The best Parking Gadgets: Reddit reviews

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

That's great! I bought something similar on Amazon that allows you to adjust for 2 sides. Same thing, set it so that once it rolls off the dash you're in. Been using it for about 5 years now flawlessly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F6F99G

The trick is that technically I didn't.

https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Windshield-Adhesive-Protector-Specialist/dp/B07SH9KTT6/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=parking+permit+windshield&qid=1626733514&sr=8-2

This applies to the back of the windshield and I slipped the sticker into the pocket, which is just big enough (the permit is 3 X 3, the pocket is 4 x 3). No need to worry about weather ruining the sticker (and indeed I used the car for a four hour round trip to visit family this weekend in the middle of heavy rain) and I can swap out the AE permit for a real one at any time if need be. If you go this route, however - make sure you apply the holder with the pocket facing up instead of down like I initially did!

Order one of these. It's way easier than using any sensor and your parking distance is perfect every time.

I had a simpler setup without the pulley for a while, but got tired of running into the ball when working in the garage with the door open. So I upgraded to motion activated LASERS!

My car I back into the garage and I put tape on the floor and line up the backup camera lines to the tape. It's surgical.

My wife's car she pulls in forward and we relied on the ball on string, which worked but was annoying in the way. I install a laser cross hair on the ceiling that turns on when the garage door opens and projects on her dashboard. It's 3D printed as well, and it's super accurate if you line the cross hair up to some feature on your dashboard. https://www.amazon.com/GoodChief-Universal-Laser-Parking-Assist/dp/B07HHGRWS8

calthrops. one tire at a time until he learns lesson.

I had to check and these are in fact being sold on Amazon

It's insane. The page sells this as protection for your "parking space and personal space". This is a terrible tool for that job.

It is amazing how the mileage has increased now in the warmer weather. I'm seeing 4.5-5.2 mi/kWh in the 80F weather around town with short highway legs.

We switched parking helper Haven't bumped into the ball in a while.

I cheat and use these bad boys. My garage is so short I probably only have a foot or so of clearance combined on either side of the bumper when I pull in.

I have this one and it works fine. It's not "smart" in that you can't program it or anything, but it gets the job done.

Maxsa 37314 Park Right Dual Laser Parking Guide with Motion Sensor LED light, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUCJ948/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_9SBE149MZCKWSN7MH6C0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Same. I use these to know how far to back in: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-AccuPark-Provides-Stopping-44442/dp/B000EDUUIA/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=parking%2Bbumps&qid=1639515624&sr=8-12&th=1

I use an adjustable laser that mounts on the ceiling of the garage. I have it lined up with one of the creases on the dash.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F6F99G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you don't like tennis balls on strings, there are other less ugly solutions:

1. Parking Laser. This device mounts on your garage ceiling and projects a red dot (or two) through your windshield and onto your dashboard. You first have to park your car once precisely how you like it, then aim the laser at a recognizable spot on your dashboard (ie. the middle of your stereo volume knob). Then in future when you are backing into your space, you know to stop right when the laser dot is in that spot.
2. If you have a backup camera, you can determine a spot on the floor that you can see on the camera and line it up with something. I did it like this when I was in a rental: I set down three or four objects in the middle of the floor near where I thought the edge of the field of view of my camera would be when I am parked. Then I backed into my space and got the car into the perfect position while keeping an eye on the relative position of those objects in my camera. I was then able to place a strip of green painter's tape on the garage floor so that I knew when it was exactly in line with the bottom edge of my camera, the front of my vehicle was about one inch inside the garage door. As I was renting, I just peeled it up when I left.

I recently got a 2nd car for my small 2-car garage, and was researching solutions the other night. 2 item from Amazon caught my interest:

1. Maxsa 37310 ParkRight Laser Parking Guide ($22)
2. Park Ranger ($6.99)

#2 is such a simple idea you could just make your own out of cardboard.

Yeah, I’d still have that if it didn’t get thrown out with the old opener. I went ahead and ordered this, which is almost the same thing. But this throws down lines instead of a dot. You can either use one for each side of the garage, or use one for side distance and the other for front distance. I intend to use it for just one car to position it exactly where I want the car to go.

