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In this post, I review five of the very best remotes for Amazon Prime Video this year. I’ll include some budget remotes as well as a few universal options that will let you stream Prime Video like a champ.
The seven best remotes for Amazon Prime Video are:
- Harmony Companion [All-in-One Pick]
- Logitech Harmony Ultimate [Premium Pick]
- Harmony 950 [Advanced Media Remote]
- Harmony 665 [Solid Budget Remote]
- Sofabaton [Cheap Harmony Alternative]
- Fire TV Cube [Voice Control with Alexa]
- Smart Control [Retro Harmony Option]
Click any link in the above list to jump down for my specific review for that remote, or if you are a sci-fan (like me) read on!
Related: Best Remotes for Fire TV Stick and Cube
A Not-So Prime Experience?
Next to Netflix, Amazon Prime is my favorite streaming service. I’m a bit of a Sci-Fi nut, and they have lots of great shows and original content to satisfy my inner nerd. Some of my favs are Mr. Robot, Star Trek, Westworld, Orphan Black, Upload, and The Expanse.
Apparently, I’m not alone. This article from Forbes magazine quoting a recent eMarketer study said that next to Netflix Amazon is the second-largest over-the-top (OTT) streaming service. Netflix has 158.8 million users and Amazon is catching up with 96.5 million.
But controlling Prime Video with your lame TV remote AND the remote that came with your cable service AND your soundbar remote and maybe even a few others is not a “prime” experience at all.
Beam me up, Scotty!
In this post, I am going to present you with seven of the best remotes for Amazon Prime Video. They will help you to consolidate all of the remotes cluttering up your coffee table and level-up your game with Amazon Prime.
Harmony Companion [All-in-One Pick]
First on my list of best remotes for Amazon Prime Video, is the Harmony Companion.
Many industry experts tout the Harmony Companion as one of the best universal remotes you can buy. Android Guys have called it “the best remote for most people.”
Functionally, Companion can do everything Logitech’s more expensive Harmony Elite can do pretty much. You just don’t get Elite’s snazzy color LCD screen. It will do activities, it will do Alexa and Google Voice commands, it will do smart home stuff as well as TV entertainment, and it gives you a backup remote on your phone. It will only let you consolidate remotes for up to eight devices, compared to 15 with Elite and Ultimate (below), but for many people that is enough.
Vital Stats
- Color: Black
- Technology: IR
- Includes Hub: No
- Touchscreen: 1.5 inches (diagonal), 65,000-color screen, 128 x 128 pixels
- Devices: 15
- Favorites: 50
- Alexa and Google: Not without Hub
- Smart Devices: Not without Hub
- Button Placement: Latest gen
- Backlit Buttons: All
- Available from: Amazon and Other Retailers
- Warranty: 90 days email /phone
- Battery: Li-Ion rechargeable, non-replaceable
For More Information
For more information about Harmony Companion, check out his blog post I wrote a few months back about Harmony Elite vs Companion.
Where to Buy It
Since Amazon owns Prime Video, it is also a great place to pick up some of the best remotes for Prime Video. They often have some great sales on Harmony remotes. Click or tap the button below to go to the Amazon product page (affiliate link).
- Use Alexa for voice controls
- Harmony App turns smartphone/tablet into universal remote
Logitech Harmony Ultimate [Premium Pick]
Next on my list of the best remotes for Amazon Prime Video is the Harmony Ultimate.
My favorite thing about the Harmony Ultimate remote is the cool color LCD touch screen. You can program customize activities using the hard buttons or choose to navigate using the cooler LCD screen. It used to be the Harmony Elite was my favorite universal remote, but since I bought the Ultimate One for testing purposes, I have to say I like this remote better. It feels richer in my hand and the text on the screen is larger for my bad eyesight.
Unlike the other Harmony remotes, the Ultimate also is available in both black and white. I bought the black one, but I like the idea of having a white remote too.
Vital Stats
- Color: Black or White
- Technology: IR, Wifi, Bluetooth
- Includes Hub: Yes
- Touchscreen: Color QVGA (320×240)
- Devices: 15
- Favorites: 50
- Alexa and Google: Yes
- Smart Devices: Yes
- Button Placement: Legacy
- Backlit Buttons: All
- Available from: Amazon and Other Retailers
- Warranty: 90 days email /phone
- Battery: Li-Ion rechargeable, non-replaceable
For More Information
If you want to learn more about this remote, check out my review comparing Logitech Harmony Comparison Chart.
