Last Updated on September 13, 2026
AudioLab Automatic Chicken Coop Door: Review and Install
I put this purchase off for a long time. A hundred dollars felt like a lot for a chicken door, and there are dozens of models. This one had the reviews and the two features I actually wanted, so I bought it, framed it into the run, and here is what it is like to live with.
What it does
- Internal battery charged by a solar panel. No batteries to replace. If the panel is not keeping up in winter, the back of the panel has a USB input so you can top the battery up from a battery pack.
- Two automatic modes. Out of the box it runs dusk to dawn on a light sensor; plug the panel in and it works. Or set your own times: press both buttons, press open at the time you want, press close at the time you want, and it repeats every 24 hours.
- Obstruction sensing. If a chicken is in the doorway, the door goes back up and tries again a few seconds later.
- Remote. Open and close from the remote; it does a small up-and-down check on the way down.
Where I installed it
The coop door itself stays open. The run is fully wired, including mesh across the bottom, so the birds are safe inside it. What I wanted to lock at night is the door between the run and the outdoor area, so that is where the auto door went. There was nothing to bolt it to, so I built a small frame from scrap cedar fence boards, screwed the frame into the opening, and bolted the door to the frame. It came out solid.
The two things I would change
- The solar panel cord is short, six or seven feet. If the door is in shade you have very little room to move the panel into the sun. I zip-tied the cable along the run wire and mounted the panel about three feet up a corner post, above where snow piles.
- The panel mount only tilts up and down, no left-right swivel, and the ground mount they include is flimsy. A longer cord and a better mount would fix both. I may add a little overhang over the panel to keep ice off it.
Verdict
For about $100 it does the job: the birds go out at first light and are locked in at dusk without me. I will post an update after a winter on it. If you want the premium version of the same idea, my Omlet automatic door review covers the other end of the price range.
Where to buy: AudioLab automatic chicken coop door on Amazon.
Key takeaways
- About $100, solar panel charging an internal battery, so no batteries to replace.
- Dusk-to-dawn mode works out of the box; a timer mode repeats your own open and close times every 24 hours.
- It senses a chicken in the doorway and lifts again.
- The solar cord is only six or seven feet and the panel mount does not swivel; plan the panel location before you mount the door.
- Frame the opening with scrap wood if there is nothing solid to bolt to.
Questions people ask
Does it work in winter?
The panel keeps the battery up as long as it gets sun; mount it three feet up, out of the snow. If it falls behind, the USB port on the panel takes a battery pack.
Dusk to dawn or timer?
I use dusk to dawn. The timer is for coops where the light sensor gets fooled by a yard light.
Is it predator-proof?
It locks the run at night. The run itself has to be wired, including under the floor; the door only closes the gap you give it.
Plan the garden before you build it
Plan My Garden is free to start: draw your beds, pick your crops, and it gives you a planting schedule for your zip code and a layout with every plant placed.
Related: Omlet Automatic Chicken Coop Door Review · Using Wood Ash in the Garden
