Maybe you’ve been wanting to make your home or business’ driveway more secure for some time, or maybe you’ve recently moved and would like to make entering and exiting your home more convenient. You may have pets and children you want to protect, or perhaps you live in a rural area and need to secure the boundaries of your property securely, and in a way that protects your livestock and land. Whatever the reason, you’re probably wondering, ‘What is the best sliding gate opener?’.
The answer to this question depends on a few factors, so let’s break down the features to look for when buying a sliding gate opener. This will help you determine which gate is best for your needs.
Features to look for when buying a sliding gate opener
With so many options available when it comes to sliding gate openers, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of details, and lose sight of which features you want or need. When making your selection, we recommend deciding what your priorities are for your space.
Broadly, these priorities can be broken into three categories:
- Convenience — If you dream of skipping the rain, wind and cold while still being able to close up your home, consider convenience should be your top priority. An electric powered wooden sliding gate that is controlled through a smartphone app will give you the ultimate convenience. In fact, it can even allow you to operate your gate when you’re not at home!
- Safety — If protecting a warehouse, business or land from theft and ensuring security is your primary concern, a metal sliding gate opener with an automatic closing mechanism is a great choice. You’ll never have to worry about whether you remembered to close your gate, or about security concerns when letting visitors and delivery drivers in and out. A sleek metal gate offers extra protection too.
- Environmental concerns — If you need an automatic gate opener for accessibility and security reasons but still want to consider its impact on the planet, a solar-powered sliding gate opener is perfect. With very low power usage and a manual key override function in case of any power outages, it’s an environmentally-friendly choice you can feel great about.
Which automatic gate opener is best for me?
Depending on the dimensions of your home, business or property, a sliding gate opener may not be possible to install. Automatic sliding gate openers require a generous width to operate, so narrow passageways or drives that are hemmed in by walls or thick foliage may not work with their opening mechanism. If this is the case in your space, a single swing gate opener or double swing gate opener is a great option. These gates swing inwards down your driveway, taking up less space width-wise and giving you a sweeping, elegant opening motion that’s a great aesthetic choice.