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Smart garage door openers have become a staple in the ever-growing world of intelligent home upgrades, and it’s easy to understand why.
Smart garage door openers eliminate that sinking feeling caused by the realization that you left the garage door open, allowing you to control the garage door from anywhere, all through a handy app on your phone. In addition to opening or shutting your garage door, this also means you can let deliverymen drop packages, or let your kids in the house — even when you’re away.
But the features offered by the best smart garage door openers don’t stop there. Most of them also connect to existing smart home hubs (such as Alexa, Google Assistant, etc), allowing you do open the garage door with your voice. Plus, companion apps for these smart garage openers provide further conveniences such as notifications when the door opens, access sharing (for, say, the dog sitter), schedules and more.
What Are the Best Smart Garage Door Openers?
If you’re ready to upgrade your garage with an intelligent opener, we’re here to help. Below are some features to look out for when shopping for the best smart garage door opener for you.
Door Compatibility: Smart garage door openers connect to your existing opener mechanism, essentially replacing that old button on the wall. Traditional garage doors mostly come from a shortlist of brands (Chamberlain, Liftmaster and Genie, to name a few). Still, make sure to check whether a smart system is compatible with your current garage door.
Companion App: Not all smart garage door companion apps are made equal. Some offer more features than others, such as schedules, notifications and access sharing. Plus, some companion apps are simply more intuitive.
App Compatibility: If you already have smart home devices such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you’ll want a smart garage door opener that can connect to those devices. Plus, some smart garage door openers can also connect to apps such as IFTTT (If This Then That), letting you program the garage door to work with the weather, other smart devices and more.
Installation: Not all of us are trained handymen. Be sure to check installation procedures and reviews to see how much work is required for set up. Some smart garage door openers require a wired installation and others require a separate WiFi hub in addition to a door sensor. Most of the picks on our list though can be easily installed without the need to call for help.
