Simple television remotes designed for seniors
By Jim Miller, The Savvy Senior
It seems like most television remote controls today come with dozens of unnecessary buttons that make them very confusing to operate. Add in the fact that many people use two or three remotes to operate their home entertainment equipment (TV, cable box, VCR and DVD player, etc.) it compounds the problem even further.
Fortunately, there are several universal TV remotes available today that are specifically designed for seniors and the technically challenged. These remote controls have bigger buttons and fewer options that make them much easier to see, program and operate.
Simplified remotes
Two popular senior-friendly products to consider are the Flipper Remote and the Super Remote SR3.
Flipper also has an optional feature that lets you program up to 30 of your mom’s favorite channels for easy access.
The Super Remote SR3 from Universal Remote Control, Inc. (sold through amazon.com for around $13) is a slightly more sophisticated user-friendly remote that can control three devices — TVs, cable or satellite boxes, and DVD players.
It offers a light-weight ergonomic design, large easy-to-see numeric buttons each in the shape of the number it represents, and a centrally located “My Button” that gives your mom the ability turn on the TV and set the tuner to her favorite channel with a single button press.
It also provides four “Favorite” buttons for one-touch access to her favorite channels, and an “All Off” button that lets her shut down the entire home entertainment system with a single button press.
Super-sized remotes
There are also a number of over-sized TV remotes that are ideal for seniors with vision problems. The “Tek Partner,” “Big Button,” and “Tek Pal” remotes all made by the Hy-Tek Manufacturing Company (
, 630-466-7664) in Sugar Grove, Ill., are three solid options to consider.
If you’re interested in an extra large remote control, the $40 Tek Partner — which is 5 ½ inches wide and 8 ½ inches long — is their biggest. It offers huge brightly lit buttons with big readable characters, and a narrowed center (3 ½ inches), which makes it easy to handle for a big remote. It also contains only the essential functions making it easy to use and program, and it operates any combination of TVs, VCRs, DVD players, cable boxes and satellite dishes.
If you’re looking for something a little smaller (2 ½ inches by 9 ½ inches), there’s the $25, rectangular-shaped Big Button remote that offers the same large and illuminating buttons as the Tek Partner and the exact same features.
Or, if you only want a basic remote for the TV, there’s the Tek Pal that comes with just six large buttons (On/Off, Mute, Channel Up and Down, and Volume Up and Down buttons) that light up when pushed. Available for $19, the Pal will only work with televisions that have cable wired directly into the TV.
