Ryobi’s modular garage door opener has more features than some smartphones

By Lulu Chang Published April 5, 2016

As your cars keep getting smarter, it’s only natural that their homes do as well. Soon enough, the 21st-century garage will be about as well-connected as our human residences, and leading the charge is none other than Ryobi. While the Japanese company may be known best for its power tools, its new state-of-the-art modular garage door opener may be the tech-forward device you want to own. With more features than some smartphones, you won’t know whether you’d rather manage your garage or your home with this device.

Sure, there are all the standard bells and whistles associated with any smart home device — there are several remote controls, control panels, obstacle detection capabilities, and the promise that this system is 20 percent quieter than the leading competitor. And of course, you can control it all from your smartphone. But then, things get really interesting.

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The Ryobi garage door opener isn’t just for your garage — instead, you can add on a number of different modules, each of which serves a different purpose. There’s the adjustable fan and carbon monoxide detector, which will allow you to practically live in your garage (or at least not die in it), along with the attachable Bluetooth speaker that will turn your car’s home into even more of a party zone. And there’s also a 30-foot-long retractable cord reel that serves as the biggest extension cord you’ll ever need. But best of all, perhaps, is the Park Assist Module, a tool that employs a couple super bright lasers to tell you exactly where to park your car to maximize free space.

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The whole system starts at $248, but if you want to add all the things that make the Ryobi garage door opener truly special, you’ll have to tack on a few more dollars for each feature (the modules start at $44). But for the chance to all but control your life from your garage, the ends just may justify the means.

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