Advertisement
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by LiftMaster.
Over the past year, we’ve worked hard to make our home as “smart” as possible. We have a video doorbell, a sound system throughout the entire house, lights we can control with our phone, and more! But our garage was still…dumb. Ha! Our garage door opener was installed in the ’90s and it didn’t have any smart features whatsoever. Apparently, garage door openers have a lifetime of about 20-25 years, so it was probably time to replace it anyways. 
Here, in the city of Chicago, it’s common to have your garage detached from your home. Our garage is in the back yard with the door facing the alley. That means it’s hard to keep an eye on our garage because we can’t really hear what’s going on back there and these days we’re rarely driving anywhere, so it can be days before we ever step foot in our garage! And there were a few times when our neighbor had to come to knock on our door to tell us our garage door was open. Oops. We’ve wanted to put a camera back there to make sure everything is secure but we never got around to it. I then heard about the new LiftMaster Secure View garage door opener with smart myQ technology and knew it was perfect for our situation!
LiftMaster Secure View
LiftMaster created the first-ever garage door opener with a built-in, wide-angle HD camera. Through the myQ app we can open and close the garage door plus see and hear everything that’s happening in our garage right on our smartphone. The built-in camera even has motion detection and night vision – so we get alerts on our phone if movement is detected in the garage! It also has two-way communication so you can chat with anyone who is in your garage (hopefully it’s someone who should be there!) right from the myQ app. 
The product must be installed by a LiftMaster dealer, so it isn’t a DIY project. But honestly, with the new baby, it was nice to get this crossed off our to-do list with just a simple phone call to our local dealer. I’m all about quick and easy projects these days as the mom of a newborn.
Why Have a Smart Garage Door Opener?
Okay, so why was it a must for us to have a smart garage door opener? Because our garage is detached, we wanted the security of knowing our garage is secure and have the ability to open and close the door from anywhere. We’re starting our kitchen renovation this fall (woo hoo!) and our contractor likes to keep his tools in our garage when he works here. Last summer, I was always worried if I left the garage door open or about someone breaking in and stealing his pricey equipment. Now, we’ll have peace of mind knowing the garage door is closed and his stuff is secure. I can also open and close the door from the myQ app to let him into the garage.
Many people have an attached garage that they use as the primary access point for their home. A smart garage door opener, like this one, is a perfect choice, because instead of giving out keys to your home, you can share access to the garage through the myQ app or open it from anywhere on your smartphone. Another great feature is the ability to see the kids arriving home from school safely. You can even welcome them back over the speaker. How cool is that?
Oh, and one more thing. If you’re an Amazon Prime member you have the option for free in-garage delivery with Key by Amazon. Packages can be securely dropped off directly in the garage so they don’t get wet, or worse, go missing. These days, we’re constantly ordering baby items (holy smokes…the diapers! the wipes!) so we have all of our packages delivered straight to our garage instead of sitting on our porch.
The Installation Process
LiftMaster has over 4,000 dealers across the country and I called my local dealer to schedule installation. Don came out on a rainy Friday morning and had it installed in less than an hour! I wore my mask and watched from a distance, pestering him with questions along the way.
Once it was all installed, it was time to give it a try on my phone.
The myQ App
I downloaded the myQ app and connected it directly to the garage door opener.
Through the app, you can see how long your garage door has been closed; open and close it remotely; check out the live feed of your garage, and more. 
Here’s our garage door empty (with the door open). 
And here’s our garage with a special visitor! 
Finn has been spending lots of time working on the yard and in the garage and I’ve chatted over the speaker in there quite a few times. Being able to chat with him when he is working in the garage, while I’m “nap trapped” on the couch with Rory, has been awesome. Usually I’m saying, “Hey, can you come get me a burp rag?” or “What should we order for dinner?” It’s so convenient.
The Pricing
Now, what everyone is wondering…how much does this cost?! The LiftMaster Secure View starts at $450 and that includes the installation. It was a worthwhile investment for us to keep our garage secure and have peace of mind, knowing we can monitor our garage from afar. Although live streaming video is free, there are 7-day and 30-day video storage options available with monthly or yearly subscriptions, but we haven’t purchased either of those yet. For now, we’re just enjoying monitoring everything in real-time on our phones.
I’m happy knowing our garage door opener should work for the next 20+ years! If you have to replace yours sometime soon, I highly recommend this product. Or if you just want to upgrade to a smart garage door opener this is an awesome option.
Casey
Advertisement
