Remote Controls By the Numbers


 

Samsung remote control

You’re probably pretty familiar with the basics of TV remote controls, and if you’re like most Americans, you probably have a handful of various remotes for all types of electronic devices laying around your house. But how much do you really know about these little things?

96.7%: The estimated percentage of American households that have at least one TV set, with at least one corresponding remote control. The average household actually tends to have more than one TV, however, and most people have two or three TVs (along with a collection of TV-related devices, like DVD players or Blu-Ray players).

335 Million: The estimated number of TV remote controls that Americans use on a regular basis (and no, this doesn’t include the possible hundreds of TV remote controls that have been lost or eaten by the couch cushions). And speaking of couch cushions…

49%: The percentage of lost TV remotes that live underneath the couch cushions (and yes, this is actually the precise percentage that was discovered in an actual 2011 study). If you feel like you waste tons of time looking for remotes after you misplace them, you are definitely not alone. Over the span of one lifetime, it’s estimated that the average American TV watcher will spend about two weeks looking for lost remotes!

Of course, there are many products and strategies out there for keeping track of your remotes — and with so many people relying on them, it’s no wonder that there are whole articles and blog posts dedicated to helping people think of creative ways to keep track of their remote controls. But if all else fails, there are actually some great companies out there that sell replacement television remote controls for when remotes decide that they’ve had enough, and they want to go incognito for a while (or maybe for forever). All you need to know is the model number (usually on the back of the corresponding TV set/ DVD player/ stereo), and you can find replacement remotes for TVs of practically any brand. Learn more at this link.