If you’ve ever been to a home with a universal remote, you’ve probably found yourself stumbling your way through turning on the TV. There are so many buttons, and you don’t know which ones control the TV itself, the cable box, stereo, or Blu-ray player. Plus, the remote can open the curtains, turn on the fan, and even dim the lights. There’s so much power in the remote, and if you used one in the early 2000s, it probably had approximately 100 buttons.

But what if there was an easier way to control so many devices in your home with one remote? While smart home devices have become synonymous with app and voice control, why not have a remote control that works with them too? Enter the Linxura Smart Controller. This is a controller for your entire smart home, and it doesn’t have 100 buttons. It has four.

The Linxura Smart Controller is a remote in the shape of a wheel that allows you to sync select smart home devices all to one controller and do things like turn on the TV, switch a smart plug on and off, change the color of your lights, and more. It’s also magnetic and can be mounted, making it easy to keep track of, unlike other remotes you may have used in the past. I’ve been testing out the Linxura Smart Controller for a while and have found it really works well with some of my smart home devices, but it will be better when it works with more. Here’s more of what I thought.

Price, specs, and availability

The Linxura Smart Controller retails for $99.99. It is available from Linxura. You can also buy it from retailers like Crutchfield and Best Buy. It is available in three colors: Midnight Onyx, Snow Pearl, and Sterling Moon. The Linxura Smart Controller fits in the palm of your hand and the box comes with the controller, a charging cable, and mounting hardware. The controller itself is magnetic and the mounting base that is included is also magnetic.

You can either mount it into the wall with screws. The device also comes with a 3M adhesive pad. Linxura claims that the controller lasts for up to three months on a single charge. It connects via 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and then works to be integrated with other devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It offers compatibility with different smart home devices and platforms like:

• Philips Hue
• Amazon Alexa
• IFTTT
• Samsung SmartThings
• Google Home
• Kasa
• WiZ
• Sonos,
• Lifx
• ecobee
• Schlage

What I liked about the Linxura Smart Controller

When it works, it’s really handy

As a smart home reporter, I have tested many smart home devices, so I have a lot around my home. When I first received Linxura’s smart controller, I immediately looked to see what smart home devices I had that would work with it. I was pleased to find out some of the gadgets I use frequently but a little bummed that it would not work for all of my devices. While that was to be expected, it still isn’t the remote that you need for everything in your life.

That will still probably be your phone, if I’m being honest. But back to what really works well with the Linxura. Setting it up isn’t difficult, but it is a different process for every device. The remote can control up to 52 devices at once, giving you plenty of options. I decided to use my test unit for the lamp in my office, which I connected to a Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug, the WiZ light bulbs in my bedroom, and my tea kettle in the kitchen. I could’ve set it up to open my smart lock, but I thought about it and why would I need a remote control to unlock or lock my door from inside my home?

Once I synced up the lamp in my office, I mounted the magnet on the wall next to the light switch so when I walk into the room, I’m able to turn on either the overhead light or the lamp. I set the remote to turn on with one click and off with a double click. I found that the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug reacted well in my office. But I used the same concept on the tea kettle in the kitchen and it worked more slowly with the one downstairs, which is odd because it’s closer to the router.

Setting it up with the WiZ light bulbs in my room, I had zero issues. I was able to set it to click and turn on, double click to turn off, and slide the wheel to change and adjust brightness. I also set different colors for different times of the day because I have a color-changing bulb. This proved to be very fun and I kept the remote on my nightstand, making it easier to grab than having to hoist myself up and turn the switch on the light to turn it on.

I love the design of the Linxura Smart Controller. The e-paper display is reminiscent of an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, so you’re able to read it in dark or light settings. Plus, you can ring the remote from the Linxura app in case you can’t find it, making it hard to lose. It not needing its own hub felt like a huge win as well.

What I didn’t like about the Linxura Smart Controller

Obviously, the biggest downside to this device is the fact that it likely won’t integrate with all of your smart home devices. That leaves you with the need to still control some things with your voice or an app. Linxura has said that more integrations will be made available by the end of the year, including Switchbot, Honeywell, and Matter devices.

When you are integrating it with the devices, it often does require you to integrate the app for that device with the Linxura app and then share passwords, log in, and make sure they both work. That can be time-consuming and you may have to share more data than you want to with Linxura. As I stated above, some of the commands took longer for the devices to listen to, which was a bit frustrating.

Should you buy the Linxura Smart Controller?

It’s an honest maybe

If you look at the Linxura Smart Controller, the concept is great. But if you don’t have many of the devices that it is compatible with, it is not going to be much help to you. Linxura has said that it will continue to integrate more devices and a new model will be coming eventually. So, if you’re able to wait, you might want to. But if you do have a lot of the devices that it works with, it could be worth your time. It does make controlling the devices easier and using it is simple.