A universal remote control should provide one thing above all: ease of use. In particular, owners of an extensive entertainment system consisting of many different devices should consider buying such a gadget. After all, technically sophisticated models can not only replace the remote controls for televisions, receivers, games consoles and the like. What’s more, you can program sequences so that the remote control can operate several devices at once at the touch of a button. Until now, the Logitech Harmony series models were considered a must-buy for discerning users, but the company has since discontinued production. SwitchBot now wants to fill this gap – and more. In the SwitchBot Universal Remote test, we take a look at a smart remote control that can not only control electronic devices, but also your smart home.
The concept of the universal remote control
So-called universal remote controls are primarily intended to turn several remote controls into one. This has always been intended to provide more order and clarity in the living room. The idea is not new. Universal remote controls have been around for decades. But a lot has changed over the years. Whereas in the past you had to enter long codes to transfer data from the old remote control to the new one, nowadays the set-up process is much simpler.
Smart home expert SwitchBot wants to take this basic concept to a new level with its SwitchBot Universal Remote. The handy little helper should be able to control a total of 83934 different devices. The remote control also comes with Matter and Bluetooth. This makes it very different from many other universal remote controls. After all, the SwitchBot remote control is not just designed to control the devices in your entertainment system.
Thanks to Matter and Bluetooth, it can be used as the control center of your smart home. The manufacturer has plenty of controllable devices to offer. For example, there are smart curtain robots such as the SwitchBot Curtain 3 (review, € 89.99 *), smart door locks such as the Lock Pro (review, € 104.99 *) and robotic vacuum cleaners such as the K10+ Pro (review, € 599.99 *).
SwitchBot Universal Remote Test: Scope of delivery
- SwitchBot Universal Remote
- USB-C charging cable
- Reset tool
- Quick Start Guide
SwitchBot Universal Remote Test: Design and workmanship
The smart home expert regularly scores points with the high quality of workmanship and stylish design of its products. This is also the case with the manufacturer’s Universal Remote. The 133 g piece of smart home technology does not crack or creak at any point and fits perfectly in the hand. However, measuring 19.5 x 5.1 x 2.8 cm, it is significantly larger than modern remote controls. I noticed this particularly when comparing it directly with the remote control of my Fire TV Stick.
However, in view of the very inconspicuous appearance, this should not be a negative factor. While the sheer size may not seem contemporary to some, the clear button layout corresponds to that of common modern models. The remote comes with a total of 19 buttons, all of which have a great pressure point. It’s simply fun to press the buttons, which are also visible in the dark thanks to the backlighting.
A highlight for me is the directional pad. There is a reason why it is circular. After all, it can be conveniently used as a control dial with the thumb. Anyone who had a classic iPod will certainly remember this control shape. But SwitchBot has also thought of all those who are not fans of this control method. After all, the whole thing can also be switched off. Above the buttons is a 2.4-inch display, the contents of which are very easy to read. However, I would have liked a little more brightness here.
Inside the smart remote control, which is also available in black, is a 2000 mAh battery. According to SwitchBot, this should enable a battery life of 150 days, which corresponds to around five months. Given the limited test time, I was unable to really check this. However, one thing really bothers me – the battery is permanently installed. This means that you are forced to dispose of the remote control when the battery runs low.
SwitchBot Universal Remote test: quick set-up
Universal remote controls have always provided greater ease of use when controlling electronic devices. However, the path to uncomplicated operation is still rocky with inexpensive models. It often takes hours to transfer several remote controls to one universal remote control. Fortunately, things are different with the SwitchBot Universal Remote.
The Bluetooth module of the remote control is used during commissioning. Using the SwitchBot app, simply add the remote to your SwitchBot ecosystem as a new device. Once you have selected the gadget in the app, put the remote into pairing mode by pressing the On and Off buttons. The app will then list the remote as a new device.
I then added the first device straight away. As the Universal Remote suggested my Fire TV as a possible device, I immediately added it first. This involves adding the remote control as a Bluetooth device to the Fire TV and pairing the two devices with each other. Once this is done, you can use the remote control as a replacement for the Fire TV remote control.
SwitchBot Universal Remote test: (almost) nothing without a hub
The Universal Remote can be paired with your Kindle TV or Apple TV via Bluetooth. This wireless interface can also be used to connect to other Bluetooth devices from SwitchBot. The manufacturer’s gadgets then appear in the remote control options. Here you can then simply add them to the remote control as a device to be controlled.
Apart from the Bluetooth connection, nothing else is possible with the remote control ex works. You need a hub for the rest. Unfortunately, the packaging gives contradictory information on this. After all, it says on the back that a hub is also not required to control IR devices. Unfortunately, this is not quite true.
You do not need an active SwitchBot Hub to operate the TVs, receivers etc. in question. But you do for the setup. After all, you learn the devices via the hub itself. Only then do you export the relevant information to the remote control. Given the RRP of just under 70 euros (€ 69.99 *), I don’t think this is really fair.
If you don’t yet have a hub such as the SwitchBot Hub 2 (review, € 17.69 *) at home, you should consider buying the bundle consisting of remote control and hub. Although this costs 40 euros more, it gets the most out of the remote. If you have a hub at home, setting up IR devices is quick and easy. Depending on the device, you can clone entire remote controls quickly and easily using the “Smart Match” feature. If this is not available, you can select the appropriate device from the database of more than 80,000 devices.
SwitchBot Universal Remote Test: Compatibility with Matter
As the SwitchBot Universal Remote also supports the Matter standard, it enables further control scenarios. If you want to use Matter, you will of course also need a SwitchBot Hub. The hub is then the interface between the remote control and the Matter controller.
So far, only Apple users have been able to enjoy all this. After all, Matter can only be used with the Remote via HomeKit. You can also only control a maximum of four devices via Matter with the conventional SwitchBot Hub. That’s a bit meagre, but it can certainly be expanded in the future through updates.
If you only want to control essential things such as lights, door locks and vacuum robots with the remote control, you should be able to cope with the limitation of four devices. Incidentally, users of a SwitchBot Hub 2 can store up to eight devices.
Conclusion
The SwitchBot Universal Remote leaves me with mixed feelings. But first things first. In the test, it impressed with its excellent workmanship and stylish appearance. In my opinion, however, it could have been a little more compact. In terms of design, I’m still bothered by the fixed battery. This makes the remote control not really sustainable. However, the remote scores points again with its quick and uncomplicated setup. However, some users are unlikely to be happy for long. The range of functions of the remote control is unfortunately quite limited without a suitable SwitchBot Hub. Strictly speaking, only Bluetooth devices from the SwitchBot family and selected gadgets such as a Fire TV or Apple TV can be controlled. You even need a hub to set it up as an IR remote control. It’s no consolation that I don’t need the hub for the subsequent control.
In view of the comparatively high purchase price, this is somewhat annoying. If you want to use the Universal Remote to its full extent, there is no way around buying an additional hub, which causes the price to skyrocket to € 109.99 *. So the Universal Remote is really only recommended for people who already have a hub at home or want to set up a SwitchBot system. In conclusion, the Universal Remote is a very good universal remote control for SwitchBot-Bot fans including a hub and, at best, other devices from the smart home expert’s product family. However, everyone else should think twice about buying it, as it simply lacks value for money without the right gadgets.
SwitchBot Universal Remote
Design and processing
Hardware
Performance
Price-performance ratio
The SwitchBot Universal Remote is a very good universal remote control - at least if you want to dive deep into the SwitchBot ecosystem or are already in the middle of it.
