The best smart garage door controllers for 2020
When you park in your House garagethen you know the feeling. You leave the house, make it halfway and wonder if you thought of closing the garage door. But what if you could just check an app on your smartphone and see if the door is open or closed? And if not, are you using your smartphone (and your app) as a garage door control?
We saw a lot of intelligent technology. There is the intelligent camera, the smart one lock and for people who like to see who comes and goes, the smart ones door bell. But what about smart door devices that many of us use most often? It turns out that there aren’t just some good, simple options for your garage. Let’s take a look at the best intelligent garage door opener that meets your needs.
Garage Smarts 101
If you already have a motorized garage door opener, including one with a belt drive opener or chain drive, you can open and close the garage door with one of the following simple accessories. If you’re looking for a completely new opener mechanism on the market, you’ll find smart opener options from manufacturers like Chamberlain, LiftMaster and Ryobi.
Intelligent garage door controls are available in several variants. Generally, a controller is attached to your existing opener with a double-sided tape. In most cases, you will need to attach two small wires to the command node to open and close your existing garage door opener. Intelligent garage kits usually also include a sensor that can be attached to your garage door. This sensor detects and transmits the status of your garage door so that the controller knows exactly whether the door is open, closed or somewhere in between, and can use the garage door opener app to send you a push notification if your garage is open if it is not should be the case. t be. It typically also serves as a safety sensor. And of course, being able to connect to a WiFi signal is key to ensuring that your new smart garage door and remote control work the way you want them to.
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On the smart side, an add-on controller connects to your Wi-Fi network, which is pretty easy. You need a strong 2.4 GHz internet connection to reach your garage. Typically, an app will guide you through adding your device to the network and through the general installation.
The functions and smarts of the garage door opener app differ from brand to brand. One app may offer geofencing, scheduling, remote access, and voice control, while another app may just make your smartphone a duplicate of your garage door controller. Deciding which control is the best intelligent garage door opener for you depends on which control functions you want the most and which smart home platforms you use in your home (e.g. Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple HomeKit). Regardless of your needs, there is likely to be a smart garage door opener and app that fits your needs.
Chamberlain
Chamberlain’s MyQ Smart Garage Hub is a $ 20 system that lets you add smarts to a variety of garage door openers. If MyQ is installed, you can check the status of your garage door and open or close the door remotely using the MyQ app on your iOS or Android smartphone. Chamberlain’s MyQ system is easy to install without having to connect cables to your existing door opener. It is necessary to attach a bracket to the ceiling instead of using the tape approach common with other manufacturers.
MyQ works with a variety of smart home products such as Nest, Wink and Xfinity Home to control and automate multiple smart home devices from one platform. Chamberlain is not compatible with SmartThings or Amazon Alexa, but there is compatibility with Google Assistant and IFTTT. Chamberlain offers HomeKit users compatibility that no other manufacturer has tested, although this requires the MyQ Home Bridge adapter. Chamberlain’s MyQ system offers the quality of a trusted garage brand and should be at the top of your list for well-made garage smarts.
Read our full review of the Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub.
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Chris Monroe / CNET
The $ 89 Garadget provides voice control and remote access to your existing garage door. The Garadget sensor system consists of a reflective label on the top of a garage door and a laser built into the Garadget device itself. When the laser hits the reflective label, Garadget knows that your garage door is closed. Just right? Like many garage controls that we have tested, the Garadget needs some cables for the door control to work.
The Garadget has its own Amazon Alexa capability. IFTTT integration allows you to create custom commands for Google Assistant. The Garadget app for smartphones (iOS and Android) does not include a schedule. However, if you’re just looking for simple commands and remote access to the mobile app’s garage, the Garadget does the job for a reasonable price.
Read our full report on the Garadget.
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Chris Monroe / CNET
The Garage 2 is by far one of the most striking and interesting garage devices that we have tested. It is a two-in-one camera and a simple door control. This security camera for $ 150 is attached to the underside of your garage door opener with a magnet and controls your garage door via the Alcidae app for smartphones (Android and iOS). The camera contains 1080p color and night vision videos as well as two-way audio. However, a $ 5 per month subscription is required to save clips.
The control works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa through your Wi-Fi connection to receive commands to open and close your garage. An upgrade over the previous model adds a magnetic base to stabilize the camera feed when opening or closing the garage. If you really want to add video surveillance and see and speak to your garage space, this device is for you. You can also receive notifications and control them remotely or via voice assistants. Garage works well.
Chris Monroe / CNET
The Nexx Garage is a smart $ 60 garage controller that allows you to easily open and close your normal garage door. The Nexx Garage app for smartphones (iOS and Android) gives you voice commands, remote access and automatic opening without involving IFTTT applets. Although Nexx Garage is not as fully integrated as Chamberlain’s MyQ system, there are no fees for the language compatibility of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
The biggest minus of the Nexx Garage are the sensors you need to detect the status of the door. Two sensors are attached to your garage door and on the wall above and must be placed 1/4 inch apart for best results. The top sensor in this pair is wired, and adding more cables to each room is something I don’t prefer. The Nexx Garage is ideal for anyone who wants simple, uncomplicated smarts and compatibility with the voice-activated assistants Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
Read our full review of the Nexx Garage.
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Chris Monroe / CNET
Garageio was one of the earliest garage smartening devices we tested. It is attached to the side of your garage door opener with adhesive strips and connected to the command nodes for opening and closing your opener. The system includes a wired sensor and an activator, which are mounted side by side on the side of your garage door and door frame. As with the Nexx Garage, you need to return the wired sensor cable back to the Garageio device to connect everything.
Garageio works with Amazon Alexa and offers IFTTT applets for customizable smarts. The Garageio app for smartphones (iOS and Android) offers remote access, multiple users and warnings when doors remain open. Integration with Amazon Echo isn’t intuitive enough, and the price of $ 129 is pretty high. With Nexx Garage or Chamberlain’s MyQ system, you can get more for your money.
Read our full review of the Garageio.
Chris Monroe / CNET
With the Tailwind iQ3, you can reliably add Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa voice control smarts to your garage. It is also characterized by security, as more than just your smartphone is required to enable automatic opening or closing. The wired setup makes it reliable, and at $ 50 for a standard kit and $ 60 for one with a vehicle sensor, it’s a good value.
You won’t get HomeKit compatibility with the Tailwind iQ3, and anyone using an iPhone will need to purchase the vehicle sensor package. Still, you can control up to three doors with one controller, and the Tailwind iQ3 checks all boxes for basic garage door smarts.
Read our full review of the Tailwind iQ3.
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Originally published in 2018 and updated regularly.
