Garage door technology has improved quite a bit over the years. What used to be a remote clicker is now a technology that is streamable to your phone, works with a home assistant, and even allows remote monitoring while you’re away. It’s not life changing but it does improve your daily life.
The ability to remotely control your garge door is the biggest benefit of smart garage door openers. Most of todays systems connect to home wifi and link to your phone. The benefit of this is that you are able to open and close your garage door from anywhere. If you’re upstairs, at work, or even across the country you have are able to control the garage door. Not to mention the peace of mind you are able to get if you wake up at 2am wondering whether or not you closed the door. You have the ability to check and close the door without even getting out of bed.
Because of the Wi-Fi controls, remote door monitoring features work as planned. You’ll be able to know when the door is opened or closed. It is helpful to know when your teenagers are coming or going at strange hours, or if you want to keep an eye on the door when you are away. Some systems allow you to setup a time schedule, your door locks at a certain time each night so you don’t have to remember to close it. You don’t realise how great of a feature it is, until you have it, and then you wonder how you lived without it.
Voice monitoring is another feature that is common in modern garage systems. If your home is equipped with Alexa or Google Assist, you can add the garage to your voice command applications. You can command the app by saying, “Alexa, close the garage door,” and it gets the job done. It’s a little strange when you do it for the first time, but the novelty wears off eventually. It’s great when you have your hands tied, carrying shopping bags or when you are supervising kids.
People often wonder how worth it automated systems really are in comparison to manual systems, and there really isn’t a straight answer, as it all depends on how the garage is used. If someone is driving in and out several times a day, it is way more convenient to have an automated system than to have to manually open the door each time. It is a real quality of life improvement for elderly, as well as someone who may have mobility issues. On the other hand, manual doors are more reliable, as they don’t need power and there is a lot less that can go wrong, but they do require more effort.
In terms of security, automated systems offer a lot more than manual. Most modern smart openers have what is called rolling code technology, in which the code to access the door changes each time it is used, making it nearly impossible for someone to intercept your code and remotely access the door, which was a major vulnerability of older systems. Most systems also offer notifications to a phone when a door is opened, and for an additional security alert when a door is attempted to be opened when the code is not known.
Installing smart systems has also become easier than ever before. In fact, some devices are designed for retrofitting onto existing garage doors, meaning you don’t have to change the entire door for smart features. Most installations are straightforward. It usually involves mounting the motor unit, connecting the unit to Wi-Fi, and downloading the correct app. Most people are able to do it by themselves, as long as they are reasonably handy. Of course, you could always call in a professional for installation if you’d prefer not to do it yourself.
Backup systems are worth mentioning. Because smart garage door openers do use power and the internet, there’s always the possibility of failure. However, most systems are built so you can manually release the motor and open the door yourself in the event of a power outage. There are battery backup systems which keep your smart garage door opener running in the event of a power outage, but they usually come at an additional cost.
The primary disadvantage of smart garage doors is the continued Dependancy on tech, meaning things like a wifi disconnect or an app error would cause a temporary loss of functionality. Smart garage doors also have a higher upfront cost than their traditional counterparts, averaging several hundred more, depending on features. For many households, that added cost is more than justified. For those that have hardly any need for their garage, however, a manual or standard electric door would suffice.
While smart technology is certainly not a requirement, the convenience and security offered actually do have value for many.