The 10 Best Magnetic Screen Doors
Special Honors
Sprinter Van Sliding Door Magnet Bug Screen Whether you're living that #vanlife or just enjoy taking road trips from time to time, the Sprinter Van Sliding Door Magnet Bug Screen will keep you cool and comfortable wherever you roam. Each is made by hand in the USA to high quality standards, and is easy to both install and use, with no drilling required. sprinterstore.com
Editor's Notes
September 21, 2020:
To suit doorways of all sizes and types, we've kept a wide range of models, but at this time, we have not included any options from Magic Mesh, a somewhat popular "As seen on TV" choice. For the price, these models don't measure up to some other brands, including the Flux Phenom, a perennial favorite. The Inspired Home Living Sentry remains a top choice, as well; it comes in several colors, which isn't true of most others.
For something a little different, we selected both the Wolf & Moon Products Bug Off and the Yotache Double. The Bug Off is reversible, with its opening located more to one side than in the middle. This means it works well with French doors, because you can still enter and exit even when only one door is open. Not only that, but it installs with a tension rod that's similar to the ones used to hang some curtains. The Yotache model installs with hook-and-loop tape, as many others do, but it has two flaps so that two people can use it at once. If you're having a party, you won't have people backed up at the doorway. Its fiberglass construction is reliable, too.
Whichever you choose, remember to inspect them for damage from time to time to ensure that no magnets can escape the fabric, thereby creating a hazard to pets and kids.
July 09, 2019:
Magnetic screen doors are a great way to make your home more summer-friendly. One quick word about safety, however — if you have small kids and pets, be sure to keep an eye on the magnets contained in the mesh fabric. Many options feature smaller magnets that can be ripped loose with rough treatment, something to keep in mind when it comes to safety. That said, we still find the Flux Phenom and Inspired Home Living Sentry to be fine options for a variety of households. We also added the Homitt Adjustable, which offers customizable sizing. No matter which you choose, though, you'll need to select a size carefully; manufacturers usually list both the actual size of the mesh door and the sizes it's meant to cover, measurements that are easy to confuse. But this should be the most trouble you encounter, as these selections are simple to put up.
We also decided to add one pet-specific choice, the Ownpets Flap. It's a little more complicated to install than the others on the list, although it's less work than most standard pet doors. But the magnetic flap and screened construction will keep insects out, so it's worth it for many.
Keeping The Bugs At Bay
From the middle of the spring all the way through mid-autumn, much of the United States is blessed with weather that just begs for doors and windows to be left wide open.
From the middle of the spring all the way through mid-autumn, much of the United States is blessed with weather that just begs for doors and windows to be left wide open. In some regions, people are lucky enough to enjoy mild weather all year round, meaning even more occasions for open doors and windows to let in fresh, pleasant air.
However, along with those pure breezes that come blowing into your home can come unwanted, windblown dust and debris, as well as insects that can be a nuisance or, in some cases, a genuine health risk. Insects such as ticks or mosquitoes can carry any number of diseases.
Fortunately, there are myriad ways to enjoy fresh air inside your home while keeping the insects at bay. You can choose chemical or organic insect repellents, such as bug sprays or citronella candles; you can install traps that attract bugs and then catch or kill them, reducing the number of likely insect trespassers; or you can use fans to direct airflow and prevent flying insects from making their way into your home.
But the best way to enjoy the fresh air while also preventing insects from getting into your home, not to mention preventing the mess of leaves, twigs, and other debris riding the wind, is to create a physical barrier. Any standard window will likely already be fitted with a screen, or else it will be easy to buy a window screen or have one quickly and affordably assembled at most hardware stores.
Doorways, on the other hand, present a slightly more challenging issue, as, unlike windows, they are a necessary means of human passage. Instead of opting for an expensive, permanent screen door -- doors that often happen to be ungainly and unsightly -- consider a magnetic screen door that stops the bugs, but allows easy access for people or pets.
Choosing The Right Magnetic Screen Door
The process of selecting the right magnetic screen door for your home (or your lake house, office, workshop, and so on) comes down to two essential considerations:
Second, you need to consider who will be using the doorway and how often.
The first question is quite easy to answer: is the doorway in question a standard, single door? That is to say, a door usually around 80 inches in height and between 24 and 36 inches in width, which is the usual range for American construction. If, however, you have a non-standard single doorway, or you are dealing with a sliding door, French doors, or even a garage door, then you will have to look a bit harder to find the right screen solution.
Second, you need to consider who will be using the doorway and how often. If the door is infrequently passed through and almost exclusively by adults, then one of the cheaper, simpler magnetic screens is likely a fine choice, as adults are able to pass through a screen carefully and make sure it has properly sealed itself after them. A door frequently used by kids or pets, on the other hand, will have to be rather more robust, standing up to rough handling and reliably sealing itself after each use. (A magnetic screen door is useless if it features large gaps where magnets didn't meet up, after all.)
Magnetic Screen Door Installation And Maintenance
Part of choosing the right magnetic screen door for your property dovetails with the unit's installation and maintenance, for the ease of installing and maintaining a magnetic screen door may help convince you which is the right choice.
If wiping them down with a damp cloth isn't sufficient, simply dunk the screens gently into a bucket of cool, soapy water, them rinse them with a few dunks in clean water.
Most magnetic screens install using a Velcro system: one strip of Velcro is applied to the doorframe using adhesives, while the perimeter of the screen itself is lined with the other half of the Velcro. Velcro has the drawback of occasionally coming loose and presenting gaps that bugs can pass through, but it offers the benefit of giving way instead of tearing should the screen be pulled or pushed upon too roughly. (These screens can always be retrofitted for a more secure installation using finishing nails, a staple gun, or other techniques.)
Other magnetic screen doors use grommets hung upon hooks, and require a much more laborious installation process, yet are less likely to present gaps around their edges. (For the record, when it comes to many larger, non-standard door openings such as those on a porch or garage, a Velcro-style magnetic screen may not even be an option.)
Over the weeks and months, your magnetic screen doors are going to get a bit dusty and grimy, and you'll want to keep them clean both for simple aesthetic purposes and so they can do their job and let plenty of clean, fresh air inside while keeping everything else out.
Fortunately, cleaning your magnetic screens is a painless process. If wiping them down with a damp cloth isn't sufficient, simply dunk the screens gently into a bucket of cool, soapy water, them rinse them with a few dunks in clean water. If possible, hang the screen right back up in its frame with a towel underneath; if need be, drape the screens over a clothes line to drip and air dry.