Where to Buy It
You can pick up this bad boy over at Amazon by clicking or tapping on the button below (affiliate link).
Harmony 950 [Advanced Media Remote]
Next on my list of the best remotes for Amazon Prime Video is Harmony 950.
Unless you add the Harmony Hub, you won’t be able to control your smart home devices with the 950. You will, however, be able to control all the devices sitting in your media cabinet. Like the Ultimate, the 950 also has a cool color touch screen, support for Activities, comes with a smartphone app, and it will give you voice commands with Alexa and Google Assistant.
However, the design of the remote isn’t as cool as the Ultimate [it matches the Harmony Elite]. If you want to know more, check out my review comparing Harmony 950 vs Elite at the link below.
Vital Stats
- Color: Black
- Technology: IR
- Includes Hub: No
- Touchscreen: 1.5 inches (diagonal), 65,000 color screen, 128 x 128 pixels
- Devices: 15
- Favorites: 50
- Alexa and Google: Not without Hub
- Smart Devices: Not without Hub
- Button Placement: Latest gen
- Backlit Buttons: All
- Available from: Amazon and Other Retailers
- Warranty: 90 days email /phone
- Battery: Li-Ion rechargeable, non-replaceable
For More Information
For further reading, check out my review comparing Harmony Elite vs 950.
Where To Buy It
You can learn more about this remote on the Amazon product page. Click or tap on the button below (my affiliate link to Amazon).
Logitech is no longer making new remotes, but the company has said it will continue to support the Harmony line for as "long as customers continue to buy and use them."
Harmony 665 [Solid Budget Remote]
Full disclosure, the 665 will not do a lot of what the Harmony Hub-based remotes will do. You cannot use to control your smart home, there is no companion remote app, and you can integrate it with Alexa or Google Home.
What you can do is customize it to your heart’s content for a lot less money than some of the other Harmony options. With support for 275,000- devices from 5000 brands, chances are, Harmony 665 will control all the IR devices in your media cabinet. Still, if you are looking for a solid budget option, this is one of the best remotes for Amazon Prime Video that you can buy this year.
Vital Stats
- Color: Black
- Technology: IR
- Includes Hub: No
- Touchscreen: 1.5 inches (diagonal), 65,000 colors, 128 x 128 pixels
- Devices: 15
- Favorites: 50
- Alexa and Google: Not without Hub
- Smart Devices: Not without Hub
- Button Placement: Latest gen
- Backlit Buttons: All
- Available from: Amazon and Other Retailers
- Warranty: 90 days email /phone
- Battery: Li-Ion rechargeable, non-replaceable
For More Information
Learn more about this remote in my Harmony 665 review here.
Where To Buy It
While this remote tends to sell out from time to time, you can pick one up over at Amazon. Click or tap on the button in the box below (affiliate link).
- No need for multiple remotes or remembering what to turn on or which input setting to use. Just press one button and Harmony does it all for you.
- Say goodbye to that jumble of remotes once and for all. Combine up to 10 old-fashioned remotes into one.
SofaBaton U3 [Budget LCD Universal]
The SofaBaton U3 is the current budget LCD universal remote for an Amazon Prime Video setup that includes a compatible TV, streamer, soundbar, receiver, or other room gear. Its 2.4-inch wake-on-lift LCD, backlit controls, 1200mAh rechargeable battery, and USB-C charging modernize this product slot without moving into an X-series hub system.
It controls compatible devices through IR, supported Bluetooth, and learnable 433/315 MHz RF commands configured in the SofaBaton app. The U3 also supports macros and up to three supported Bluetooth connections. Google voice and Air Mouse work only on compatible Bluetooth devices; there is no Wi-Fi hub, and hidden IR equipment may need the optional R1 repeater.
