Whether you’re tired of guesstimating the distance to the back wall of the garage after a hard day at work, or you simply want to give your car a fighting chance against the student driver in your family, you’ll probably want to invest in a garage parking aid.
If one of these devices can prevent just one dent or scratch in your paintwork, then it will have already paid for itself. It’s a no-brainer to invest in one, particularly if your car is in and out of the garage multiple times per day or if many people in your household use the same garage space.
Factors to Consider in a Garage Parking Aid
There is a vast range of aids available out there catering to many different needs and preferences. You have a choice of getting something more portable, such as a gadget you install in your car, or a more permanent addition to your garage itself.
The aids can be categorized into three different types – visual, auditory, and tactile. Depending on your personal preferences you can pick what will work for you best, and in this article, we will try to guide you through the process of picking the best parking helping gadget for you.
Do You Need a Garage Gadget or a Car Gadget?
This is an important question to answer first – do you want to have aid in parking just in your garage or anywhere you go?
If you find yourself struggling to park in your tight garage, but do just fine everywhere else, investing in a garage gadget is the way.
On the other hand, if you simply struggle with flawless parking in general, equipping your car with something as simple as a rear-view camera to help you out would be best.
Portable or Permanent Garage Parking Aids
Portability is another important factor to consider, particularly if you are renting your home or if you like to change your cars often. Some aids require more work to install and are potentially more destructive than others.
Portable vs. Permanent Garage Gadgets
If you’re renting a house or a garage, most likely you don’t want to cause much damage or have to pay for repairs. In this case, choosing aids that can be easily removed without much damage are your best bet, such as ones using adhesives, for example, the Tkach Enterprises parking aid.
If you own your house and garage, and you’re perfectly fine with having a permanently installed parking aid, you definitely have a broader range to choose from. In these cases, you can really think about not just the type of aid, but the aesthetic that fits your space.
Portable vs. Permanent Car Gadgets
Just like with permanently changing your garage space, considering whether or not to permanently change your car is a major decision. Most of the sensor aids that are fitted to the car require drilling and pulling your car apart to some extent. If you like to change your cars often and are not ready to put all this work in every time, these sensor-based aids are not for you.
There are “semi-permanent” options available though, mainly in the form of rear-view cameras, that you will be able to keep with you even if you decide to sell your car.
What Kind of Sensory Help Do You Want?
Depending on the space in your garage and your portability preferences, next up is deciding what type of aid you want – visual, auditory, or tactile? Here it’s also good to think about your parking preferences – do you park front first or back? Some aids are more difficult to use if you back up into your garage, which is something to keep in mind.
Visual
The visual is among the most common types of. Usually in the form of lasers or cameras, there’s an impressive range of fanciness in this tech.
Auditory
Some people might prefer the more traditional “beeping” guide. These aids require more work and drilling into your car for a permanent fit, but they will always let you know when your car is close to hitting something by beeping when backing up.
Tactile
These are extremely popular, more permanent additions to your garage. They’re usually in the form of floor blocks or mats, which act like a curb. You set it up on your garage floor where you want your wheels to bump into the curb and let you know you’ve parked far enough.
With these, it’s important to consider the distance between your front wheels and the bumper, as well as rear wheels and the back bumper. You need to be aware that if you set it up for your front wheels, it may not work for backing up into the garage!
Garage Parking Aid Installation
Closely related to the portability of the aid, the installation difficulty and time required to install play a role. Some installations can be more difficult than others and will require you to take apart a bit of your car, or drill holes into the bumper.
Others will require drilling into your garage ceiling, walls, or floor. The more basic installations rely on adhesives, which can leave some residue after you remove the device.
Now that you know what to consider when choosing a garage parking aid, let’s check out the best options available today.
Top 10 Best Garage Parking Aids 2020
1. Best Overall Garage Parking Aid: eRapta ERT01 2nd Generation Car Rear View Camera
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This rear-view camera is a semi-permanent option to install in your car to aid you with parking in your garage and beyond. It’s a nice tech gadget with an affordable price tag that will help you with rear parking. You can check out a whole range of cameras that can aid you with parking in this article.
Main Features
In the pack you only get the camera, leaving you to decide what type of monitor you want to use in your car, essentially avoiding waste. If you just want the whole kit, the company does offer the camera and a monitor as a pack.
