Logitech Harmony One review

Logitech’s new universal remote

The LCD display at the top is touchscreen, allowing you to access functions by scrolling through a graphical menu

TechRadar Verdict

A straightforward and user-friendly remote

Pros

  • +

    Touchscreen display

  • +

    Easy to set up

  • +

    Can control numerous devices with ease

Cons

  • -

    Need a PC or Mac connection

  • -

    May need some fiddling with when putting in codes

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Logitech has firmly ensconced itself in the world of AV through its Harmony universal remote series and, to a lesser effect, its iPod docks.

So following on from the PDA-style king of the range, the Harmony 1000, this is a more conventional-looking controller which borrows some of the elements of its older sibling to great effect.

While it contains buttons along the shaft, the small, full-colour LCD display at the top is touchscreen, allowing you to access functions, such as one-hit 'Activities', by scrolling through a graphical menu.

The remote learns control codes via Logitech's own web database, accessible using a PC or Apple Mac. There are currently command setups for over 5,000 individual bits of kit.

Highs:

The touchscreen responds to electrical pulses in your fingertips rather than purely touch, allowing for the LCD screen to be more durable. A must if you've got kids in the house.
Setup, through the included PC/Mac software, is easy. Can control up to 15 devices, and they can all be setup into 'Activities', where one button press will switch on the TV, receiver and Blu-ray player, for example.

Lows:

A PC or Mac and an internet connection are essential. With an enormous amount of advanced customisation on offer, you can find yourself mucking up its setup and having to perform a hard reset. Not all codes work first time, and may need fine-tuning and fiddling about with.

The TechRadar hive mind. The Megazord. The Voltron. When our powers combine, we become 'TECHRADAR STAFF'. You'll usually see this author name when the entire team has collaborated on a project or an article, whether that's a run-down ranking of our favorite Marvel films, or a round-up of all the coolest things we've collectively seen at annual tech shows like CES and MWC. We are one.