Most garages are tight. Squeezing in is risky, and sometimes accidents happen no matter how careful you are. With a series of aids available, parking in your own garage doesn’t have to be such a risk, and it can even be easy.
Benefits of Garage Parking Aids:
- Prevents costly collisions. Scraping a rear view mirror on the garage door frame or bumping into the wall can be costly. Aids can prevent this.
- Eases parking stress. Many people feel anxiety while parking in a garage, but having that extra help eases that stress.
- Maintains organization. Having a marked and designated area assists in keeping a tidy, organized garage: everything in its place, including the car.
- Promotes proper garage use. Marking out the garage parking space with parking aids also designates the space for parking – not storage.
- Speeds the parking process. How much faster could you park when you aren’t inching into a tight space, but can approach confidently with assistance?
#1 Genubi Parking Curb
When you’re parking in public spaces, there’s often a curb at each parking spot to stop you where you need to be, so you can’t go further than is safe. It prevents collisions, it prevents double-parking, and it’s just nice to have.
So why should your garage be any different? Parking curbs don’t lose their usefulness in your home, and there are options designed for residential parking. Residential parking curbs are gentle on the tires, as they’re made of rubber, and with a minimal design your garage won’t lose its sleek look.
Best for short garages and long vehicles with little clearance between the wall and front of the vehicle.
The biggest advantage: Knowing how much space you have is key, and having these curbs placed exactly where you need your front tires to rest takes the guesswork out of parking.
Key parameters:
- Dimensions: 20.75″x5.75″x3.25″ (each).
- Comes in a pack of two.
- Easy to move and don’t require bolting into the ground.
#2 Zone Tech Dual Laser Garage Parking Assistant
What if someone could just stand in front of your car and point right in the middle of where your car should be every time you parked in your garage or carport? You wouldn’t have to guess whether you’re too close on one mirror or if you might scrape the side of the garage. Just line the middle of your car up right there.
Sounds almost too easy, but it isn’t. A parking laser allows you to see exactly where the middle of your car should follow. The installation is simpler than a single parking job.
Best for people who struggle to find the middle of the parking spot with consistency.
The biggest advantage: When there are mere inches (or even just one inch) between each mirror and the garage door, a visual guide for where the middle of your car should hit is helpful.
Key parameters:
- Installation involves screws and double sided tape, both included.
- Motion sensor reaches up to 10 feet and only activates when motion is detected.
- Battery powered.
#3 Logic XYZ Garage Parking Assistant
This parking aid is much like the flashing speed signs on the side of the road in areas people tend to speed too much – it immediately puts that check in your mind about your speed, and reminds you of potential danger. That same concept applies to this solution as it shows you exactly how far you are from the garage wall so you know it’s time to stop.
Teach it how far you like to park from the wall and it’ll flash at you when it’s time to hit the breaks. There’s no more guessing whether you’re close enough to the wall and whether there’s room to walk through in front of the vehicle.
Best for people who find it difficult to gauge how far they are from the front of the garage.
The biggest advantage: This gadget remembers your preference and flashes a warning when you’re inching too close, so it’s not up to you to remember how far you should be from the wall.
Key parameters:
- Ensure the sensors are lined up with the front bumper for accuracy.
- Parking distance memory is stored even in the event of power outage.
- Maximum distance it reads from the wall is 99 inches.
#4 Maxsa Park Right Parking Mat
A lot of these products can be used together as an arsenal of sorts for perfect parking. This one functions much like a parking curb but with the added benefits of a basic tire guide and snow/water catcher.
Placed wherever you want your tire to rest, this will guide your tires exactly where you need them to fit smoothly in a tight space. And the dirt and snow in your tires will fall into the grooves of the mat.
Best for cars that drive over dirt or ice often – or in wet climates – and need to fit into a tight space.
The biggest advantage: The biggest advantage here is versatility: non-slip strips on the back keep it where needed, but its light and flexible nature make it easy to move and store.
Key parameters:
- 11”x21.5”
- Can be hard-mounted in place through designated holes.
- Comes in four colors.
#5 STRIKER Garage Parking Aid
It’s great to find aids and solutions that perform multiple tasks. This parking aid, in particular, performs a dual function by providing lighting when walking through a dark garage space and a parking guide in one.
Instead of flashing a distance from the wall, this parking aid flashes yellow when it’s time to slow down and red when your bumper is the perfect distance from the wall: time to stop. It’s programmed to flash red at a specific distance, so it’s customizable.
