If you park in the garage of your house, you know the feeling. You leave the house, get halfway down the street and wonder if you remember to close the garage door.
We saw a lot of smart cameras, doorbells and locks for our front doors, but what about the door that many of us use the most? It turns out that there are more than a few good options for your garage. We will take a look.
If you already own a motorized garage door opener, you can use one of the accessories added below. If you are looking for a brand new opening mechanism, you can find smart options from manufacturers such as Chamberlain, LiftMaster and Ryobi.
Intelligent garage door controllers come in a few variants. In general, a controller attaches to your existing opener with a double-sided tape. In most cases, you will need to connect two small wires to the opening and closing control nodes of your existing garage door opener. Smart garage kits also typically include a type of sensor to attach to your garage door. This sensor detects and transmits the position of your garage door so that the controller knows precisely if the door is open, closed or in between.
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On the smart side, these add-on controllers connect to your Wi-Fi network. You'll need a solid 2.4 GHz Internet connection to reach your garage. Typically, a corresponding application will guide you through adding your device to the network, as well as general installation.
The features and intelligences of applications differ from brand to brand. Some offer geolocation, scheduling, remote access and voice control, while others simply make your phone a copy of your remote garage opener. Choosing the right controller for you depends on the features you want most and the smart platforms you use at home. Whatever your requirements, there is probably a smart garage door opener to suit your needs.
Chamberlain
The Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Concentrator is a $ 50 system that adds a smart touch to a wide variety of garage door openers. Once MyQ is installed, you can check the status of your garage door and open or close it remotely from the MyQ app on your iOS or Android device. The installation of Chamberlain's MyQ system is easier than most others, with no wires to connect to your existing opener. This requires attaching a bracket to your ceiling rather than using the more adhesive tape method used by other manufacturers.
MyQ works with a variety of smart home products such as Nest, Wink and Xfinity Home to control and automate multiple devices from one platform. Chamberlain is not compatible with SmartThings or Amazon Alexa, but there is compatibility with Google Assistant and IFTTT. Chamberlain does not offer HomeKit users compatibility to any other manufacturer during our tests, though it does require a $ 70 MyQ Home Bridge adapter. The Chamberlain MyQ system has the quality of a trusted garage brand and should be at the top of your list for a well-done garage intelligence.
Read our full review of the Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub.
Chris Monroe / CNET
The $ 89 Garadget adds voice control and remote access to your existing garage door. The Garadget's sensor system consists of a reflective label placed on the top panel of a garage door and a laser built-in device Garadget itself. When the laser hits the reflective label, Garadget knows that your garage door is closed. Like most garage controllers we've tested, the Garadget requires wiring.
The Garadget has its own Amazon Alexa skill and the IFTTT integration means you can create custom orders for Google Assistant. The Garadget app for iOS and Android devices does not include planning, but if you're looking for only simple voice commands and remote access, the Garadget will do the job at a reasonable price.
Read our full review of the Garadget.
Chris Monroe / CNET
The Garager 2 is one of the most eye-catching and interesting garage devices we've ever tested. It's a two-in-one door and camera controller. This $ 149 surveillance camera attaches to the bottom of your garage door opener via a magnet and controls your garage door from the Alcidae app for iOS and Android devices. The camera includes 1080p color video, night vision, and two-way audio, although clip storage requires a $ 5 monthly subscription.
The controller works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for voice commands to open and close your garage. An upgrade from the previous model adds a magnetic base to stabilize the camera's power supply when the garage door is moving. If you really want to be able to watch and talk to your garage space. You can also receive notifications and control them remotely or via voice assistants. Garager works well.
The $ 119 Gogogate2 is a capable garage controller that supports up to three doors with a single device, a feature that sets it apart from other devices. The GogoGate2 also works with third-party cameras, including Nest and Insteon for live images in the Gogogate app for iOS and Android devices. The unit connects to your existing garage door opener and uses a tilt sensor attached to the top of your garage door to detect the position of the door.
Configuring the GogoGate2 application has proven a bit more tedious than other controllers, but the application includes impressive and customizable access for multiple users. You will need IFTTT applets to use any voice assistant or to configure the geofencing. Still, the reasonably priced Gogogate2 supports almost every function you would want for a smart garage.
Read our full review of Gogogate2.
Chris Monroe / CNET
The Nexx Garage is a $ 100 smart garage controller that adds skills to your normal garage door with ease. You'll get voice commands, remote access and automatic login via the Nexx Garage app for iOS and Android devices without involving IFTTT applets. Although Nexx Garage is not as fully integrated as Chamberlain's MyQ system, the voice compatibility of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa is free.
The biggest negative point of the Nexx garage is the sensors you will need to detect the condition of the door. Two sensors are attached to your garage door and the wall above it. They should be placed 1/4 inch apart to get the best results. The top sensor in this pair is wired, and I do not want to add more wires to a part. The Nexx garage is ideal for those who want simple intelligence, no problems and compatibility with voice-activated assistants Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
Read our full review of the Nexx garage.
Chris Monroe / CNET
Garageio was one of the first garage repair machines we tested. It mounts to the side of your garage door opener using tape and connects to the opening and closing control knobs of your garage door opener. The system includes a wired sensor and an activator, mounted one next to the other on the side of the garage door and the door frame. As with the Nexx garage, you must connect the wired sensor cable to the Garageio device to connect everything.
Garageio works with Amazon Alexa and offers IFTTT applets for customizable technologies. The Garageio app for iOS and Android devices provides remote access, multiple users and alerts when doors are left open. The integration with Amazon Echo is not intuitive enough, and the price of 200 USD seems quite high. You can get more for your money with Nexx Garage or Chamberlain's MyQ system. Garageio is sold out online and was recently acquired by Guardian Access. At present, the company lists only one pre-order option for Garageio 2 on its website, so stay tuned for Garageio product updates.
Read our full review of Garageio.
Chris Monroe / CNET
The Tailwind iQ3 is a reliable way to add Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa assistants to your garage. It is also distinguished by security because it takes longer than your phone to allow automatic opening or closing. The wired configuration makes it reliable, and at $ 99 for a standard kit and $ 110 for a kit with vehicle sensor, it's a good value for money.
You will not get HomeKit compatibility with the Tailwind iQ3 and anyone using an iPhone will need to purchase the vehicle's sensor pack. Nevertheless, you can control up to three doors with a single controller and the Tailwind iQ3 checks all boxes for basic garage door information.
Read our full review of the Tailwind iQ3.
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