A necessary part of life is protecting ourselves, and our homes. While we may lock our windows and doors at night, an easy way for many intruders to get in, is through the garage door. By using one of the best garage alarms, you can effectively prevent this from happening.
With a wide range of options available, there’s surely one to fit your needs. Some are basic alarms which are set off loudly if triggered, some are gravity-activated, and there are even selections that allow you to monitor different zones with two-way communication cams and sensors! Let’s get right to them all.
We spent three days going over all of the best ones, taking into consideration various needs/types, what you’d like to use your alarm for exactly, and how user-friendly the alarm actually was. We also considered the price for each product, as no one is going to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a sub-par product, right? Finally, it’s important to think about what you’ll be using your unit for. What kind of area do you live in? We’ve added in a table so you can easily skin through the basics, in-depth reviews of each of the best garage alarms, and finally, a buying guide to help lead you to make the best decision for you.
Quite possibly the best security camera out there (or at least one of the best), the Ring Floodlight cam is one we couldn’t leave out. It has an array of coveted features, such as built-in floodlights, a siren alarm, and two-way audio. This means you don’t only get an alarm set off, but it also features object and facial recognition, so you can see, hear, and even speak to anyone on your property. The 270-degree field of view allows you to look at every spot – even blind spots.
If that wasn’t enough, it also comes with a handy app where you can flash the lights, sound the alarm, and even zoom in to place special attention wherever you want. In return, it will send you instant alerts right to your preferred gadget: smartphone, tablet, or PC, whenever it picks up motion on its 1080HD video with infrared night vision and Live View. If you have an Alexa, you can use it to launch real-time video with your voice, which is extremely convenient.
While it’s undoubtedly an amazing device, it isn’t perfect. For example, if there’s a break-in or just something you’d like to review, you will only be restricted to real-time viewing if you don’t opt in to a subscription after your 30-day trial. That means you won’t even be able to see the part of video that actually set off the alert.
There is a huge array of motion sensors out there, but none we found were anywhere near as indestructible as the Guardline Wireless Driveway Alarm. It’s made with industrial grade PVC housing, complete with rubberized weather resistant seal, and a sunshade. This made us think that this thing is going to last through anything. It runs on four AA batteries up to a year, so make sure you’re changing them regularly.
The receiver lets you adjust the volume, and also turn it on “loud” mode. Select from over 30 fun alarm sounds – whichever one you react the best to, our that sounds the nicest. You can make things easier by assigning certain alarm tones to different areas around your property, too.
Are you concerned about false alarms with a motion sensor? This one minimizes those incidents with an adjustable detection width option for the sensor, and a swivel mount to hold the detection angle of the unit. Set up is also quite simple to complete. The box includes one sensor and a receiver, however, you can choose to expand it up to 16 sensors and literally unlimited receivers, so you can cover as much area as you need! The sensor detects movement from humans, bigger animals, as well as cars, so you’re in-the-know about all that’s going on around you.
The range is 500 feet, which isn’t the biggest, but sensible in most cases. It works well with trees, buildings, and various walls, but it’s important to keep in mind that thick walls, metal siding, and forestation can diminish the quality of reception.
The Driveway Informer is both inexpensive, while featuring top technology and capabilities to make you feel safe. With its impressive 1000-foot range heavy-duty signal along with a durable battery life, you can be sure no one is getting inside your home.
Made of sturdy, long-lasting materials, it’s even strong against all kinds of weather conditions. It’s actually water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about it failing you during rainy or snowy conditions, either. With the natural-looking green shade, it blends into landscaping well, so intruders won’t be able to locate it.
You won’t get caught off guard with this alarm. The battery-powered PIR sensor – an invisible beam to detect motion – easily finds any person, animal, or car motion. Receivers have a re-settable LCD display counter, a volume control knob, and two terminal screws to add to the ease of operation. They also include a rotating mounting bracket and screws, to plug the receiver unit into a regular wall outlet or mount it with the pre-drilled mounting holes, and you’re all set.
What you really must be careful of, however, is that you need to do a bit of trial and error in terms of where you place the alarm, and the angle you place it at. If you don’t pay attention to it, the receiver can miss something and not alert you properly. Aside from that, we really couldn’t find much of a downside.
Not everyone is looking for some high-tech security camera or motion detector. Sometimes, a good, old-fashioned alarm is just what you need. The Doberman Security SE-0106 may be our favorite budget product, but it operates like a much more expensive unit.
First off, the battery lasts for years, and the same can’t be said even for many models twice as expensive. The unit uses three AG13 (LR44) button cell batteries, which they’ve thoughtfully included, so once you receive your package, you’re ready to set up and go.
They’re also super easy to install; simply pull the tab and adhesive backing, and stick where you need it. Once you’re ready to set the alarm, toggle the slide switch, and it’s armed. It may not seem like much, but the fact that you can see the Doberman brand warning sticker through the glass, works as an excellent deterrent to would-be intruders. The alarm is triggered by vibration, and the slim design even lets it work with sliding windows, without issue. Once it’s set off, a 100 dB alarm sounds, scaring anyone, but mainly those trying to get in.
As far as the actual product goes, the only disadvantage is that the alarm might be too sensitive, so strong wind as well as a slamming door can set it off. This is also the most basic product, so if you are looking for something more high-tech, though, you’ll probably want to go with one of the other products on our list.
