and a receiver on one remote, in a household that wants the setup to survive a battery change.

   ≈ 11 €

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4. 

   YOSUN replacement remote for Samsung televisions

   It names the original part numbers it replaces — which is how you find out before ordering whether it will work, rather than after.

   Technology

   Infrared — stated

   Intended for

   Samsung QLED, Frame, LED, UHD, 4K and 8K smart televisions — stated

   Originals replaced

   AA59-00786A, AA59-00741A, AA59-00602A, BN59-01175N, BN59-01303A, BN59-01247A and others — stated individually

   Setup

   None — no programming or configuration required, stated

   Functions

   Stated as covering all the functions of the original

   Batteries

   2 × AAA required; inclusion not stated

   Learning

   Not applicable — this is a fixed replacement

   Amazon reference

   B06X6J4W2Y (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0191094637378

   • Lists the original part numbers it replaces, which is the only reliable way to check compatibility
   • No programming at all — batteries in and it works
   • One brand only, and no learning function to extend it

   Best for: A lost or broken Samsung remote whose part number matches one on the list.

   ≈ £12 / 12 €

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5. 

   TechniSat ISIZAPPER Universal learning remote

   Deliberately incapable of reaching a menu — which is the whole design, and the reason it works where a full remote has stopped being usable.

   Technology

   Infrared, learning — stated

   Keys

   Extra-large, with German labelling — stated

   Scope as supplied

   Basic functions only — volume and channel selection; no access to menus or settings, stated

   Confirmation

   LED signal light flashes to confirm a command — stated

   Compatibility

   Learns from any existing infrared remote, any manufacturer — stated

   Dimensions

   5.5 × 23 × 2 cm — stated

   Backlighting

   Not stated in this listing

   Amazon reference

   B01MEFAJZ3 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4019588300071

   • Deliberately restricted to basic functions, which is what makes it usable where a full remote is not
   • Learns from any infrared remote regardless of manufacturer
   • German labelling on the keys, which is a limitation outside German-speaking households

   Best for: A household where somebody needs to change channel and volume and nothing else.

   ≈ 19 €

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