Why You Can Trust CNET Get a refurbished Logitech Harmony 650 remote for $49.99
It may be refurbished, but it still comes with a one-year warranty. And a color LCD. And support for up to five home-theater devices. Killer deal!
Regular Cheapskate readers know of my fondness for Logitech's Harmony series of universal remotes. One of the better models, the 650, usually sells for around $80.
If you don't mind going the refurbished route, you can get one for a lot less. Buy.com has the refurbished Logitech Harmony 650 remote for $49.99 shipped.
In case you're not familiar with the Harmony line, the remotes are notable for Logitech's wizard-driven setup software, which makes them easier to program than most.
You simply choose your gear from a mammoth database, configure any one-button actions you want (turn on TV, switch to input 4, turn on Xbox, etc.), and presto: you're good to go. The Harmony is also blissfully user-friendly, with guided onscreen help in case something didn't turn on or switch modes or something.
The Harmony 650 features a color LCD, backlit controls, and support for up to five devices. Alas, it's not rechargeable, so you'll have to swap in a pair of AA batteries every couple months (though you can always use rechargeable batteries, of course).
The user reviews on this model average four stars out of five, both at Logitech's site and Amazon's product page.
Incidentally, Amazon has the remote for $78.29 new, a pretty sweet deal in itself if you're not keen on refurbished gear. But because Buy.com's product page shows the Harmony 650 as having a one-year warranty, there's little reason to spend extra on a new one.
For what it's worth, I've had the same Harmony One (the Rolls-Royce of the series) for about three years, and it's humming along just fine. If you're still juggling multiple remotes, I think you'll find this $50 very well spent.
Bonus deal: Looking for a keyboard for your iPhone or iPad? SuperMediaStore has the Azio White Bluetooth Keyboard for $29.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code ABWMK20 at checkout. It's a great little product; here's my review.