Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more info.
As with many other gadgets we take for granted, finding the best garage door opener is probably level with finding the perfect soap-on-a-rope on most peoples’ list of priorities. When you consider the impact they have on the safety and security of your home, however, you’ll realize that it may be prudent to give them a little more thought.
Think about it – that garage door is probably the largest moving appliance in your home bar none. And a real potential hazard lies in such a device being controlled via remotes – indeed, this makes this type of garage door very prone to causing accident and injury. No other appliance can so easily be accidentally activated as the garage door opener. It’s important to note that, following the many unfortunate incidents involving garage doors and children, automatic garage door openers were actually reviewed and subjected to experiments by medical and safety authorities. Their findings showed that, in the period spanning between 1974 and 1995 alone, no less than eighty-five children died or suffered permanent brain trauma from these terrible accidents.
Now, the first question on your mind should be – how old is my garage door opener, and what does this imply regarding how safe it is for my family? Even the best garage door opener, if installed prior to twenty years ago, is definitely unsafe. The reason? Two decades back, the only type of garage door available was the kind that, once activated, would close regardless of what was under it, be that obstruction a car bonnet, a pet or an innocent child. In fact, Congress has long since passed legislation requiring garage door openers to possess certain non-negotiable safety features.
If you’re looking for the best garage door opener for home, you should ensure that it has multiple safety features, which should include but not be limited to eye sensors and door-edge sensors. These two features are of particular importance in preventing accidents, as, if the garage door were accidentally instructed to close with a person or object beneath it, it would immediately register the presence of an obstruction and half its closure, preventing damage to people or property.
If you are not satisfied with your current garage door opener and have decided to replace it, be aware that such large quasi-robotic machines can range from the dirt-cheap to the positively bank-breaking. Thus it is advisable that you first update (or build) your knowledge base regarding the many additional features that different garage door openers may have, and thus what the absolute best garage door opener would be like. You can do this quite easily online or by visiting home appliance stores. One of the number one influences on people making poor consumer choices when it comes to this kind of purchase is a failure to speak properly to salespeople and really understand the workings of the different devices on the market. So don’t be scared to ask questions, and (when the time comes) a discount.
One of the additional features you may want to take a look at when searching for the best garage door opener for your family is the possibility of wireless, online activation of your garage door opener. This is especially convenient if your child or spouse has lost their remote and can’t get into the house. Back in the day, this would have required one of you to make the trek across town to fetch a remote – now, with a few clicks of your mouse, you can allow them instant access to your abode.
