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In this article, we’ll pit the Logitech Harmony Companion vs Smart Control universal remote.
Now, why on Middle Earth would we do that?
So you can make a better-informed decision about which remote you like best.
It’s the battle of the Middle-Earth smart remotes!
Let our quest begin.
The Sad Truth About These Remotes
Sadly, when comparing Logitech Harmony Companion vs Smart Control a lot of people get these two remotes mixed up.
This is understandable due to the amount of misinformation floating about on the net about these babies.
We won’t point any fingers, BUT in researching this topic, NO ONE [including some major review sites] has the technical specifications exactly correct.
We’re here to set the record straight.
Harmony Companion vs Smart Control: Pros and Cons At a Glance
Logitech Harmony Companion |
Harmony Smart Control |
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Pros
Cons
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Pros
Cons
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Cut to the Chase: Which is the Better Remote?
The features and functionality of these two remotes are pretty much the same. The physical differences are:
- The Companion is slightly larger which gives more room for additional buttons.
- The buttons are also bigger which makes them easier to press.
- There are three “Home Control” buttons located at the top of the Companion remote that let you access six activities (short and long press of button gets you a different activity)
While all of the other buttons on the Companion remote are fully customizable, the six “Home Control” buttons are limited to certain specific activities. This is definitely a downside of this remote, and customers complain.
BUT…due to the limited functions on the physical Smart Remote’s size and the smaller buttons being harder to press, we have to recommend the Companion remote over the Smart Control.
My Pick: Logitech Harmony Companion
So in our Logitech Harmony Companion vs Smart Control..which is the winner? The Logitech Harmony Companion is our pick due to the limitations of the smaller Smart Control as stated above. The Companion is about as close to Logitech’s flagship Harmony Elite as you can get, sans the touchscreen. We’ll include a badge below with a link to Amazon if you’d like to buy this remote.
This remote has been discontinued by the manufacturer.
However, Logitech says it will continue to support the Harmony line indefinitely for new and existing customers.
Budget Runner Up: Harmony Smart Control
That said, if your primary goal is to control your devices using your smartphone, the software is the exact same – go with the Harmony Smart Control as it costs less. Here’s a badge to the Smart Control on Amazon as well.
The Best of the Best: Logitech Harmony Elite
We would be remiss if we didn’t tell you there’s an even better option, albeit for a little more money. The price on the Logitech Harmony Elite has actually come down substantially on this remote in recent weeks, making it more viable for many.
Once the best luxury remote to own, the discontinued-but-still-supported Harmony Elite remains a premium option for home theater and smart home control—if you can get your hands on one.
Amazon Associates Disclaimer: Please note that we may earn a small commission if you purchase one of these remotes using our links. There is no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Now, on to the details of the Logitech Harmony Companion vs Smart Control!
You thought that’s all you were getting? Nope. We don’t mess around….
Logitech Harmony Companion vs Smart Control: Detailed Comparison Table
Here’s a more detailed comparison table, so you can see all the features side by side.
Last update on 10/09/2024 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Key Features of Both Remotes
Control Up to Eight Devices
Logitech’s comprehensive devices database consists of over 270,000 devices from 8,000 brands. This means it is highly likely that any devices you own today are compatible. Moreover, Logitech constantly updates the database. This means that the device you own tomorrow will be compatible too. While 8 devices may not seem like a lot chances are you’ll be able to control the devices you use most frequently and get them to work in concert. If you need support for more devices, check out the Harmony Elite.
Set Custom Scenes and Activities
With custom scenes and activities, you can make your devices behave in conjunction with one another. For example, you could create an activity called Movie Night. At the press of a single button, the Movie Night activity would lower the blinds, dim the lights, fire up the TV, turn on your home audio system, etc. Similarly, you could have an activity called Good Night that turns off some lights, dims others, locks the doors and turns down your smart thermostat. Pretty neat.
Works with Amazon Echo
With Harmony’s excellent support for Alexa, you will be able to ask her to control your connected devices. This includes turning the TV on and off, tuning to your favorite channel, turning on Netflix or firing an activity. When you tell Alexa Good Night she could fire off the activities described above.
Great for Home Entertainment
Most of you are probably looking to consolidate the many remotes that you now use to control your home entertainment devices. Separate remotes for TV, cable, soundbars, etc can be discarded and replaced with a Harmony remote. Moreover, you get broad support for devices like Apple TV, Roku, or Sonos and game consoles such as Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation3 or Wii.
Smart Home Automation
As we’ve already mentioned, both of these remotes offer broad support for home automation activities. These include smart lighting, smart locks, smart thermostats, smart blinds, smart appliances, and the list goes on and on and only continues to grow. Moreover, customers have reported great success with using major smart home brands like Phillips Hue lighting, Nest thermostats, August smart locks, etc. This is unique to Harmony; customers that use other smart remotes generally report less consistency even with the major brands.
Easy To Set Up Using Your Computer
For the best experience, we recommend that you set up your remotes from your computer NOT the Logitech Harmony app. Customers have reported problems with using the app for set up. You will need to put together a list of the devices you want to use with the Harmony and then the software does the rest. It shouldn’t take more than 30-60 minutes to set up your eight devices. This is true for both Harmony Companion vs Smart Control.
Customer Impressions
In the battle of the Logitech Harmony Companion vs Smart Control, customers generally love both of these remotes. The complaints echo our concerns we raised above.
For both remotes, users complain about set up using the Harmony app.
For the Companion, the main complaint has to do with the three activity buttons being limited to six activities and then those six activities being locked down to certain features. The complaint about the smart control is its size and limitations of physical buttons.
System Requirements [Both Remotes]
When comparing Harmony Companion vs Smart Control, the system requirements are identical.
- Internet access
- For iOS mobile setup and control: iPhone 4S or later, iPad (3rd generation or later), iPad mini, iPod touch (5th generation or later) device with iOS 6.0 or higher.
- For Android mobile setup and control: Wi-Fi enabled smartphone with Android 4.0 or later.
- Harmony App: download from the App Store or Google Play. A supported mobile device is required for setup and control of some home automation devices.
- For Windows-based PC setup: Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista.
- For Intel-based Mac OS computer setup: Mac OS X 10.6 or higher.
What’s in the Box
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| Logitech Harmony Companion remote (with battery)
Harmony Home Hub IR mini-blaster USB cable AC adapter User documentation |
Smart Control remote (with battery)
Harmony Home Hub IR mini-blaster USB cable AC adapter User documentation |
Thanks to my dude from Gonna Geek Gear for this helpful unboxing video:
Logitech Harmony Companion vs Smart Control: What Do You Think?
So what do you think of our Logitech Harmony Companion vs Smart Control universal remote review?
Do you agree with our assessment that the Companion is better?
We would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below and let us know.
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Here are also some of our other recent articles and related links.
- Harmony Elite vs Companion [Epic Side-By-Side Comparison]
- Harmony Elite vs Ultimate Home: A Smart Remote Buyers Guide & FAQ]
- Logitech Harmony Comparison Chart
- 7 Best Remotes for Insignia TV
- Logitech Community Forums
- Harmony Subreddit
- 5 Best Universal Remotes for Verizon Fios
Tim Brennan is a technology blogger and hosts the @TecTimmy YouTube channel. He writes about smart homes at oneSmartcrib, home theaters at UniversalRemoteReviews, and AI in writing at Writeinteractive. A graduate of Northeastern University School of Journalism, he has written about technology for 30 years. Tim lives on the ocean in Nahant, Massachusetts.
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel for a fun take on all things tech.