The camera is waterproof and works well in low light conditions, becoming quite helpful in all kinds of weather. This little gadget will help you park in reverse not only into your garage but anywhere, as it becomes a feature of the car.
You may be wondering how this differs from a normal camera. This camera becomes a great parking aid due to its assist guidelines, helping you to judge the distances around the car. The night vision is a nice addition too, as you don’t have to necessarily put the light on in your garage to park well.
Installation
The installation is a little involved, but is simple enough if you follow the instructions. No drilling is required, but you do need to pull the cable through the car, as the camera is mounted to the rear license plate.
The 26-foot-long RCA cable running from the camera plugs into a monitor of your choice, which will ultimately display the rear-view. The camera does come with its own power supply cable that will need to be hooked up to your car.
Pros
- Assisted parking anywhere you go
- Great visual feedback, even at night
- Very affordable
Cons
- No monitor included – just the camera
- Must pull the cable through the car
2. Best Premium Garage Parking Aid Guardian Heavy Duty Rubber Parking Curb
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Quick Facts:
- Sensory Type: Tactile
- Tech Level: Very Low
- Ease of Installation: Easy
This is a super simple solution to help you park just far enough in your garage, avoiding demolishing your back wall. Made out of recycled rubber, it’s essentially a long, 72-inch curb.
Main Features
This personal curb is solid, and will work for even huge cars. With a height of 4 inches, you don’t need to fear that you will go over it – it’s chunky enough that it will definitely notify you when you’ve gone far enough.
Being industrial grade and very durable, this gadget is resistant to damage from gas, oil, UV light, and moisture. Unlike some cheaper options, this curb is long enough for any car without worrying that your wheels might miss it.
Installation
The curb doesn’t use adhesives, but instead can be permanently mounted to the floor. It’s pre-drilled with 1/2 inch holes, but will require you to drill into the floor to mount it. Despite the premium price tag, the hardware is not included, so make sure you’re equipped.
Pros
- Super durable
- Great for even huge cars
- Simple yet effective design
Cons
- Quite expensive compared to some of the other options
- Hardware not included
3. Best Budget Garage Parking Aid Tkach Enterprises Park Ranger Garage Parking Aid
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Quick Facts:
- Sensory Type: Visual
- Tech Level: Very Low
- Ease of Installation: Easy
This option is very simple, very affordable, and very different from your usual parking aids. It’s mounted to the sidewall rather than the back wall, yet it is a surprisingly useful aid. If you have a little more space but still want to avoid hitting the wall or jamming your garage door into the car, this is a great guide – particularly for those who like to back in.
Main Features
This simple design consists of a bit of plastic with some red lines. Mount it where the vertical lines on the guide align from your view as a driver.
It’s definitely something different as you can have a visual to your side rather than to the front (or back) of your car. Unlike some of the other guides, this one won’t help you at all with the horizontal parking distances, so watch out for your mirrors!
Installation
Due to the design, you can mount it however you like, as long as the vertical lines align from your driver’s seat. There is a hole pre-drilled if you choose to mount it on a nail, but other options are available such as adhesives.
Pros
- Sidewall mount for easy visual
- Very affordable
- Super easy to install
- Doesn’t require any power
Cons
- Not super accurate of a guide
- Not a horizontal parking guide
4. Best Laser Garage Parking Aid: Maxsa Innovations Dual Laser Parking Aid with Light
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Quick Facts:
- Sensory Type: Visual
- Tech Level: Medium
- Ease of Installation: Medium
Best choice for laser lovers, you will get to park your car with pinpoint accuracy. It’s a visual aid utilizing two lasers which can be used either for a single car or for two cars in the garage.
Main Features
This aid is ceiling mounted, and provides two separate lasers which you can adjust to your needs. Once you point the lasers on a predetermined spot of your car, you will be able to park in the correct position every time by looking out for that red dot. This may be quite difficult though if you normally park backward, and the positioning of the laser, in this case, will be even more important.
Once installed it is quite easy to simply readjust the lasers if you decide to change your car, saving you from messy readjustments and extra costs. The adjustment angle between the two lasers is a little tight and in some cases will not be wide enough to cover two cars.