Vital Stats
- Color: Black
- Technology: IR, supported Bluetooth, and learnable 433/315 MHz RF
- Includes Wi-Fi Hub: No
- Display: 2.4-inch wake-on-lift LCD
- Backlit Controls: Yes
- Battery: 1200mAh rechargeable
- Charging: USB-C
- Bluetooth Connections: Up to three supported devices
- Macros: Yes
- Google Voice and Air Mouse: Compatible Bluetooth devices only
- Hidden IR Gear: Optional R1 repeater may be required
For More Information
For more information about SofaBaton’s remote lineup, see this comparison of SofaBaton vs Harmony remotes.
Where To Buy It
Click or tap on the button in the box below to check current availability at Amazon (affiliate link).
Rechargeable LCD universal remote, no hub required.
Fire TV Cube [Voice Control with Alexa]
I have almost a dozen Alexa devices but the Fire TV Cube is one of my favorites. Why? Because it lets me control my TV using my voice. I mean, come on! This is the future people. As someone who grew up buying records (yes, vinyl), listening to cassettes on a Sony Walkman and watching MTV, it just kills me every time I tell Alexa to turn on the TV from my couch or to turn it off after I tuck myself into bed at night. But the voice control doesn’t stop there oh, no.
You can use it to control the volume, mute, unmute as well as tune to your favorite movies, tv shows, specific channels. You can also use it to Play/Pause/Rewind your favorites to boot. This is one of the best remotes for Amazon Prime Video that you can get today, IMHO.
Vital Stats
- Color: Black
- Technology: IR
- Includes Hub: No
- Touchscreen: N/A
- Devices: 15
- Favorites: 50
- Alexa and Google: Not without Hub
- Smart Devices: Not without Hub
- Button Placement: Latest gen
- Backlit Buttons: All
- Available from: Amazon and Other Retailers
- Warranty: 90 days email /phone
- Battery: Li-Ion rechargeable, non-replaceable
For More Information
Check out this blog post I wrote on Fire TV Cube commands.
Where To Buy It
So where can you buy the Fire TV Cube? You guessed it: Amazon. Click or tap on the button below (affiliate link to Amazon).
Hands-free 4K Fire TV box with Wi-Fi 6E and Ethernet.
Harmony Smart Control
Last on my list of the best remotes for Amazon Prime Video is the Harmony Smart Control.
Harmony Smart Contol is one of those unique remotes where the purchase decision comes down to two key factors. The first is aesthetics. While the functionally of this remote is nearly identical to the Harmony Companion, it looks different. It’s thinner yet feels heavier in the hand. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I think it looks cooler than the more popular Companion remote.
The main reason Companion is more popular is that the button placement is better. The one gripe I have with the Smart Control remote is that it can be a pain for power users to have to switch from the top buttons to the bottom for streaming Prime and other services.
Vital Stats
- Color: Black
- Technology: IR
- Includes Hub: No
- Touchscreen: 1.5 inches (diagonal), 65,000 colour screen, 128 x 128 pixels
- Devices: 15
- Favorites: 50
- Alexa and Google: Not without Hub
- Smart Devices: Not without Hub
- Button Placement: Latest gen
- Backlit Buttons: All
- Available from: Amazon and Other Retailers
- Warranty: 90 days email /phone
- Battery: Li-Ion rechargeable, non-replaceable
For More Information
Check out the review I wrote comparing Smart Control vs Companion for more information
Where To Buy It
Tap or click the button in the product summary box to see this over at Amazon (affiliate link).
- Use your smartphone (available Harmony Smartphone app) or the included Harmony Remote to control your entertainment devices.Internet access Wi-Fi: Supports 802.11g/n, WPA Personal, WPA2-AES and...
- Smartphone app includes Swipe and Tap control for one-touch control of your entertainment system, up to 50 favorite channel icons, volume, media playback, and more (Works with iPhone iOS 6.0 or later...
Best Remotes for Amazon Prime Video: Your Turn
So what do you think about my picks for the best remotes for Amazon Prime video?
Do you favor the cool color LCD screen on the Ultimate like me? What do you think about controlling your TV with your voice assistants like Alexa or Google Home? Pretty cool, right?
Please leave me a comment below and let me know.
Related: 11 Best Universal Remotes This Year
Related Links
Best Remotes for Fire TV Stick and Cube
15 Best Universal Remote Apps for Android in 2021
7 Best Remotes for Fire TV Stick and Cube
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Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen vs 2nd Gen vs 1st Gen
5 Best Remotes for Ember TVs
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