The Best Garage Parking Aids Protect Cars and Budgets

How We Chose Garage Parking Aids

After testing, we think the Maxsa Park Right parking mat is the best option for most people. Visual parking aids, like the tennis balls or even the Fosmon laser system below, are hard to see when backing up; in dark garages: or with tinted windows. They can be useful, especially if you're working in your garage and can't have anything on your floor, but there's no mistaking the feel of this parking mat.

It comes with double-sided tape to attach it semi-permanently, but we'd advise against that: Having an inch-high lump on your garage floor is a real trip hazard, but there are red and yellow versions for better visibility. It's not very heavy, but it's grippy and we didn't have any trouble with it sliding around without the tape. Once we had it positioned where we wanted it, we stenciled two corners with spray paint, so we could put it back in the same place any time we wanted.

There's a raised lip to catch drips off your tires, but unless you get four of them, that's more of a gimmick than anything. If you're lined up right, you might not feel the first bump, but the second stops you, even if you have big wheels and tires. Unfortunately, it's only 11 inches wide, which makes it a small, hard-to-hit target, especially if you're backing in. We'd like it better if it were closer to 18 inches wide.

There are a lot of variations on tennis-ball-on-a-string, so we bought one of the top-rate (but otherwise identical) brands to check out. It's definitely something you could DIY with some screws, string, and hot glue, but by that point you might as well spend the few dollars that a premade PAUTO-P brand costs.

This pair of hanging balls comes with screw eyes for your garage ceiling, long elastic cords, and spring-loaded clips that let you adjust the length. It took us three tries and trips to our 10-foot ceiling, moving our car in and out of the shop, to get it lined up correctly. A measuring tape to estimate distance from the floor to your windshield helps. We tend to back in and set it up for that. In a dark garage, through a dark tinted rear windshield, it was almost invisible. If you pull in forwards it will work much better. It also leaves a ball hanging, in our case, at 52 inches off the garage floor where you can walk into it repeatedly.

One of our local children got hold of the parking ball we didn't install, and spent some time happily whipping it around on the elastic string. We were very impressed to see that it stayed attached and didn't stretch out, so we're confident they'll hold up well to the rigors of hanging in your garage.

We're not quite sure what to make of the Fosmon laser parking aid. It does exactly what it claims, and shines two motion-activated red lasers wherever you point them. This and the LogicXYZ are the only two that leave your garage floor (and airspace) clear, but the Fosmon has a lot more mounting options and doesn't take up any wall space.

The two aimable laser diodes are intended to let you set it up for cars on both sides of a two-car garage. The AG Garage has an I-beam down the center, but they have enough range of motion that we could put it high on the back wall and achieve the same effect. There's a thin plastic backplate that you screw in permanently, then the main unit clips in. It runs on a 9V battery, or with the included AC adaptor.

It took a lot of trips back up and down a ladder, and in and out of the car, to aim the lasers right, and they were hard to see, just a tiny, if very bright, dot. We also had to remember where we'd aimed them and because of our Dodge Magnum RT's high beltline and dark tint, the dot was only visible on the windshield.

When the garage was empty, we were continually being blinded with them as we walked in front of the beams. We eventually got sick of that, and pointed them both at the taillamp of an old moped we have hanging from the ceiling for a cool, motion-activated piece of garage décor.

LogicXYS makes a digital display that affixes to your garage wall. The display unit, along with a pair of sensors, can show you exactly how far you are from that garage (or exterior house) wall in inches. Want to park two inches from the wall? Wait for the display to show two. Want to park like a normal person? Try somewhere around 24.

For this recommendation, all you need is power. The best part of this garage parking aid, though, is that it will work equally well even if you park different vehicles inside your garage. All you need to do is to find out the right distance for each one. Maybe put a big chart on the wall to remind you that the car needs a foot and the truck needs three, but you won't need to worry about “well, the light's red” and still not be in the back of the garage.

If you don't need to worry about walking around in an empty garage when your car isn't parked inside, this can be a great option for a parking aid because it's simple, basic, and easy. It's an extra-flexible pole with a stop sign on the top, and really that's probably all you need in your garage.

Drive toward it until you tap the pole and you're parked in the right spot, every time. The wide base helps keep it in place even if you're coming in a little bit quickly, and battery-powered lights in the sign light up when you touch the post, making sure you know it's time to stop. Great if you're excited to get home and have a little brain fade. The flashing lights can run continuously for up to 72 hours in an emergency, giving you needed light in your otherwise dark garage.

Cheap, simple, and effective, the Guardian Heavy Duty Rubber Parking Curb is essentially a steep speed bump. Install it on any solid surface, even a dirt driveway, and really all you need to do is let it sit in place and do its job.

Use an adhesive on your garage floor or bolts on a hard or soft surface for a more permanent installation, and this block lets you just drive forward slowly until you hit it. Once you've hit the bump, you're parked. If you don't bolt it down, it's relatively easy to move if you change vehicles, and at just four inches high it should fit under all but the lowest sports cars.

It's available in lengths from two to six feet long, and weighs up to 28 pounds, so you could probably just flop it down and let it lie there, because it doesn't come with any installation hardware.

What is a Garage Parking Aid?

From as simple as a tennis ball to as complicated as ultrasonic sensors, a parking aid is anything that helps you get your car, truck, or SUV exactly where it needs to be in your garage. Left and right, forward and backward, they'll tell you if you need to turn the wheel or if you're about to have a close encounter with that old fridge you've been promising to get rid of.

Why do I Need a Garage Parking Aid?

Because cars are expensive and garages are cramped, we recommend at least a basic parking aid to take the stress out of putting your vehicle away. Instead of taking minutes of mirror checking and neck-craning, just drive up to the mark quickly and stress-free. If you can make things lower stress, why wouldn't you?

What To Look For in a Garage Parking Aid

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