Homes with no security measures in place are five times more likely to be burgled than those with simple security measures, according to the police. And it’s not just the main living area of your home that’s at risk, with break-ins to garages and sheds more common than you might think.
Garages, in particular, can contain your car and other valuable belongings, yet many homeowners don’t keep it secure, let alone have a garage alarm. That’s why we’ve reviewed the best garage alarms for you – so you can find the right one for you quickly and easily with no need to trawl the internet for hours first.
As with any other kind of burglar alarm, it should be visual and part of a suite of prevention measures. Mark expensive things, such as gardening equipment of power tools, to make them less attractive to burglars. Make sure your household insurance covers your garage contents and chain things like bikes and lawnmowers to each other or another strong anchor point.
How to buy the best garage alarm for you
What types of garage alarms are there?
Bell only– this makes a noise but doesn’t alert you or the police.
Dialler alarms– these dial your phone number (or someone else’s if you prefer) when the alarm is triggered.
Smart home-security systems– these let you or a nominated person know when the alarm goes off via your smartphone.
Connected– you can integrate this with other home security measures like security cameras.
Can’t I use my home alarm to extend to my garage?
In some cases, yes, but it can be very pricey. Usually, a standalone solution of fitting a good quality (generally battery operated) alarm to your outbuilding is a cheaper, safer and more effective option.
Wired or wireless?
Wireless alarms use battery-powered sensors that communicate with a control panel using radio signals. These are a great DIY option as they’re generally easy to install – and you can add to them with additional sensors and take them with you easily when you move house.
Wired systems need wires running to each sensor to get it working. They tend to be less expensive, but remember you’ll have to fork out to get it installed – the highest costs will involve the wires being hidden away.
How much do I need to spend?
The cheapest garage alarm in our roundup is under a tenner and the most expensive over £250 for the starter kit. And it’s not as if the cheapest is no-frills as it comes with not one, but two, remote controls. You start paying more for alarms with a greater range, an alarm and a chime, the ability to add extra sensors and smartphone connectivity.
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The best garage alarms you can buy
1. Yale Intruder Alarm Starter Kit: The best garage alarm
Price: £280 | Buy now from Amazon
Yale to burglar alarms is like Hoover to vacuum cleaners, so you won’t be surprised to learn that the level of detail on this alarm is impressive – and yet it’s simple to install and use. Bottom line is it alerts you on your phone when triggered (if you want it to) and enables you to disarm the alarm by tapping the contactless tag (or tapping in the four-digit code).
It’s got extended wireless range to secure up to 200m, so you can protect your shed(s) and other outbuildings all at the same time with no need for an extra signal booster. And when you are around, the part-arming feature lets you choose specific zones of your home that you want to alarm.
Key specs – Zone control: yes; Phone call alerts: yes; Battery-powered or wired: wired panel, wireless sensors; Volume level: 100dB
2. Skylink HA-434RTL Long Range Motion Alert Kit: The Best garage alarm for under £60
Price: £55 | Buy now from Amazon
Simply pop this in your garage and pick from three modes – alert mode (which flashes a visible sign), alarm mode (95dB volume) or off mode – all of which light up to show your option on the screen. Part of an expandable system, you can add to this with extra sensors, all of which are easy to programme and install and which can be programmed to different zones, with a different alert depending on the zone triggered.
Some customers have found it detects motion 25 feet away, yet not two feet away; others have found even a leaf sets it off. The first problem isn’t easily solved, except perhaps by the warranty; the second is easily fixed by adjusting the sensors. The wireless range from the sensors to the unit is an impressive 800 feet (that’s just under 250 metres).
Key specs – Zone control: yes; Phone call alerts: no; Battery-powered or wired: battery; Volume level: 95 dB
3. Skylink GM-434RTL Garage Door Sensor Accessory: The best garage door alarm
Price: £40 | Buy now from Amazon
This lithium-battery powered garage alarm is a reliable way of telling you when your garage door is open. It’s an add-on sensor that you can use with Skylink Long Range Motion Alert Kit (also reviewed in this roundup) and it has the same three modes – alert mode (which flashes a visible sign), alarm mode (at 95 dB) or off mode – which you select from the lit-up screen.
The range is 800ft (almost 250 metres) and it lets you know when the battery is on its way out. It’s easy to set up and integrate with its big brother system and, as with the main system, there are no monthly fees.
Key specs – Zone control: n/a; Phone call alerts: no; Battery-powered or wired: battery; Volume level: 95 dB
4. EasyAlarms EA9b2 Wireless and Weatherproof Alarm/Visitor Alert: Best weatherproof alarm
Price: £59.99 | Buy it now from Amazon
More weatherproof than many alarms, this has a 110 dB siren (very loud) and a ‘polite’ (as they call it) chime setting in case you want to be informed about anyone going anywhere near the garage. You get two movement sensors (each picking up movement within around six metres), one alarm/chime unit and one remote control (so you can get the system going via the receiver in the house), but you’ll need to buy the batteries.
The range from the sensors to the unit is up to 100 metres, so not as much as many – but not bad, and it’s ready to go within 15 minutes.
Key specs – zone control: no; phone call alerts: no; battery-powered or wired: battery; volume level: 110 dB
5. Kingavon BB-DC102 Motion Sensor Alarm: The best cheap garage alarm
Price: £7.58 | Buy now from Amazon
This won’t set you back more than a cheap round at the pub, yet it comes with two remote controls and does its job of making a loud (110 dB) noise if a movement is detected from within six metres of your garage. It’s a doddle to install, using the fixings and mounting bracket included and you can set it to the exact angle to suit you.
You’ll need to buy the four AA batteries for the main unit, although they do include on 12v battery for a remote control, which has a five-metre range. It’s not going to set the world on fire with pioneering features and attention to detail, but it’s simple to set up and loud – what more can you ask for at under a tenner?
Key specs – Zone control: no; Phone call alerts: no; Battery-powered or wired: battery; Volume level: 110 dB
6. Ezviz Security Starter Alarm Smart Home Kit: Best mid-priced smart garage security system
Price: £147 | Buy now from Amazon
This stands out for being quick and easy to set up, following the voice prompts from the built-in human voice that you access with the Ezviz app. The kit – which you can add to with a whopping 32 additions in total ranging from extra sensors to cameras – includes an alarm hub with remote control (which arms, disarms and mutes), a sensor to detect whether the window or garage door is open and – joy of joys - a pet immune detector (so Bob the dog or Casper the cat doesn’t set the alarm off every time they go out on the prowl).
There’s a decent wireless range of up to 100m from the detectors to the hub and you can integrate it with security cameras, and hook it up to your Amazon Echo. You can also use it with smart locks, light bulbs, thermostats and other IFTTT compatible smart-home devices. There’s a panic button too – a great peace of mind – but be warned it’s not entirely wireless as it needs to be connected to the power and we think the volume could be louder than 85 dB.
Key specs – Zone control: yes; Phone call alerts: yes; Battery-powered or wired: battery; Volume level: 85 db
