These remotes bring smart features to your traditional garage door openers
Whether you’ve just boarded a flight for a ten-day vacation or simply stepped out to the grocery store, an open garage door can expose your stuff and home to unwanted visitors. Accidentally leaving the garage door open can happen to anyone, and if you’re the forgetful (or paranoid) type, living with the worry is the only choice if you have a traditional garage door opener.
Fortunately, in the era of smart everything, there are modern solutions to this timeless problem, like security cameras intelligent enough to check the door’s status. However, security cameras let you know what’s going on, but they don’t resolve the problem — for that, you need a smart garage door controller.
Smart garage controllers are more affordable and easier-to-install than full-blown smart garage door openers. They’re usually under $100, integrate with most smart home systems, and grant remote garage door access while you’re away. This list includes the best available options.
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meross Smart Garage Door Opener Remote
Best overall
The Meross Smart Garage Door Opener Remote smartens most garage door openers by offering remote control via the Meross mobile app or voice control with Amazon’s Alexa or Samsung’s SmartThings. This opener is easy to install and compatible with many garage door openers. The best part? No subscription is necessary to access Meross’ features, including custom notifications and reminders to close your door.
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Tailwind IQ3
Premium pick
The Tailwind iQ3 is one of the smart garage door controllers you can find. It features an automatic door-opening function, which kicks the opener into action once your vehicle approaches. (It requires a smartphone, plus a vehicle with Bluetooth or an added-on vehicle sensor.) The Tailwind iQ3 is also compatible with all the popular smart home systems, including Alexa, HomeKit, Google Home and Assistant, SmartThings, and anything IFTTT.
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eKyro Smart Garage Door Opener Controller
Best value
eKyro’s Smart Garage Door Opener Controller is an easy-to-use and affordable way to enhance your garage’s intelligence without spending a fortune. A universal adapter ensures that this controller will suit just about any opener. Meanwhile, versatile smart assistant compatibility means you can control the opener, whether it’s Alexa, Google Home, or even Siri. And you can set schedules, remotely control the door, and set different user permissions without a subscription fee.
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myQ Chamberlain Smart Garage Control
Best app-controlled
$25 $30 Save $5
The Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage Control is an excellent option for shoppers who want a familiar name in garage doors and a simple, user-friendly interface. MyQ controllers have been a longtime smart garage controller favorite for smart home fanatics, but this does have its limitations because it no longer offers smart home integrations, including Homebridge and Home Assistant. However, it’s still a perfectly viable option for control with the designated myQ app.
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Genie Aladdin Connect
The Genie ALKT1-R Aladdin Connect smartifies most garage door openers made after 1993, offering several intelligent features like garage door open and close schedules and alerts when the door is opened. You’ll also love that the included sensor attaches to the garage door so that users are notified even when the door is opened manually, independent of the garage opener. Purchase additional sensors to control up to three garage doors with the smart hub.
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Wyze Smart Garage Door Opener
The Wyze Smart Garage Door Controller is the way to go if extra garage security is required. The device opens and closes garage doors from anywhere with the Wyze app. The goings-on in your garage can also be viewed with HD video (thanks to the integrated Wyze Cam v3). Speak to visitors with two-way audio and receive notifications when the garage door is left open. This Wyze opener works with most existing openers and installs quickly.
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Liftmaster 821LMC-S
$58 $66 Save $8
The Liftmaster 821LMC-S offers simple smart garage door controls from the myQ mobile app. Through the app, users will enjoy custom notifications and reminders, as well as permissions like granting a delivery driver access to drop off a package. Unfortunately, smart home integration support for myQ openers recently ended, so you’ll need to rely on the myQ smartphone app for optimum control.
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SwitchBot
The SwitchBot Bot is, simply put, a button pusher — a smart button pusher. This humble little gadget is an alternative to consider when other smart garage door controllers aren’t an option. It operates rocker switches or simple one-way buttons, like many garage door opener buttons. Without a smart hub, the Bot is only controlled with timers or the app within the device’s Bluetooth range. Add a SwitchBot Hub to unlock Alexa compatibility and other smart features.
How secure are garage door remotes and controls?
Modern smart gadgets — whether it’s garage door remotes/controls, baby monitors, or video doorbells — have an Achilles heel, and that’s your internet. All three aforementioned products have fallen victim to internet-based malicious activity. There are also instances where personal details could be made vulnerable through the use of a smart device.
Be sure to study up on a brand’s reputation, read their terms regarding data sharing and privacy thoroughly, and consider taking steps to boost your internet’s security before you decide.
Choosing the best smart garage door remote or control
There are quite a few factors to consider as you shop for the best smart garage door remote/control, but step one will always be confirming garage opener compatibility. Many product listings make general statements that the device works with “most” doors made after a certain year, but it’s best to double-check before making a purchase. You may need to dig around in the product’s manual or other accompanying documents to find your exact model.
In some cases, the remote manufacturer may offer to provide additional parts for compatibility — this is one of the many reasons the Meross Smart Garage Door Opener Remote is the top pick. This device also offers easy door management with a simple app and smart home integration.
The whole point of these remotes is to help make your life easier, so it’s also important to determine what smart features or automations they offer and if they meet your needs. The Tailwind IQ3, for example, offers a vehicle sensor that automatically starts opening the garage door when your car is approaching. Even if you don’t need your opener to be that ritzy, controllers that can automatically detect if the garage is closed before dusk (and close it if it’s open) and send you notifications when a garage door has been left open are preferable.
A few other potential smart garage door remote perks to look out for are easy, universal installation; scalability to include multiple garage doors; and smart home integration with platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit. The Ekyro, our best value pick, covers all these bases, supporting multiple garage doors and versatile smart home compatibility.
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