We live in a time of unprecedented advent of technology. So many different aspects of our lives are becoming infused with technology which improves functionality and makes our lives easier.
From smartphones and watches to smart cars and homes, our devices are becoming more versatile, and more importantly – available to us wherever we are, thanks to the internet.
However, there are some downsides to this technological revolution. We reached out to Radford Gates to get their view of one of the more popular smart home appliances – smart garage door opener.
Automatic vs. Smart Garage Door Opener
If you’re thinking ‘Hey, I’ve had a remote garage door opener for years, this isn’t exactly new technology’, you’re partially right. Accessing your garage door remotely via a remote controller in your car is a fairly old technology.
However, smart garage door openers are a new thing and definitely a game changer. The smart opener is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi, which means that it is accessible to you via your smartphone or another device.
Convenience of Smart Garage Door Openers
One of the biggest draws of these openers is certainly the convenience. Once you have it set up (which is largely a very simple process), you’re pretty much ready to use it. Best of all, you’ll never misplace the remote controller – because the opener is your phone. As long as your phone’s on and connected to the internet, you can open the garage doors.
Home Security
When it comes to home security, smart garage door openers excel at it. The protocol to open and close the door is accessible only through registered devices. You can set the door to open and close with a click on your phone.
More importantly, though, you can check at any time whether your garage door is opened or closed, no matter how far you are, and do something about it. What’s more, some of these devices can also be connected to lights in front of your garage or even cameras. With just your phone, you cancontrol all of your home’s safety, open and close the garage doors, and turn the lights on or off as needed.
Redundancy Can Be Useful
When installing a smart garage door opener, most installers will tell you to leave your existing system as a backup. The primary system for opening and closing the door will be the smart device, but a bit of redundancy doesn’t hurt, and can prove useful if something goes wrong with the network or the smart device itself.
Subscription Payment
A large number of software companies are moving away from selling you software they created and instead opting to lease it to you via a subscription to a license. As long as you pay for it, you can use it, and as soon as you stop, your access is revoked.
Some smart garage door openers also require a paid subscription in order to use the smart functions of their devices. Typically, these fees are miniscule, but if you’re opposed to paying a fee to use a garage door opener, research a bit more before you opt to buy.
Consider the Cost and Installation
Another important thing to consider when choosing a new garage door opening system is that smart garage door openers tend to be on a more expensive side. It will also require some installation and setup by a skilled professional before you can use it.
However, if you can put up with these few minor drawbacks, a smart garage door opener can give you much in terms of security and functionality.