Gear

No High-Tech Home Is Complete Without a Smart Garage

Want the garage of the future? Start with these smart devices.

by Cameron LeBlanc
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

The main purpose of a garage is and has always been storage, whether or Christmas decorations, old paint, or, you know, cars. But the garage is also where Americans tackle DIY projects, pursue hobbies, and otherwise escape, just out of reach from whatever craziness is happening inside.

It hardly makes sense, then, to exclude the garage when making a dumb home a smart home. Just as the backyard can be home to some surprisingly useful wifi-connected devices, any garage, no matter what it’s used for, can be improved with the right devices.

Here are some of our favorites.

TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender
$24.97
Tailwind iQ3 Smart Garage Door Opener
$75.98
Amazon Echo Show 5
$79.98
AeroGarden Bounty Elite Indoor Hydroponic Herb Garden
$337.49
Aquanta Networked Water Heater Controller
$189
Park Assist by Garage Smart

It's 2020, and there's a much more elegant way to park in a tight garage than a tennis ball hanging from a string. You strap a sensor to your garage door, and its accelerometer activates when it opens. That sends a signal to the Bluetooth-equipped, ceiling-mounted laser unit that then projects a red dot down to the spot you've precisely aimed it. Once that dot hits a certain spot on your hood like, say, the windshield fluid sprayers, you'll know that you've parked perfectly. And because it has two lasers, it's a great choice for two-car households.

$99

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