Best Parking Sensor Reviews 2017

When it comes to pricing of a product, there are many factors that come into play, with the most prominent factor being the features available in the product. For a parking sensor, the number of sensor probes play a key role in the pricing. You should plan your budget in line with how many sensor probes you’ll be requiring for your vehicle.

The price range of our featured parking sensors is between $14.99 and $39.98, which covers a wide range of quality products with different numbers of sensor probes. In the course of our research, we came across some cheap parking sensors made from flimsy components that will break down in a short while. We didn’t bother with them, as we are always on the lookout for quality and durable products for your satisfaction.

An ideal parking sensor should have some key features that enhance its functionality and make it reliable and easy to use. These features include:

• Type of parking sensor
• Number of sensor probes
• Setup mode
• Response type
• Extra features

There are two major types of parking sensors. The first type uses laser light to guide the user when parking in a garage or carport. This type of parking sensor is usually mounted on an elevated part of the garage, such as the roof, and is motion-activated, so the light comes on once the garage door is opened. The laser light guides the user to drive in until the light is pointing directly on the designated part of the car. This ensures that the user parks consistently and safely in one spot all the time.

The second type is designed with three distinct units – the sensor probe, the AV control box and the monitor. The sensor probe is attached to the rear bumper of the car. The monitor is placed at a convenient and visible spot inside the car so the user can have a clear view of its readout, and the AV control box is the central connector and the CPU of the device. This type of parking sensor helps the user to navigate safely around obstacles when reversing or backing out of a parking lot.

A parking sensor can have between one and eight sensor probes. The number of sensor probes directly affects how well the unit detects an obstacle. The higher the number of sensor probes, the larger the coverage area. These sensor probes are mounted flush with the vehicle front and rear bumpers at specified distances to maximize coverage. They can also be mounted on the fenders to cover blind sides and increase safety while driving.

Parking sensors work on either ultrasonic or electromagnetic mode. Ultrasonic sensors require holes to be drilled into the spots on the bumper where they will be mounted. The sensors give out acoustic pulses, while the control unit measures and interprets the return interval to give the obstacle distance. The system then sends warning to the user in form of alarm tones or some other warning mechanism. Ultrasonic systems rely on sound waves, so they may not be able to fully detect flat or extremely small objects.

Electromagnetic sensors don't require drilling holes on any part of the vehicle. They’re discreetly mounted on the inner side of the bumper. They work based on the slow and smooth movement of the vehicle towards the obstacle. Once the vehicle is within a pre-determined range of the obstacle, the system starts emitting warning sounds that increase in frequency as the vehicle approaches the obstacle.

Different brands equip their parking sensors with different feedback response mechanisms. The mechanism can be a buzzer tone, an alarm bell or a human robotic voice. The buzzer or alarm tone sounds when the sensor detects an obstacle, and the tone frequency increases as the vehicle draws nearer. The human robotic voice gives the driver information on how far away from the obstacle the vehicle, is and the direction from which the obstacle is being detected. The voice sounds are usually clear, loud and free of interferences.

Parking sensors are pretty straightforward when it comes to installation. The inclusion of a user manual in the pack goes a long way in helping users set up the unit correctly. A parking sensor can either be wired or wireless, although most brands are the wired type. A wireless parking sensor is faster and easier to install than the wired model, as you don’t have to contend with the hassles of stringing up wires from one end of the vehicle to the other.

In addition to warning tones or robotic voices, a parking sensor is most often equipped with an LCD or LED display screen. This screen shows distance (in meters) between the obstacle and the vehicle. It might also display some other useful information, including the size of the obstacle, the coordinates, and in some cases, the weather conditions. The display unit gets its feed from the camera embedded in the sensor probes.

Different laser light parking sensors have different models, with varying numbers of laser light points to accommodate and park any number of vehicles correctly. The laser lights are adjustable, so you can point them at any spot where you need the car to be parked. Although their major source of power is electricity, some of them can be battery-operated in cases of emergency power outage.

The motion-activated laser lights in the parking sensor ensure that you do not have to get out of your car to switch the unit on. Once the garage opens, the laser lights come on, and automatically go off after about 15 seconds. This is a highly efficient and time-saving system.

Almost all parking sensors are weatherproof, with their performance unaffected by any untoward weather conditions.