Best for someone seeking a multi-functional parking aid that prevents bumping into the garage front wall.
The biggest advantage: As a customizable tool, this can be hung as high or as low as needed for each vehicle and can be programmed to warn you to stop at your preferred distance from the wall.
Key parameters:
- Sensor reaches between 6 inches and 6 feet.
- 3 foot cord from warning light to sensor/flashlight.
- Works for backing in or pulling in front-facing.
#6 Pauto-P Double Garage Parking Ball
This simple parking aid is often seen in the form of a DIY, but added features to this parking ball take it to the next level. The fun design adds character, and it helps you know exactly where to stop for precision garage parking every time.
Kids love to play with the balls when there’s no parked car, and it’s made of stress ball material, making it a fun addition to your parking aid system. It’s also adjustable and bright enough to be visible in the dark.
Best for a quick and easy solution in a tight garage.
The biggest advantage: This aid is easy to install and idiot-proof.
Key parameters:
- Comes in a pack of two.
- 8 foot string connected to the ball.
- String is adjustable.
#7 GoodChief Garage Parking Laser Lines
A garage parking laser works for everyone. It designates exactly where the vehicle needs to sit and takes all the guesswork out of parking in a tight space.
These are installed and calibrated to your garage, ensuring precision in parking and preventing dings and scrapes due to mistakes. Each car can have its own calibrated laser for its side of the garage, so whether your car is large or small you’ll always know where to stop. If you set up the laser to hit a specific point on the vehicle you can park in that exact location with consistency.
Best for anyone who needs a reference point for where to aim their vehicle when pulling into a tight garage.
The biggest advantage: This specific parking assistant laser uses an X to mark the spot, increasing its visibility.
Key parameters: (in there are any, list three)
- Sound sensor lights the laser for 45 seconds.
- 15 range on laser.
- Uses 5 megawatt laser beams.
#8 Walter Drake LED Parking Assistant Stop Sign
Everyone knows what a stop sign looks like, and we all have a gut reaction when we see one. It’s a symbol that’s ingrained into our minds from childhood, so adding a parking garage aid that uses it is going to yield results.
This simple LED design is height-adjustable for any vehicle and utilizes a bright, flashing stop sign when a bumper touches the pole. The pole is safe for bumpers, and it prevents rear end or head-on collisions in a tight garage space.
Best for someone who needs help gauging when is the proper place to stop in a garage to allow enough clearance between the vehicle and wall, and the vehicle and garage door.
The biggest advantage: This design couldn’t be simpler and requires virtually no setup or programming.
Key parameters:
- Pole is adjustable up to 53 inches.
- Requires 2 button cell batteries.
- Base is weighted to prevent it falling over.
#9 Invis-A-Beam Park Daddy
Garages are typically multi-functional between storage and parking, and they can often be cramped. That’s why some folks prefer a precision parking assistant that allows them to just clear the garage door before stopping the vehicle, leaving as much room in front as possible.
This prevents dings and scrapes while leaving clearance in front of the car for walking and storage and just enough clearance behind the vehicle for shutting the garage door. Using infrared technology, drivers are alerted when they’ve cleared the sensor and can stop immediately.
Best for someone who wants sensors that work universally to notify them they’ve cleared a certain point in the garage.
The biggest advantage: This system is universal, and the receiver works in any car. Cars can be switched out and the system isn’t calibrated to a specific vehicle.
Key parameters:
- Batteries last over a year.
- Receiver plugs into car’s AC port.
- Made for a two car garage but can be upgraded to accommodate a four car garage.
Buying Guide: Choosing The Best Parking Aids For Your Garage
Purchasing a parking aid system needs to be a custom fit for each person, and here is a list of things to consider to ensure your garage parking aid system works for you.
#1 Consider size before purchasing.
Some garage parking aids have requirements and specifications that limit use, and it’s important to take note of things like cord measurements, reach, and dimensions before committing to a solution.
#2 You may want to purchase more than one.
Maybe you just need one product as a simple solution, or maybe you really struggle parking and need a few tools in your toolbelt to make sure you get it right every time. Analyze what you struggle with and there may be multiple aids you could use in conjunction for maximum precision.
#3 Some tools have multiple functions.
You might have noticed that some parking aids utilize several functions in one. If you could use some extra help, you might consider consolidating a couple functions into one to save time, space, and money.
