Best Smart Universal Remote (2026): Sofabaton X2, X1S and Remote 3 Compared

The best smart universal remote for most home theaters in 2026 is the Sofabaton X2, the touchscreen, dock-equipped remote that Smart Home Solver, the YouTube channel run by Reed Kleinman, who has about 737,000 subscribers and covers practical home automation and Home Assistant setups, called the smart remote he had been waiting for.

Logitech stopped making Harmony remotes, and owners have spent years looking for a replacement that runs a whole system with one button. Below are three options over $100, what YouTube reviewers found with each, and prices checked October 21, 2026.

Best smart universal remote: picks at a glance

Prices checked on Amazon Oct 21, 2026. I may earn a commission from links, at no cost to you.

What a smart universal remote does

A smart universal remote replaces a stack of remotes with one handset and a hub. The hub sends infrared, Bluetooth or network commands to your TV, receiver, streaming box and projector, so one “activity” button can turn everything on, set the right inputs and hand the volume to the receiver. That is the job Harmony remotes did, and it is why reviewers judge new remotes by how close they get to a Harmony Elite.

1. Sofabaton X2: best smart universal remote for most homes

Smart Home Solver moved to the Sofabaton X2 after about a year on the X1S. In his video he points to the upgrades he wanted: a charging dock, a touchscreen, a back arrow placed at the bottom of the screen, metal construction and extra programmable buttons. He also notes that the X2 can send infrared from the remote itself, from the hub, from wired extenders and from an optional repeater for another room.

His biggest change was Home Assistant. Using MQTT, he set up virtual buttons on the remote that trigger Home Assistant automations, which let him drop the separate dashboard he had been using for some controls. He flags one limit: those buttons are tied to each activity rather than shared across all of them. He priced the remote at about $360, with sales near $330, and compared it with what a Harmony Elite cost a decade ago.

In Youthman, a home theater YouTuber who spent years on a Logitech Harmony Elite, his guest called the X2 the easiest of the three remotes in their roundup to set up. Youthman said the X1S had been missing a touchscreen and a dock, and that the X2 added both. The guest said the X1S had not worked for him because it has no infrared in the handset and his equipment sits in a rack in another room, while the X2 was working well.

2. Sofabaton X1S: the lower-cost option

The Sofabaton X1S uses the same Sofabaton app and device database as the X2, according to Theater At Home, a home theater YouTube channel that compared the two side by side. It has a scroll wheel and a physical back button instead of a touchscreen, charges over USB-C rather than in a dock, and Sofabaton claims about 45 days per charge. Infrared comes from the hub and its two wired blasters only, so it suits a setup where all the gear is in one place. Theater At Home said the X1S was about $150 less than the X2 at the time of his video.

3. Unfolded Circle Remote 3: for Home Assistant power users

The Unfolded Circle Remote 3 takes a different approach. In the Youthman roundup, his guest Mike, who had used his Kickstarter unit for about six months, explained that many devices are controlled over the network instead of by infrared. That gives two-way feedback: the remote can show what is playing on an Apple TV and the current volume of a receiver. Setup runs through a web configurator where integrations create entities that you add to activities, and the community has built integrations for gear such as Kaleidoscape, Anthem and JVC.

The pair said every hard button can be remapped and that the remote worked without Home Assistant, though Mike described it as a natural fit for Home Assistant users. The trade-off is a steeper learning curve. Unfolded Circle launched the remote on Kickstarter at €349, with the dock at €119; the company has paused pre-orders over a memory chip shortage, so check its site for current pricing and availability.

Other remotes reviewers mentioned

Youthman also covered the Ava Cinema remote, which is sold through dealers, and the Haptique RS90, which both hosts found hard to set up. Because neither is sold the way the remotes above are, they are not in the table.

How to choose the best smart universal remote

• Where is your gear? If it sits in a closed cabinet or another room, you need infrared from the hub or extenders. If you want to point the remote directly, choose one with infrared in the handset, such as the X2.
• Do you use Home Assistant? The X2 can trigger automations through MQTT buttons, according to Smart Home Solver; the Remote 3 goes further with network integrations.
• How much setup will you do? Reviewers rated Sofabaton the easiest to program, and the Remote 3 the most flexible but slowest to learn.
• Backups do not carry over. Smart Home Solver notes that X1S backups cannot be imported into the X2, so plan to set up again.

Best smart universal remote: specs compared

Video: Smart Home Solver: “The Smart Remote I’ve been WAITING for! Sofabaton X2”. Embedded with credit; the findings are the creator’s own.

Video: Youthman: “Harmony Is Dead, These 3 Remotes Are Fighting to Replace It”. Embedded with credit; the findings are the creator’s own.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best smart universal remote to replace a Harmony?

For most people, reviewers point to the Sofabaton X2 because it adds a touchscreen, a dock and infrared in the handset to the easy Sofabaton setup. Home Assistant users who want more control can look at the Unfolded Circle Remote 3.

Does the best smart universal remote need a hub?

The Sofabaton remotes use a hub that sends infrared and Bluetooth commands. The X2 can also send infrared from the remote itself.

Can a smart universal remote control lights?

Smart Home Solver uses MQTT virtual buttons on the X2 to trigger Home Assistant automations, and Theater At Home runs lights through Home Assistant alongside his Sofabaton.

Is the Sofabaton X1S still worth buying?

It costs less and uses the same app, but it has no touchscreen, no dock and no infrared in the handset, so it suits setups with all gear in one place.

Sources

• Amazon product listings for the products linked above, checked October 21, 2026
• Unfolded Circle Remote 3 product page, unfoldedcircle.com, checked October 21, 2026
• Smart Home Solver: “The Smart Remote I’ve been WAITING for! Sofabaton X2”
• Youthman: “Harmony Is Dead, These 3 Remotes Are Fighting to Replace It”
• Theater At Home: “X2 vs X1S – Sofabaton Universal Remote Comparison”

Related: Sofabaton X2 Review | Sofabaton X2 vs X1S | Best Smart Home Hub