Pest Control for a smart garage door opener
The ideal smart garage door controller
Pest Control for a smart garage door opener Control Gets a smart garage-door opener controller if you've ever returned home only to realize you left the garage door open all day. With the help of an app or even a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa, you can monitor the status of your garage door or open or close it from anywhere using one of these small devices that link to your existing garage door opener.
With the greatest hardware of any controller we evaluated, the Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller opens your door securely when you get home thanks to its innovative positioning technology.
Before you buy advice
Compatibility
Not every door opener is compatible with smart controllers. To be sure they will function together, you might need to use an add-on adaptor.
Installation
The majority of controllers may be installed with simple DIY abilities, albeit doing so may require utilizing a ladder, tools, and possibly running wiring. For some people, a handyman may be useful.
action, cameras, and lights
A camera is available on some models, giving owners visual verification that the door is closed, who closed it, and what was going on in the garage.
All-in-one
If you need a new garage door opener, you can get one that has the same smart capabilities without purchasing a separate controller.
Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller
The top smart opener for garage doors
This is our top choice due to proximity sensing, broad compatibility, stable operation, and sturdy hardware.
Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Google Home, SmartThings, and IFTTT are all compatible.
The most responsive and trustworthy smart garage-door opener controller we tested is the Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller. The iQ3's accurate geolocation technology, which integrates Bluetooth and GPS, also makes it simple to walk up to an open door while returning home (it can automatically shut your door when you leave, too).
Additionally, voice control is an option with Apple, Google Assistant, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa. And thanks to a free adaptor, the iQ3 works with any type of garage door opener, unlike other proprietary controllers.
Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub and Controller
The simplest to assemble
The MyQ is remarkably easy to set up and operate. And for a higher cost, a new optional camera adds an additional layer of security.
IFTTT with Google Assistant compatibility
The Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub and Controller is one of the simplest controllers to install, set up, and use out of all the ones we examined. The MyQ is compatible with all popular garage-door openers produced after 1993 and offers the option to link with a LiftMaster Smart Garage Camera, which can add an extra layer of security.
However, it is not directly compatible with any of the major smart platforms; if you want to connect it to other smart devices, take a look at one of our other recommendations.
iSmartGate Pro
a controller with a ton of features and options
In comparison to its rivals, the iSmartGate Pro has more features, such as direct camera integration, geofencing, free HomeKit compatibility, and local control. However, those are quite expensive.
Compatible with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and IFTTT
The iSmartGate Pro is run by a local CPU, thus it doesn't need the cloud to function. With the most practical features and compatibility with all significant smart home systems, it is the best choice. One of just two devices we evaluated, the iSmartGate Pro, can also operate automatic gates. For real-time visual proof of your garage door, this model interfaces seamlessly with several well-liked IP security cameras, including its own.
Through connectivity with a smart platform, you can also do cool things like use voice and geolocation to open and close your door automatically, share access, and check the temperature inside your garage. However, the iSmartGate Pro is also the most costly.
Who needs an intelligent garage door opener controller?
Anyone who frequently wonders whether they unintentionally left their garage door open may find great peace of mind in a smart garage-door opener controller, which is a modest luxury.
With the help of an app on your smartphone, tablet, or (in some circumstances) a computer, you can check on or control your door from anywhere using these little devices, which you connect to your existing garage door opener.
These accessories typically range in price from $30 to $180 and do nothing more than expand the capabilities of your current opener. They don't take the place of other gadgets you might already own and enjoy, such as visor clips, push buttons, and keypads.
Similar to a smart door lock, a smart garage door opener controller is a great security and access solution for your primary residence, second house, or rental property. You may remotely open and close your garage door, or you can use geolocation features to have the door close on its own so you don't have to worry about leaving it open. If your garage door is unintentionally left open, controllers can alert you so you may close it from anywhere you are
—even just the couch. Some controllers can even automatically close the door for you (with a safety beep to warn anyone standing underneath it).
The majority of controllers are simple to install, simple to use, and don't need any additional gear to function. Therefore, you only need to purchase one, plug it in, and begin operating your garage door.
Even if you don't intend to install a full smart home system, voice control (through integration with a platform like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit) is a particularly helpful smart feature that enables you to ask quickly whether your door is open and have it close without having to take out your phone and press buttons. But a smart garage-door opener controller is a straightforward, entry-level product that may make your life easier, so you don't have to be involved in home automation for it to be useful to you.
A smart garage-door opener controller is a basic, entry-level product that can simplify your life; you don't need to be involved in home automation for it to be useful to you.
If you intend to purchase a smart controller, be sure that it is initially compatible with your garage door opener. Not all intelligent garage door opener controllers are compatible with all intelligent garage door openers. And in contrast to what you may anticipate given the state of technology, the likelihood that your garage door opener will function with the majority of retrofit smart garage-door opener controllers decreases as it becomes older.
With its three main brands, Chamberlain, LiftMaster, and Craftsman, the Chamberlain Group, which produces the MyQ controller, controls a sizable portion of the US garage-door opener market. As a result, it has blocked the majority of third-party smart controllers from working with its more recent openers (2011 and newer).
Look at the "Learn" button on the controller to quickly determine if your opener is one of these: Without an adapter, a controller that is circular and yellow or that has MyQ or Security+ 2.0 printed on it won't work with third-party programs.
That adapter is a fairly simple workaround created by several manufacturers: You can pair your opener with a little remote control that was provided by the manufacturer instead of connecting wires to the rear of your controller to get the same functionality as if it were wired to the main opener. Since you don't need to climb a ladder to hook the controller into the rear of your opener, unlike with all other controllers besides the MyQ, which uses radio signals, this really provides for an easier installation.
Additionally, if your opener is a 2013 model or newer Chamberlain brand, it is likely already MyQ-enabled, so there is no need for you to purchase anything.
If you're in the market for a brand-new garage door opener, Chamberlain and LiftMaster both make all-in-one smart garage door opener controllers that use MyQ technology. Aladdin Genie has a series of products with its Aladdin Connect technology integrated, while iSmartGate offers openers that use its technology.
Controls for smart garage-door openers, security, and privacy
Security and privacy concerns are major matters for Wirecutter. And to assist you in understanding which information the businesses you're inviting into your garage may be taking with them, we've put together this chart to address some of the most often-asked queries.
In order to validate details that we believe should be of the utmost importance for any possible buyer, we contacted the organizations that make our top rankings and requested that they respond to a comprehensive questionnaire. Here are the outcomes that, in our opinion, you ought to take into account before buying.
Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub
Best overall
$33 at Amazon
Tailwind iQ3
Best for automatic opening
See at Tailwind
Garadget
Best for simplicity
See at Amazon
Alcidae Garager 2
Best with video
See at Amazon
Nexx Garage
Best for Alexa
See at Amazon