Logitech’s Harmony 350 remote gets you universal control for $50

Logitech’s Harmony remotes have long been the best value in universal remotes, but the current entry-level Harmony 650 ($75 USD street) is a little pricey for simpler bedroom and kitchen setups.

The new Harmony 350 ($50 USD retail, £35 in UK, available now) looks to fill the low-price niche while still offering Harmony’s excellent remote design and control for up to eight devices. Like other Harmony remotes, programming is done online, letting you enter in device names, rather than the tedious trial-and-error typically found on the cheap universal remotes you’d find at a pharmacy. There are also five “favorite” buttons, letting you quickly jump directly to the channels you use the most.

The biggest drawback over more expensive models is that only one activity (“Watch TV”) is supported, so you won’t get to take advantage of Harmony’s convenient macro programming for other devices, like a Blu-ray player or streaming box. That makes it a less-than-ideal for more elaborate living room setups, but it looks to be a great fit for secondary rooms, especially if the street price comes in closer to $40.