What is a Smart Garage Door Opener?

Smart homes are no longer a thing of the future, they are here and technology has been developed to make your home more responsive to your every need. One of the latest technologies making an impact is the smart garage door opener.
 

You may be asking yourself, what is a smart garage door opener? If you’re not an expert on the newest technology for your garage door, don’t worry! We know it can be challenging and intimidating to scour through articles and information about new technology to glean out the information that matters to you and that’s why we’ve done the work for you. We’re here to make sure you have all the knowledge you need to be up-to-date on what smart garage door openers are, the benefits of having one, and how to find the right one for your home.
 

Below is our introductory guide on what smart garage door openers are so you can make sure you have the knowledge you need to integrate a smart garage door opener with a camera into your home and start reaping the benefits of having a smart home that works for you.

The Basics on Smart Garage Door Openers

Before diving into how smart garage door openers can have a positive impact on your life, first it’s important to understand exactly what a smart garage door opener is and how it works.


There are two main types of smart garage door openers to understand: add-on accessories that attach to your existing garage door opener and connect to your Wifi network or a smart garage door opener that gives you an entirely compatible smart garage door system. Below we will educate you on both types and what the benefits and drawbacks of each type are.


If you’re considering investing in a smart garage door opener, you’ve likely looked into what they are and may have found conflicting information about how smart garage door openers work and what they’re capable of. The reason for conflicting, and at times confusing, information often traces back to the differences between the two types that we introduced above. Some information is describing solely add-on accessories to enhance an existing garage door while other information details full smart garage door opener systems that include a motorized opener rather than adding on to your current motorized garage door opener system. We’ll give you a rundown of both types here to clear up any confusion.

Add-On Accessories vs. Smart Garage Door Opener Systems
 

Add-on accessories and smart garage door opener systems are too different types of products. While the add-on accessories work with your existing motorized garage door opener system, a smart garage door opener system replaces your existing motorized garage door opener with a system that enhances the capabilities of your smart home and offers additional benefits and capabilities. First, let’s dive into how smart garage door opener add-on accessories work.

The main type of smart garage door opener add-on accessory is a smart garage door controller that attaches to your existing motorized garage door opener, typically through a double-sided adhesive strip. There is variability between various brands and systems available on the market, so there can be a differentiation between different products. Often, the smart garage door controller will have wires that need to be attached into the open and close command nodes that are in your existing garage door opener. Additionally, some smart garage door opener accessory kits come with a sensor that will be attached to your garage door so that the controller can give you information about whether or not your garage door is closed, open, or somewhere in between.


What makes these smart garage door opener kits “smart” is that they connect into your Wi-Fi network and often have a corresponding app that allows you to add your devices to the network and monitor your garage door status with just the touch of a screen. The associated app often offers help walking you through general installation to help ease the process of adding the new devices to the network and getting them working with your current motorized garage door opener.

It’s important to note that for these kits to work properly, you’ll need to have a strong 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection that reaches into your garage. Depending on the brand and product, smart home garage door opener add-on accessories can offer a number of different capabilities ranging from scheduling, remote access, voice control, and geofencing, to simply replicating your garage door opener remote in app form.


While smart garage door opener add-on accessories are designed to be compatible with a variety of different garage door openers, a smart garage door opener system replaces your current motorized garage door with an entirely new system that works together to enhance your smart home ecosystem.

Features vary between products, but our Mighty Mule smart garage door opener systems offer a number of different benefits to make your life easier and your garage more secure. Mighty Mule smart garage door opener systems include a ¾ HPe (horsepower equivalent) DC motor with a steel reinforced belt drive for super quiet operation. The LED light(s) built into the motor has a lifetime warranty and is dimmable, so you can easily adjust the brightness in your garage based on your needs. Mighty Mule smart garage door opener systems come with a 7” belt rail and a detailed installation manual that makes installing your new smart garage door opener system a breeze.