These lasers meet the class IIIa red laser requirements, and are perfectly safe to use – just don’t look directly at the laser coming out. The motion sensor built into the system will detect movement up to 10 feet away, and only when the movement is detected the lasers will switch on.
Installation
To work, this parking aid requires AC power, and you may choose to put in some batteries as a backup in case of loss of power. A 6.5-foot-long AC power cable is supplied, and you will need to find a spot to plug it in.
The aid itself is mounted to the ceiling, meaning you’ll need to drill some holes to fix it in place. It’s a little amount of work, but it’s as easy as installing a smoke detector.
Pros
- Suitable for both single and double car garages
- Ceiling installation means it’s out of the way, not taking up space
- Adjustable to any space and car
Cons
- Requires constant AC supply
- A little difficult for backward parking
5. Simplest Garage Parking Aid: STKR Concepts Adjustable Garage Parking Sensor Aid
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Quick Facts:
- Sensory Type: Visual
- Tech Level: Low
- Ease of Installation: Easy
This parking aid is similar to Logic XYZ but even simpler. It has a single sensor to set up rather than two. Instead of displaying the distance between the sensor and the car bumper, the monitor simply shows colors – red, yellow, or green. The colors will signify how close you are to the wall and are much easier to spot than a number.
Main Features
The sensor can be set up to detect the car bumper between 6 inches and 6 feet. You calibrate it by parking at the perfect distance from the sensor and pressing a button – it’s that simple. Next time you go to park your car, the light will turn red when you reach that calibrated distance.
It’s a nice big display that is color-based, so no need to worry about specific numbers – just set it up once and look out for that color change to park at the perfect distance every time.
Installation
The installation is as simple as it gets. You’re supplied with double-sided tape and Velcro for the monitor, allowing you to stick the monitor to the wall, door, or cupboard. The sensor is attached via a wire to the monitor, and needs to be placed at the height of your bumper.
This gadget is powered by batteries, removing the necessity of hardwiring. This does mean replacing the batteries quite often however – the large bright display will drain the power quite fast. You will need to buy the 4 AA batteries separately as they’re not included.
Pros
- Simple color indication of the distance
- No need to hardwire
- Minimal cables
Cons
- The battery life can be a little short
- Shortest distance of 6 inches
6. Easiest-to-Use Parking Aid: Camco AccuPark Vehicle Parking Aid
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Quick Facts:
- Sensory Type: Tactile
- Tech Level: Very Low
- Ease of Installation: Easy
An alternative to the stopping mat, this is even simpler to use compared to both the Guardian rubber curb and the Maxsa parking mat. Install it in a place where your tire will stop at the perfect parking distance from the wall and never worry again about hitting it. You will still need to park straight enough to contact the curb, but this can easily be modified by getting a few of these to create a ridge the width of the car.
Main Features
This little curb is made out of UV stabilized yellow resin, making it both durable and visible. It measures approximately 19 inches in length which is plenty for standard tires which can go up to 13 inches in width.
At a height of a little over 1 inch, it should be sufficient for passenger cars to feel the resistance without posing a major tripping hazard.
Installation
The aid is mounted using the provided adhesive to the garage floor, making the installation very simple. At the same time, the adhesive may skid a bit over time, requiring better tape and remounting, or hard mounting it to the floor.
Pros
- Super low-key design that can be easily upgraded
- Simple tactile feedback to stop you at the right distance
- Suitable for any garage and car
Cons
- The adhesive tape may slide a bit
7. Best Numbers-Based Parking Aid: Logic XYZ Garage Parking Assistant
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Quick Facts:
- Sensory Type: Visual
- Tech Level: Medium
- Ease of Installation: Easy
If you like numbers, this is for you. This visual aid will display how far your car bumper is from the sensor, and once you know what the magic number is, you’ll be able to park in the same spot every time.
Main Features
The monitor will display the distance between the car and the sensors in inches, with a maximum distance of 99 inches. This monitor isn’t suitable for extremely tight parking spaces, where you need to park at 2 inches or less from the wall.
The product comes with a 48-inch AC power cable, meaning no fussing around with batteries. The monitor itself, although listed as white, sports more of a yellowish beige – think old 80’s computers. The upside being that most likely no one will even notice the addition; it will look as if it was always there.