The off-site permits were stickers like this, and I didn't want to have to scrape the sticker off each semester, so I bought a clear plastic sleeve that stuck to the windshield on Amazon. It was a little ugly but I could just take the parking permit out at the end of the semester and put the new one in.

That or they have a frame of reference where to stop. In my garage, I have a parking aid that helps tell me how far I need to go in order for the car to clear the door. Its just a set of simple blocks but there are parking aids use lasers to indicate how far up you are.

You don’t see where the front wheels stop in the video. They could have stopped the vehicle at the end of a curb or parking spot, and then placed the lighter there, moved the trailer back far enough, and then shoot the video

Model Y gives you the exact distance to what’s in front of you as you’re pulling in. In my case, anything closer than 18” from the shelving unit in front of the car is enough space for the garage door to close. It would be weird if the Model X didn’t do this also (Model X owners please chime in). Otherwise the old ball on a string always works :)

There are high-tech versions now with 'lasers'. My wife would still clip her mirror on the door.

My friend thinks I’m obnoxious parking anywhere. I’ll pull forward further than necessary and use the back up cam to find the exact spot I want. No dangling ball just the line on my garage floor where inside meets outside. You can also buy something like [this.](MAXSAwww.amazon.com/dp/B000F6F99G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_qJ20FbRJ2ST6G?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)

Fosmon, Wider Angle Upgrade, Dual Laser Garage Parking Assist Guide System, 360-degree Adjustable Parking Sensor with AC Adapter and Battery Backup for Car/Automotive https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PTDBYS5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_W.uXFbRAD2S45?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

As a suggestion, why not try the Accupark parking thing you can get on Amazon. It’s less than $8 and just takes a few seconds to install. It’s a little yellow plastic bump strip thing so you can roll in until the tire hits it and you’re good to go.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000EDUUIA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_S6NRFbHW6713R

If I pasted the link right that’s what I’m talking about, seems simple and better than a tennis ball as far as looks and such. Just an idea!

I'd get a laser assisted parking guide. Here's one just randomly selected on Amazon I have no idea if it's good or not. You can also have rubber mats that help you know, for example, that you're all the way in and should stop. Various products for parking you can look into!

Sorry, I now see it was unclear. The device on the left of my illustration is a working mini traffic light sensor that lights up. I’m just looking to connect the LEDs to my full size light via SSR.

It has the sensor and functionality built in. STKR Concepts 00-246 Adjustable Garage Parking Sensor Aid, Dark Gray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W9EBF0Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gVEnFbXMMQ9WW

There are several on the market, this is just the one I’m using.

I got one of these from Amazon for about $6 USD; works great and the tape that came with it is still holding up beautifully after 1.5 years.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EDUUIA/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But I have an old laser light from an aquarium lighting unit that I found while cleaning up the basement the other day and after reading this thread I might have found a new use for it!

I'd get a laser assisted parking guide. Here's one just randomly selected on Amazon I have no idea if it's good or not. You can also have rubber mats that help you know, for example, that you're all the way in and should stop. Various products for parking you can look into!

Very cool. I experimented with some projects like this last year, and didn't come up with something this nice. The main problem I ran into was that all of the various sensors I tried ended up being too inaccurate and flaky to precisely position the car (I really need it to be correct within a few inches; too far back and the door won't close, too far forward and I can't open the cabinets). Do you have an idea of how precise this is?

FWIW, after I gave up on this project, I ended up using one of these and it works fairly well. It's nice in that it gives guidance on alignment as well as distance. But I may revisit the DIY path some day, and it's nice to see someone who has gotten farther with it than I did.

Hangs from the ceiling and helps you know how far to pull into your garage. Once the ball taps your windshield, you know to stop:

http://www.amazon.com/Genie-GPS-R-Universal-Perfect-Parking/dp/B009VUGP9A

I actually spent most of my life thinking my grandfather invented it, but evidently it's a thing people do...

This is what we do too, except it was designed for exactly this purpose. Worth every penny.