What makes our smart garage door opener system “smart” is that it is Wi-Fi equipped and allows remote entry access utilizing the transmitters, our smartphone Might Mule app, or voice recognition using Alexa and Google Home. Our smart technology allows you to remotely monitor and/or grant entry to your home from virtually anywhere using the Mighty Mule app. Our smart garage door opener system has voice recognition for Alexa and Google with applicable hardware to make sure it seamlessly tie into your smart home ecosystem to offer your maximum benefits. In addition, our transmitters will work with both your Mighty Mule garage door openers and automatic gate openers. With our comprehensive smart garage door opener system, you are investing in a garage door system that works for you by integrating cutting-edge technology.

The Benefits of a Smart Garage Door Opener

Now that you know the basics on what a smart garage door opener is, we want to introduce you to the benefits of a smart garage door opener and why this latest leap in technological advancement is a good investment for your home. Below are a handful of the top benefits of having a smart garage door opener:

  • A smart garage door opener will give you peace of mind: Have you ever driven away from your home only to be overcome with a nagging worry about whether or not you remembered to shut the garage door? You are not alone! Smart garage door openers dispel this worry by giving you the ability to quickly access an application that will utilize the sensor in your garage to tell you whether or not your garage door is open, closed, or somewhere in between.

With a smart garage door opener, you’ll never need to turn around on your way to work to drive back home to verify you closed your garage door (or worry at work all day until you can finally go back home and get an answer).

  • A smart garage door opener adds a layer of security. Are smart garage door openers safe? Your garage door is often one of your most used entrances and exits to and from your home. A smart garage door opener gives you the ability to monitor the status of your garage door from virtually anywhere and open or close it if needed. This not only gives you peace of mind, but it also bolsters the safety and security of your home.

Your smart garage door opener can even alert you if your garage door opens and closes when you’re away. Not only is a smart garage door opener convenient and easy-to-use, but it also adds an extra layer of security to your home and gives you the power and ability to keep an eye on your garage door even when you’re away.

  • A smart garage door allows you to control who accesses your home. If you’re going to be away for the day and need to have a repairmen stop by but can’t rush home to let them in, you can use your smart garage door to open the garage and allow them access and close it again once the job is complete. If you have children and they forget their keys, you can easily open the garage door from an app and allow them to get into the house without you ever having to worry about how to let them in.

This is only two examples of ways in which is a smart garage door opener allows you to control who accesses your home. You don’t need to rush away from what you’re doing to open a door for someone, your smart garage door opener allows you to open and close your garage door from wherever you are.

  • A smart garage door opener will enhance the capabilities of your smart home ecosystem. Having a smart home is becoming an increasingly popular and feasible ability as products are created to help make your day-to-day life and tasks more efficient. We know you’re busy and looking for your life to be simplified and made easier and a smart garage door opener does just that. Not only does a smart garage door opener add convenience and control to your smart home, but it can also work with other smart home products in your home to enhance the capabilities of your smart home ecosystem.

When you’re looking for the perfect smart garage door opener, you want to make sure it’s compatible with the other products in your smart home ecosystem so they can work together. If your smart garage door opener is equipped with the right technology, it can work with Alexa and Google Home to give you voice control over your smart garage door opener.

  • You can tailor your smart garage door opener to work for you. What works best for you may be different than another person, which is why customization and personalization are important to make a product optimally functional and beneficial.

With your smart garage door opener, you can adjust the settings and alerts for your garage door system to make sure it is most beneficial for your lifestyle and home. Do you have a teenager with a curfew? You can set it up so you get an alert when the garage door opens, which will let you know quickly if they missed their curfew or not. Do you leave for work at seven in the morning each day? You can schedule your garage door to automatically shut each day at 7:10 am so that your garage door is always shut, whether you forget to close it or not! By customizing the scheduling of your garage door and alert system, you can make sure that your smart garage door opener is offering you the maximum benefits it can to make your life easier.

 

As you can see, smart garage door openers come with many perks and benefits to make your home more efficient and put your mind at ease. With wifi and voice recognition capabilities, along with the added convenience of controlling your smart garage door opener through an app, it has never been easier to integrate this smart home capability into your life.
 

Learn more about garage door openers with The Mighty Mule Advantage, today!


Sources:

https://www.cnet.com/news/your-guide-to-a-smart-garage/

https://www.engadget.com/2018/06/29/the-best-smart-garage-door-controller/

https://www.the-ambient.com/reviews/best-smart-garage-door-openers-800

https://www.danleysgarageworld.com/smart-garage-door-opener/