Installation
Everything you need comes with this sensor, and the installation is very simple. The two sensors need to be positioned at the height of your bumper and stuck to the wall with the provided adhesives.
The monitor itself should be stuck to the wall at a height you can see from the driver’s seat – check if you can see it in the rear-view mirror as well if you’re planning to be parking up back-first. The monitor does require power, and you will need to hook it up using the AC power cable provided.
Pros
- Simple sensor system displaying the distance between your car and the wall
- Great for rear and front parking
- Can be adjusted to the height of your car bumper
Cons
- Some may find the sensor leads to be a little short
- The sensor adhesive is single use
8. Most Fun Garage Parking Aid: Garage Parking Aid Ball Guide System
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Quick Facts:
- Sensory Type: Tactile/Visual
- Tech Level: Very Low
- Ease of Installation: Easy
Ridiculously simple, it’s a fun take on the DIY tennis ball aid. Stick it in the ceiling above your windshield and adjust the length of the string just so the soft foam ball bops it. Now you can park in the same spot every time when the ball contacts your car.
Main Features
The ball is made out of soft foam and bright yellow in color – you can’t miss it. It will also help you with horizontal parking as you have a nice target to go toward, meaning you will drive in, in the correct position – no need to back up and retry just so you can open your door to get out. As you get two balls in the pack, you can use it in a double-car garage.
Installation
The product comes with little screw hooks, where one needs to be screwed into the ceiling above your windshield. You can hang the ball from this hook and adjust the length of the string just so the ball touches the desired spot on your car.
Pros
- Can’t get any simpler
- Yellow so you can’t miss it
- Adjustable to any garage or car
Cons
- Not a classy looking thing
- Can DIY it yourself
9. Best Permanent Garage Parking Aid: ZoneTech Parking Sensors with LED Display
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Quick Facts:
- Sensory Type: Auditory/Visual
- Tech Level: High
- Ease of Installation: On the Difficult Side
This aid will help you not only with backing up into your garage but also anywhere you need to park. However, as the sensors are installed to the back of the car, it’s not particularly helpful when driving into the garage front first. While it’s affordable, it requires a bit of time to install, so there’s a time investment even if there’s not much of a monetary one.
Main Features
You’re supplied with four sensors, an LCD display, and a box all the cables connect to. The ultrasonic sensors will change the rate of beeping as you approach closer to an obstacle. As the sensors are connected to your rear lights, the sounds will only activate when you’re in reverse.
Even though the beeping is at the core of this parking aid, it can be much too loud for some people. If you want to reduce the volume of the sound, you will need to pop open the LCD display and put some tape on the speaker.
In addition to the sound feedback, the LCD display will also visualize the distance for you, in the form of colored bars ranging from green to red.
Installation
Now for the difficult bit – installation. The four sensors need to be installed into the bumper of your car. This means you will need to drill holes, with the supplied drill bit, into your bumper for those sensors to fit into.
The wires going from the sensors need to be pulled to the front of the car and into the main hub the LCD display is also plugged into. In addition, the sensors need to be wired to the rear lights’ circuit so the sound activates only when you back up and the lights go on.
While this parking aid may be a great upgrade to your car, you really should know what you’re doing if you want to get it all installed correctly.
Pros
- Helps with backing up
- A permanent addition to your car
- Affordable
Cons
- Can be too loud
- A little more advanced to install
10. Best Portable Garage Parking Aid: Maxsa Innovations Parking Mat
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Quick Facts:
- Sensory Type: Tactile
- Tech Level: Very Low
- Ease of Installation: Easy
Set up this tactile parking aid for one (or both) of your front tires to rest in, and you will know you’re in the right spot every time. Due to its size, you have to be able to park well enough, as the mat can be quite easy to miss.
Main Features
You get a small range of colors to choose from, allowing for some aesthetic customization to your space. The mat is made out of hard plastic rather than rubber, making it prone to breaking.
You can position this parking mat how you like; however, it’s quite a narrow guide at 11 inches. While 11 inches may be sufficient for most passenger cars, it becomes quite a small target to run over if you have a bigger truck.
