Today’s tech products can make almost anything easier. These five smart garage door openers illustrate that reality by letting you open your garage door — and much more — without getting out of your vehicle.
The Best Garage Door Openers for 2018
1. The Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub
Invest in this modestly priced solution if you already have a standard garage door opener and want it to work with your smartphone. An older version of this accessory earned a favorable review from CNET that emphasized the manufacturers did a lot of things right. It installs quickly, works with most safety sensor-equipped garage door openers made after 1993, and gives smartphone alerts if your garage door opens or closes. You can also make the opener operate on a schedule. ($79.99)
2. The Aladdin Connect
Like the option above, this system connects to an existing garage door opener to make it smarter. It features an attractive security feature that not only gives mobile alerts if the door opens or closes electronically, but also tells you if someone opens it by hand.
Moreover, you can open it from the smartphone app or temporarily grant that option to someone such as a caretaker or relative by giving them a virtual key that’s accessible when they download the app. It’s also possible to set your garage door to close after staying open for a specific amount of time. That’s helpful for ensuring animals don’t wander inside. ($90-$99.00 depending on the retailer)
3. The LiftMaster WLED
There are several reasons to keep your garage door working properly. A malfunctioning one is a safety risk and could make you violate housing codes or decrease your curb appeal, among other things.
If the garage door opener installed now doesn’t work anymore and you’re ready to upgrade, try the LiftMaster LED. It’s a complete system with a virtually silent belt drive system. There’s also a battery backup that permits accessing the garage even during a power outage.
After connecting this LiftMaster model to your Wi-Fi network, control the door or turn on corner-to-corner lighting with your smartphone. (Contact a local dealer for current pricing)
4. The Nexx Garage Smart Garage Door Remote
This accessory works with most existing garage door openers as a companion. Besides allowing you to open and close the garage door with a smartphone app, this option from Nexx features Alexa voice control compatibility. You can set the garage door to activate when your car approaches it, too.
If you forget to close the garage door, the app notifies you of the oversight. It also stores a week’s worth of operating logs for you to check and enjoy peace of mind. ($99.99)
5. The Gogogate 2
This is another entire garage door opener possibility. It offers the most compatibility with tech services of any other opener on this list. Specifically, the Gogogate 2 works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, the Apple Watch and IFTTT. You can even operate the door with your PC. Configure the opener to allow entry when you drive up, or at the desired time.
Control up to three garage doors with one system. Plus, watch real-time video footage of your garage door. (Installation kits start at $299.99)
Enhance Your Garage Door to Fit Your Life
These garage door openers offer intelligent features that make life convenient. They facilitate controlling access to your garage so it’s a hassle-free process.