CNN
–
The Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Control is explained by the name. For $ 29.98, it is said to be a comprehensive solution for remote access to a garage door with intelligent functions. By definition, it’s an entry-level smart home gadget – not one that requires you to dive into the deep end of the smart home world.
With just two pieces of hardware, a WiFi connection and the app on your phone, you can see the status of your garage door, open or close it remotely, and even add household members as users. At $ 29.98, it’s practically a bargain. And after a few weeks of testing, it’s safe to say that it works as promised. Let’s unpack it.
A plug and play setup for remote access
The Chamberlain MyQ really is a breeze. It can make almost any garage door smart and give you the benefits of opening or closing it from anywhere.
For whom is that: The Chamberlain MyQ is for someone who wants to control or keep an eye on their garage door close up or remotely.
What you need to know: This gadget took about 15 minutes to set up and is pretty intuitive. Chamberlain says the MyQ will support most garage door openers made after 1993, but mileage could potentially vary. It also doesn’t support Amazon Alexa or Apple HomeKit integrations.
So it compares: For $ 29.98 (when it’s not on sale), the Chamberlain MyQ is an easy addition to a garage door home. It doesn’t require the long installation or expense of a new garage door opener with a built-in Smart Hub and supports a long list of openers. Chances are this includes those in your home. The mandatory setup and control app is intuitive and less cluttered than other smart options on the market. It does not offer support for central smart home ecosystems such as Amazon Alexa or Apple HomeKit. BeamUp is a similar solution that’s more expensive at $ 77, but Alexa supports it out of the box. Those looking for a HomeKit integration can check out the iSmartGate for $ 119. However, the MyQ and alternatives all use similar technologies to get online and will work with most openers made after 1993.
Jacob Krol / CNN
Inside the Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Control Box you will find two main pieces of hardware and some extras. What you won’t find, however, is a garage door opener – the MyQ system works with your current garage door to make it smart.
The Smart Hub, which we affectionately call the brain, is mounted on the ceiling, near the actual garage door motor. It’s a square piece of plastic with technology inside to connect it to your garage door, along with a few buttons and a power connector. Chamberlain didn’t hold back with branding with two large logos. The other piece of the puzzle is a door sensor located in the lower corner of the physical garage door. It’s much smaller compared to the hub and opts for a battery. It’s all pretty simple, and Chamberlain includes some assembly tools (a frame and screws) for easy installation.
In addition to the physical hardware, you need the MyQ Garage & Access Control app – it is available for Android and iOS. The app is the main control panel for both setting up and using the MyQ. You’ll also need to create an account, and a fair warning, it may take a while to get the verification email. This delay in creating our account was the only delay we experienced.
Once you’re in, the MyQ app does an excellent job of giving you clear instructions that will guide you through the process. It took us between 10 and 15 minutes to get the entire system up and running. And it basically works by having the Smart Hub act as a remote control opener. It can send and receive signals with your garage door opener. Chamberlain says the MyQ system should work with most garage door openers made after 1993 – some of the big names include Chamberlain, LiftMaster, Craftsman, Genie, Linear, and Raynor. A good tell is a “learn button” on your garage door opener, as this is used to send a signal to pair with controllers or devices like the MyQ. Modern garage door openers from Chamberlain even have the integrated MyQ hub.
The Smart Hub also has 2.4 GHz WiFi connectivity for connecting to your home WiFi network. Garages can sometimes be a dead zone, especially if they have concrete walls or are separated from the house. In any of these scenarios, you may need to increase the range of your WiFi, and one solution could be a WiFi extender. If you have a mesh WiFi system like Eero, you can buy another node or point to expand your network. However, there is no getting around the WLAN requirement.
And while you set it up, be prepared for your garage door to make some sudden movements. In our experience, it is raised and lowered a few times throughout the process. And when it’s done, you can control it via the app, view a status and even link it to other smart home systems.
Jacob Krol / CNN
The setup process is the only heavy lifting that you have to do with the Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Controller. You can see the status of the garage door and how long it was in that state. For example, if you closed 40 minutes ago, that’s exactly what you’ll see. You can also lightly tap the garage door to open it. You can also display some sort of timeline that shows you when the door has been opened or closed. It’s all very practical.
For security reasons, you must be actively logged in and authenticated in order to start the app. You can choose to have a passcode on your mobile device or use the built-in authentication method, e.g. B. unlocking with a fingerprint or your face. The app doesn’t currently offer a two-factor authentication solution, but we hope it will be supported in the future.
You can also share access to your home and the garage door (or doors if you have a multi-car garage) from the Users tab. You need to create a MyQ account and authenticate. And the common theme here is that Chamberlain doesn’t add complex interfaces to access information or functionality. It’s all in the front and center with menus at the bottom. In the Schedules field, you can select predefined times for the execution of actions. It’s an excellent way to make sure the door is closed at night.
In terms of compatible systems, you’ll find most of the big players here: Google Assistant, IFTT, Alarm.com, Residio Total Connect, and Vivint, among others. The big two that you can’t find support for are Amazon’s Alexa and Apple HomeKit. The former comes as a big surprise when you consider that this is supported by Key by Amazon – the brand’s service that allows deliverers to open the garage door to drop the package in a safe place. It’s just weird that you can’t link this to Alexa. HomeKit is a little harder to integrate, but it would be nice to see both in the future.
The simple solution here is to use the app; You will eventually need it for setup.
For less than $ 30, Chamberlain MyQ is the easy way to get remote access to your garage door and make it smart. There’s no need to rush and spend hundreds on a new opener or pick a specific brand. It brings tremendous value and while not perfect with some missing smart partners, it still offers a lot of functionality.
Whether you want to start a smart home or just want to control your garage door more easily, the Chamberlain MyQ can serve as a great gadget for your home on its own. Remember you will need an opener made after 1993 and WiFi in the garage. Otherwise, you are set up for success.