Undoubtedly the best garage monitor today, it can be used to watch garage doors and gates with the ease of operation perfect for even those not at all tech-friendly. Designed to plug into an AC power outlet, it alerts you with either a red or green light if your garage door is open, or closed, respectively. If you need to close the door, with one press of the button on the monitor, you’ve got it taken care of. Along with the lights, they’ve also included two different alert noises.
You can use the monitor with up to four openers; however, the downside, is that it will only let you know if one or more is open – not necessarily which one(s) they are. The upside to this, is that you can always shut the doors at any time, so simply pressing the “shut” button on all four will take care of that little problem. First, it lets you know that the garage door is being opened, which is particularly useful if your garage door is very quiet. Second, it alerts you if you shut the door by through any MyQ remote devices, such as a WiFi garage door opener.
Also, while it’s not in any way a serious issue, the unit isn’t exactly the most attractive device out there. It kind of looks like it comes from the 90’s, and is a bit dated. However, it absolutely has its benefits, and they all work quite well.
Choosing the best garage alarm isn’t the easiest task in the world. Its your and your family’s security that we’re talking about, and there’s really no price on that. However, it has a lot to do, also, with what your needs are. We’ve gone ahead and created this buying guide to make sure you end up with exactly the product you need.
A high-quality alarm is essential to keep your garage safe. It refers not only to your vehicle but also to all the valuable appliances, including your propane garage heater, dehumidifier, compressor, wall-mounted garage vacuum, or even a garage fan. There are door and gate monitors, motion-activated security cameras, motion sensors/detectors, and vibration-triggered alarms. The door/gate monitors have a little sensor that registers if the garage or gate door is closed or open. If it’s open, it alarms and allows you to close it with the push of a button. The motion-activated security cameras have a little camera placed outside, and typically have a long reach. If it picks up on any motion, it will alert you, and you can check out the footage to see what set it off. Motion sensors work very similarly. However, they don’t include the use of cameras, but rather an invisible beam to detect motion. Finally, vibration-triggered alarms are very straightforward and an alarm goes off once it feels the window being shaken.
You’ll need to think about how you’re going to use your alarm. Just because one looks cool, doesn’t mean it’s going to be the best thing for your needs. Perhaps you have a long driveway and want to know who’s driving up. In that case, a vibration-triggered alarm probably isn’t going to work best for you. Again, you need to really think about reality here. Take a look at each category to get a better idea of the most appropriate match.
Really think about what you’ll be using your new garage alarm for. Do you have a particularly long driveway to where you’re constantly surprised by people showing up? You’ll want an alarm with a long range, so you can tell from the end of the driveway that someone is there, like the Driveway Informer. Perhaps you just have various gates on your property and want to know the status of each one. In this case, you can simply go with a device like the LiftMaster that lets you monitor and control your garage doors and gates.
Also consider if you’re going to be using it inside or outside, as outside use isn’t always possible with every device. In this case, the alarm must be durable and sturdy, as well as waterproof.
That all depends on your preferences. Wired one typically don’t give you as many abilities like a motion sensor or camera would, placed outside. Wired is fine if it’s just going to be for a gate/garage door monitor, as you can easily keep these inside.
How big is your home? Where will you be placing the monitor? Are you purchasing the device for an elderly parent or family member that doesn’t have the greatest hearing? Then you’ll want to purchase a device that’s already quite loud, or that has an easy-to-use adjustable volume knob/control. Some, like the Guardline Wireless Driveway Alarm, even come with various chime options that can alert you more easily, depending on which one you select.
There are quite a few extra features that could make buying a certain unit worth it. For example, the Guardline alarm is super heavy-duty and weather-resistant, meaning that you don’t really have to worry about it, no matter what season it is. The Ring Floodlight Cam is cool because it has so many electronic pairing capabilities. You can use it with the app, and even use voice-activation with Alexa. The LiftMaster Garage Door Opener can also be used with smartphones, which is super handy these days.
You’ll definitely want to take a look at the warranty, as sometimes they can get damaged during an attempted break-in, or simply because of the weather, a child, etc. Most of the garage alarms offer a good warranty, where if it breaks, they’ll replace it at no cost. This is, of course, ideal. Not all of them offer that, but rather a year or two in warranty coverage. While this isn’t the best deal, it depends on if you feel it’s worth it or not. It’s always important to make sure your alarm is working properly, and if something happens to it, you may have to go out and buy a whole new one, which is not only a hassle, but a security threat.
It was hard to pick just three, as we genuinely found something we loved in each one of the best garage alarms, here. However, we want to make it as simple as possible for you to have the best device, so we’re going to narrow things a bit.
The first is the Ring Flood Light. This one is perhaps the most high-tech alarm out there, and can all be controlled with your app. It also notifies you on your smartphone, your PC, or tablet – whichever you prefer. You can see, hear, and talk to people through the device. It works with Alexa for voice-activated use, and also features LED floodlights.
Next up in the Guardline, which is due to how heavy-duty and durable it was, along with how well the motion sensor worked to pick up on anyone outside. In addition, you can add as many receivers as you want, to cover huge amounts of land, and you can choose from over 30 chimes.
Our budget pick is the Doberman. Sure, it’s not as advanced as the others, but it’s extremely affordable, and we feel everyone should be able to be safe in their own homes. It works by vibration, is easy to install, and the batteries last for a long time. Not only that, but the alarm is super loud, and the Doberman sticker helps deter intruders, as well.
So, which one of the best garage alarms will be keeping you and your family safe?