Installation
In order to install this parking guide, you can either hard-mount it to the floor, or simply use the adhesive provided. However, the adhesive strip isn’t particularly effective and can leave a nasty mess on the garage floor.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Simple tactile design
- Low-key improvement to your space
Cons
- Can break quite easily
- The adhesive leaves a mess
Complete Guide to Garage Parking Aids
You may be wondering what’s the deal with parking aids, particularly if you’re new to parking in a garage. I mean is it not just a matter of “get good”? Well yes, but not exactly – you may be amazing at parking but just want that safety net, ensuring that you will park in exactly the same spot every time. Or it can be used as a way of getting good – more experience parking with an aid, and hence parking well, means you will eventually develop a sense of how to park without an aid.
How Do Garage Parking Aids Work?
The main objective of an aid is to help you park in exactly the same spot time and time again. How you want to be notified that you hit the spot is up to you. Tactile options will work without fail – set it up once and when you’re in the right position the tires will hit the bar. Some aids inform you through a visual display, either with numbers or colors.
Why Should I Invest in a Garage Parking Aid?
There are many benefits associated with using a parking aid. It’s nothing to do with pride, but with saving money in the long run. Fewer times you have dates with the wall, the better off your insurance and pocket is going to be. Plus you’ll be taking care of the garage as well, not just your car.
Garage repairs and maintenance can get expensive. If you’re using your garage as a workshop as well, ensuring you park right will protect the potentially expensive tools and equipment you have. It can also help you to start parking in the garage if you aren’t doing so already, minimizing the chances of car theft. If you’re scared you will trash your car or start moving the garage walls, an aid can help you to learn how to park in these tight spaces.
High Tech or Low Tech Garage Parking Aids?
Both are great options and it purely depends on your personal preference. Low tech doesn’t necessarily mean worse, just like high tech doesn’t mean it’s better.
High Tech Garage Parking Aids
Going for a high tech option is great if you’re naturally more of a tech-savvy person. If you love fiddling with technology, or lasers get you excited, this is for you. But high tech means a higher potential risk of it failing. Although the tech tends to be installed in the car, there are options for the garage itself as well.
You should be prepared to maintain your technological accessories, to make sure they all operate correctly. But if you’re prepared to be a bit more hands-on, you can pack your car so full of technology you end up with a homemade tesla.
Low Tech Garage Parking Aids
The benefits of going low tech include these guides simply being more reliable. They are much easier to troubleshoot and are quicker and easier to set up.
The low tech options tend to be created for the garage rather than the car, and usually take the form of a curb or a distance meter.
Is My Garage Suitable for a Parking Aid?
To determine the suitability of your garage, you should look at what you’re willing to do, what you can do, and what are potential gadget candidates.
You should also ask yourself what the main issues are in terms of parking – is it hitting the back wall? Not being able to get out of the car as you park too close to a wall? Backing in? Or simply driving in?
Some aids require permanent mounting while others use adhesives so make sure you have the space and a suitable surface to install the parking aid to. Also, be mindful of potential power requirements – some may use batteries while others need to be hardwired.
Tips to Improve Your Garage Parking
In addition to using a garage parking aid, keep these tips in mind to make parking as simple as possible.
Take Your Time When Parking
Whether you have an aid or not, you can improve the skill of parking by practicing it, just like anything else.
Reserve some time to practice parking in the garage in different ways and learn for yourself which method is best for you. Not only will it improve your parking in that specific garage but will develop your parking skills in general as you familiarize yourself with different techniques and approaches and how your car behaves.
Light Up Your Garage
Poor light makes parking so much more difficult as you just can’t see as well. By improving the lighting in the garage you can make it a lot easier on yourself to not only see the garage contents but the parking aid itself.
Take Care of Your Surroundings
Do some tidying and organization. Remove the clutter and make sure everything has its space – take some lessons from Marie Kondo and make your space spark joy – just not too much so the sparks don’t set the car on fire. Not only will the garage look better and feel better, but most importantly it will provide you with those precious extra inches of space, and save your stuff from being run over.
Final Thoughts
We’re living in a golden age of affordable technology. So why live with the stress of reversing a modern SUV into a garage designed for a VW Beetle without any help? Instead, you could just install one of these little beauties and kiss all your parking worries goodbye.
Source: Tools - autoquarterly.com
