Head’s Up!<\/strong><\/p>\n The web site warns that it’s not compatible with Chamberlain\u00ae and Liftmaster\u00ae \u201cSecurity+2.0\u201d garage door openers, just in case that describes you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The unit itself is about 4.5″ in diameter and 2″ tall, and it attaches to the ceiling of your garage with drywall anchors and screws. Once you get it in place, it scans the screen of your phone to pair with your device, and then you’re ready to go.\u00a0 You can check out more details on the Wink site<\/a>.<\/p>\n In short, it uses a contact closure mechanism to tell your garage when to open and close just like the button on the wall.<\/p>\n That part is no big surprise since most similar devices use the same method.<\/p>\n Where the Ascend breaks from the herd is using a laser reflecting from the door itself to tell when the door is opened or closed. To enable that, you just peel some adhesive and stick a reflector on the door in a spot where the Ascend can see it.<\/p>\n I for one, am interested to read reviews of how reliable that sensor ends up being. It seems like it could be tough to get working consistently in changing light conditions.<\/p>\n As an added bonus, I’m sure the integration with the Wink hub is tight too.\u00a0 Take a look at our Wink hub review if you haven’t read about it already.<\/p>\n The Ascend is being sold for $100 per unit.\u00a0 And, you have to use one unit per door.\u00a0 So if you have multiple doors, the costs could add up quickly.<\/p>\n The Ascend strikes a nice balance of features and affordability.<\/p>\n It’s very similar, but $10 cheaper currently than the Chamberlain MyQ at $110 for each unit.<\/p>\n And for a single door, it’s cheaper than the GarageIO smart garage door opener<\/a>. But for several doors, the GarageIO unit comes out ahead.<\/p>\n On the other hand, if you have a Z-Wave smart hub, then you could pick up the Linear garage door controller<\/a> to control your door for $89. The benefit is that it will easily integrate into your other home controls and mode selections. But again, you’re stuck paying that cost for each door.<\/p>\n Or, you could roll your own solution by making a DIY smart garage door opener<\/a> with a smart relay ($31) or a dumb relay ($5) and a smart outlet ($35), and a tilt sensor ($32). That would save you a few bucks and could let you support WiFi, Insteon, Z-Wave, etc. at the cost of a little time and convenience.<\/p>\n\n Finally, you could throw out the smart phone control altogether and just install a timer on your garage door that makes sure it closes after you leave.<\/p>\n![\"Quirky](\"https:\/\/24-7-home-security.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Ascend.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow does the Quirky Ascend work?<\/h2>\n
What does Ascend cost?<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s the competition?<\/h2>\n
![\"Garageio-sq\"](\"https:\/\/24-7-home-security.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Garageio-sq-300x266.jpg\")
<\/a>And, the Quirky Ascend runs on WiFi, which most people have in abundance without having to buy a home automation hub if you don’t already have one. Or you can also explore a number of open source home automation systems as an alternative option for your security system.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\t \nSolution<\/th> # of Doors Supported<\/th> Cost ($)<\/th> Protocol<\/th> Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n\t Garageio<\/a><\/td> up to 3<\/td> 200 - 220<\/td> WiFi<\/td> IFTTT support<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Gogogate<\/a><\/td> up to 3<\/td> 135<\/td> WiFi<\/td> IFTTT support<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Chamberlain MyQ<\/a><\/td> 1<\/td> 110<\/td> WiFi<\/td> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Linear GD00Z-4<\/a><\/td> 1<\/td> 90<\/td> Z-Wave<\/td> More secure than relay solutions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Linear FS20Z-1<\/a> + Tilt sensor<\/a><\/td> 1<\/td> 63<\/td> Z-Wave<\/td> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Smart outlet<\/a> + Relay<\/a> + Tilt sensor<\/a><\/td> 1<\/td> 72<\/td> Any<\/td> See our how-to guide!<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t <\/td> <\/td> <\/td> <\/td> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n