I highly recommend the Apple remote .. then you also don't need to take your phone with you when you are watching TV, which is an added benefit for some.
Of course the thin Apple remote has a way of getting lost, but it has a Find Me feature which locates it pretty well.
There was a company or two that made cases for the older Apple remotes with the express purpose of making them larger, which I always thought was kind of funny. I would buy one for the current remote if one existed.
Same here.. so we use that Find Remote functionality about once a month! Without it we'd be lost. Business idea: Make a cover for the Apple remote that makes it bigger and harder to lose.
Of course the thin Apple remote has a way of getting lost, but it has a Find Me feature which locates it pretty well.