Smartening up your garage door doesn't require any fancy tech or even a really fancy car.
It's easier than you might think.
Here's your guide to smart garage door.
[MUSIC]
While it might seem like a big task to make this giant hunk of metal smart.
You can find plenty of retrofit options that attach to your existing controller, and get the job done for 50 to 100 bucks.
If you want one from an established brand, the $40 Chamberlain myQ is a good option.
It works reliably and is really easy to set up.
Another good option is the $80 Tailwind iQ3.
It has a few more features and works with more smart home devices than the myQ.
But the myQ is half the price and much easier to install.
So we're going with the myQ.
Set up for the myQ is super simple.
Download the app here, the controller with your door sensor.
Then pair the controller with your garage's motor.
The app walks you through each step and it's all very simple.
You wanna make sure you have strong Wi-Fi in your garage but as long as that's true, you'll be up and running in a few minutes.
The sensor even sticks to your door with two-sided tape.
So the only actual installation you'll need to do is drilling in the mounting bracket for the hub.
Voila, now I can open and close my garage door with an app.
I can check if it's open.
I can get notified if it opens at a time when I'm not expecting it.
Basically the stuff you'd expect from a smart garage door.
The particular appeal of myQ is the ease of setup and the reliability.
MyQ works with Apple's home kit if you buy a $70 home kit bridge.
It also works with Google Assistant so you can close your garage door or check the status with a voice command.
MyQ used to charge a service fee for that, but not at the moment.
Tailwind is the only one of the two that works with Amazon's system for voice controls.
But myQ does work with Amazon for the automatic delivery service called Amazon Key,beats me.
Point being, tailwind is a solid alternative, especially if you want your door to work with Amazon.
And it can also automatically open your door when you drive close, but it's much tougher to set up.
And myQ does more than enough for most.
If it's time to replace your garage's motor entirely, you can find one with the smarts built right in.
But a retrofit option that does all of the same stuff like myQ is the best fit for most.
It serves as handy proof that adding smarts to garage is both affordable and easy.
Thanks for watching.
Check out cnet.com and roadshow, for more
