Guests Get a $16 Garage Remote, Not a House Key
A two-pack of universal garage remotes, paired to a Chamberlain opener in under a minute. Not exciting. It solved a real problem in our house.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cupHuFoF_Og
THE VERDICT
A very simple product that just works, and it replaced handing out house keys. Pairing to a Chamberlain took under a minute. If your opener is LiftMaster, Chamberlain or Craftsman, this is a cheap fix for guest access.
Nobody searches for a universal garage door opener remote because they're excited. You search for it because something's annoying you. Here's what was annoying me.
We go in and out of our house through the garage. Everybody does. So when family or friends come to stay in our basement, handing them a front door key never made any sense. They'd never use the front door.
Now they get a garage remote instead. They come and go as they please, and when they leave I don't have a house key out in the world somewhere.
Check compatibility, not the price
At the time of testing the two-pack was $15.99, 20% off with Prime overnight. There's a three-pack at $25.99 if you've got a bigger family, or kids who are driving.
A $16 remote that won't pair with your opener is a $16 waste. Check the brand before you check the price.
Which openers work
These work with LiftMaster, Chamberlain and Craftsman. We have a Chamberlain. If you have one of the big three you're fine. If you don't, stop here and find one that names your opener, because that's the only spec that matters on this product.
Pairing it to a Chamberlain: under a minute
1. Open the opener unit in your garage ceiling. There's a learn button inside.
2. Press the learn button. A light comes on. That's your window, so don't wander off.
3. Back at the remote, hold both buttons plus the one you want to program.
4. The light switches over. It's learned the Chamberlain's code, and the door goes up.
No app. No account. No pairing mode that fails three times and makes you factory-reset something. Press a button, press a button, done.
What's in the box
Two remotes and a user manual. That's the entire contents.
Honestly, that's a point in its favour. A simple product that just works is the stuff I like most, and there's nothing here to go wrong.
What I liked
✦ It solved a real problem. No more house keys handed to weekend guests.
✦ Under a minute to pair. Learn button, hold two buttons, done.
✦ No app, no account, no subscription. Increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
✦ Two in the pack. One for the guest room, one spare.
✦ Sixteen dollars. Cheaper than getting a house key cut twice.
What I didn't
✦ Compatibility is the whole risk. LiftMaster, Chamberlain or Craftsman. Outside those three you're guessing.
✦ You have to get into your opener unit to hit the learn button, which means a ladder.
✦ It's a remote. There's no version of this that's exciting, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.
Should you buy one?
Buy it if
You have a LiftMaster, Chamberlain or Craftsman opener and you're currently handing house keys to guests. Yes. Obviously. It's sixteen dollars and it took a minute to set up.
Skip it if
Your opener isn't one of those three brands. Find one that names yours.
It replaced a genuine annoyance in our house, and that's worth more than most gadgets twenty times the price. How do you handle guest access? I'd like to know in the comments.