Picture this: You just finished buying your groceries. You try to grab a cart to place your items in for the trek to the car park but alas, there’s none available. So you decide to just go ahead and carry 4 bags of groceries with your own two hands and proceed to the parking lot where you parked your car. You get to your car but a new problem arises. How do you get the trunk open when your hands are all full?
One way or another, we’ve all had this experience and no one can deny how much of a hassle it is. But this problem has now been solved with the help of advancements in technology. Enter the power and hands-free liftgate. A way to automatically open the trunk of your vehicle with minimal to no effort. Gone are the days of having to ask for help in opening your trunk when your hands are full. We are now living in the future and these conveniences are here to stay.
But you probably already know that. What you’re really asking is what is the difference between a power liftgate and a hands-free liftgate and which one should you choose? Let’s break it down and see what each has to offer.
What Is A Power Liftgate?
A power liftgate is a mechanism or feature in your vehicle where it automatically opens and closes your vehicle’s rear door with a simple press of a button. inside your car, within the trunk itself, or with the use of your key fob. There are even additional features on some models like adjustable height. This means you can dial in the desired height at which the rear door opens. This is especially useful for garages with low clearances to prevent the door from bumping the ceiling. Other models even have sensors that automatically detect any obstructions overhead and prevent the rear door from opening further to avoid hitting the obstruction.
What Are The Benefits of A Power Liftgate?
it’s all about convenience. It’s like having a personal chauffeur opening and closing the door for you. You don’t need to set the stuff you have in your hands down just to open the door. Everything can now be done with a press of a button. This is especially useful for individuals who haul a lot of stuff in their vehicles or those who frequently use their trunk or rear door for storage.
What Is a Hands-free Liftgate?
A hands-free liftgate is exactly like a power liftgate. In fact, you can even consider it as an additional feature to a power liftgate. A hands-free liftgate does what a power liftgate does but adds in a neat feature that makes it, well, hands-free. How do you open a hands-free liftgate? you simply need to kick your foot under your vehicle’s rear bumper and a sensor will detect the movement which will then automatically open the rear door. You need to have the key fob with you and should be standing within 3 feet of your vehicle for this to work. And this leg swiping motion isn’t just for opening the rear door. When you are done with what you need to do with your trunk, simply repeat that same motion with your foot under the rear bumper, and your vehicle’s rear door will automatically close. Convenient isn’t it?
Much like the power liftgate, you can also set the height at which your rear door opens to avoid having it hit low ceilings.
What Are The Benefits of A Hands-Free Liftgate?
As stated, a hands-free liftgate is just a power liftgate with the added feature of not having to use your hands to open your rear door. Much of the conveniences you have with a power liftgate can be found with a hands-free one. However, the feature that can only be found with this type of liftgate is its being hands-free. You might think the difference is so minor but this really matters a lot in different scenarios. Think about it: It’s raining hard and your vehicle is caked with mud but you need to place delicate items that need to be clean inside the trunk. You wouldn’t want to risk dropping it so you can use your hands to reach for your key fob. With a hands-free liftgate, you can safely haul delicate cargo with it secured in both hands.
Conclusion
Whether going for one or the other, you can’t really go wrong. The convenience it gives to the user makes it all worth it. Especially for those who use their trunks to haul items and equipment on a daily basis. Power liftgates are really convenient, but if you want more convenience, you can always go for one with a hands-free feature.
