What Are The 3 Common Types of Smart Garage Door Opener?

Which types of smart garage door openers should I buy?  There are a few variations in the smart garage door opener (SGDO) market.  Sometimes, it can be complicated for first-timers to understand these variations. This article is designed to assist you in understanding the basic concept for 3 types of smart garage door openers.  Let’s take a look.

Types of smart garage door opener

Most smart garage door openers can fall into Three Categories

  1. Video Smart Garage Door Opener
  2. Text Smart Garage Door Opener
  3. Hybrid Type Garage Door Opener

Now, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of each smart garage door opener types.

Type 1.  Video Smart Garage Door Opener

Advantages for Camera Smart Garage Door Opener

  • Live video 
  • If someone trespass, the camera provides a tool to capture the video image

Disadvantages for Camera Smart Garage Door Opener

  • Camera SGDO is usually more Complicated
  • Usually 20-30 dollars higher in price
  • Requires Stronger Wifi signal

Type 2. Text notification Smart Garage Door Opener

  • Wireless door sensor Type
  • Wired door sensor Type

Advantages for Text Smart Garage Door Opener

  • Text SGDO provides a text message if the garage is not closed properly
  • Cheaper and more affordable
  • Usually simple and reliable with the device itself

Disadvantages for Text Smart Garage Door Opener

  • Provides no actual footage
  • If the garage sensor has an unknown issue, your phone will constantly receive error messages

Type 3. Hybrid Smart Garage Door Opener

Advantages for Hybrid Smart Garage Door Opener

  • All the benefits from text and video smart garage door opener

Disadvantages for Text Smart Garage Door Opener

  • Cost is higher and requires a good tech support team.

Some of the most popular smart garage door openers are text based due to lower cost and easy entry, however, more of our stats show that people actually prefer the functions of the video-streaming smart garage door opener.   The hybrid set up seems like the trending choice,   Iyou can either purchase text based smart garage door opener with IP camera option or purchase video smart garage door opener with smart door sensor.  Either way works fine!

 

Door sensors

What are the 3 types of door sensors for your garage door

There are three types of door sensors in the market:

  1. Reed Switch Door Sensor
  2. Infrared Door Sensor
  3. Rolling Switch Door Sensor

I. Reed Switch Door Sensor 

A reed switch is an electromagnetic switch used to control the flow of electricity in a circuit.  Once the door is opened, the magnetic field is changed, a signal is then sent to the user, indicating that the garage door is open or closed.

II. Infrared sensor

An infrared sensor has two parts.  These two parts are aligned with each other. These sensors are connected by an infrared beam, and when something is obstructing the beam, the garage doors pull back up instead of coming down, thereby avoiding crushing whatever is obstructing the beam.

III.  Roll Switch Door Sensor

Roll switch/tilt switch provides a rollover or tip-over signal for applications like construction equipment and lifts vehicles that operate in rugged terrain.   Some of the earlier models for door switch also leverage the roll switch technique.  Nowadays, few models are implemented due to shock and vibrate sensitivity.

 

The  switches can also be categorized into wired or wireless types.  It seems that the wireless door sensor categories are the popular trend these days.  However, you do need to switch the battery once in a while though.  We would recommand a wireless reed switch for its realiablity and durability.  Most of the window sensors and door sensors are applications of reed switch as well.

Smart garage door opener compatibility

SGDO is part of the smart home family. Therefore, making sure which smart home system you are using is important, here are some of the common smart home systems we use on the daily bases.  Almost all of them support smart home controls.

  • Android System
  • IOS System
  • Apple Homekit Support
  • Samsung SmartThings Support
  • Alexa Support
  • Google Home Support
  • IFTTT Support
  • WiFi garage opener with build-in wifi-camera
  • WiFi garage opener with compatible with 3rd party wifi-camera

Other Important Considerations for WiFi garage opener

  • Number of garage doors controlled
  • Additional wireless or wire sensor add on
  • Garage door compatibility
  • Compatible with Alexa, google home or IFTTT
  • 2019 price range