If you’re researching ways to legally hold fire doors open, it’s likely you’ve discovered Fireco’s three flagship sound-activated devices: Dorgard, DorMag SmartSound, and Freedor SmartSound. They all solve the same core problem – fire doors that get wedged open illegally, creating a serious safety and compliance risk – but they do it in three physically different ways, and each suits a different type of door, building, and budget.

This guide breaks down what each device actually does, where it excels, and how to work out which one is right for your building.

The problem they all solve

Fire doors are designed to be closed. Propping them open with something like a wedge, fire extinguisher, or chair defeats their purpose and is illegal under UK fire safety regulations – yet staff and visitors prop doors open constantly for ventilation, accessibility, and convenience.

Fireco’s devices let you hold doors open legally by automatically releasing and allowing the door to close the moment a continuous fire alarm sounds. The difference between Dorgard, DorMag SmartSound, and Freedor comes down to where they’re fitted on the door, how they hold it, and what kind of door or wall they’re built for.

Quick comparison

Dorgard: the original fire door retainer

Dorgard is Fireco’s best-known product and the first-ever acoustically activated fire door retainer. It’s a small unit fitted to the bottom of the door that listens for the fire alarm and drops away to let the door swing shut.

How it works: When the fire alarm sounds, Dorgard automatically releases the door within 14 seconds, allowing it to safely close the fire door. Dorgard is battery-powered and uses a simple mechanical, floor-contact hold-open system – meaning no wiring, no wall fixings, and minimal installation.

Why buyers choose it:

• Fastest, simplest installation of the three devices – fitted in under five minutes
• Lowest cost of entry, making it the easiest device to roll out across many doors at once
• Made from recyclable materials and manufactured in the UK
• Fully battery-operated, so no electrician or hard-wiring costs

Where it’s not the best fit: because it operates at floor level, Dorgard works best on doors with reasonably even, hard flooring. For environments where floor conditions such as deep carpets or uneven surfaces make a floor-contact solution less suitable, DorMag provides a flexible, floor-independent alternative. 

Best for: offices, schools, care homes, retail, hospitality, and any building with a large number of standard doors that just need a reliable, low-cost, quick-to-fit hold-open solution.

DorMag SmartSound: the discreet magnetic option

DorMag SmartSound takes a different physical approach. It’s mounted on the wall with a magnetic keeper plate that holds the door in place.

How it works: DorMag SmartSound is a wireless fire door magnet that holds fire doors open legally, and upon activation of the fire alarm, it automatically releases, allowing the door to close. It uses the same listening technology as the rest of the SmartSound range, and is particularly suitable for areas with uneven floors and situations requiring a discreet hold-open option.

Why buyers choose it:

• Versatile installation that doesn’t rely on even floors 
• Compact and discreet, fitted behind the door so less visible when the door is held open. Useful in higher-spec or public-facing environments where aesthetics matter
• Optional chain or floor brackets available for greater installation flexibility 
• Comes with a 2-year warranty and a keeper chain for flexible fitting options

Where it’s not the best fit: DorMag holds the door open but only in a single open position.

Best for: schools, hospitals, and public buildings with carpeted or uneven floors, listed or heritage buildings where a low-profile fitting is preferred, and any site where a wall-mounted solution is easier to specify than a floor unit.

Freedor SmartSound: the true free-swing device

If your specification calls for a genuine free-swing device, Freedor SmartSound is the one built for that job. Unlike Dorgard and DorMag, which hold a door at one open position, Freedor is fitted at the top of the door and lets it swing freely and rest open at whatever angle it’s left at.

How it works: Freedor SmartSound is a wireless door closer that allows fire doors to be held open at your preferred angle, automatically closing them when the fire alarm sounds. SmartSound listening technology identifies the alarm and closes the door when needed. Its free-swing mode removes all resistance from heavy fire doors, making them easier to open.

Why buyers choose it:

• Solves the “heavy fire door” problem directly – it takes the effort out of opening heavy fire doors, enabling easier access
• Doors can be left open at any angle, not just one fixed position, which suits high-traffic corridors and disabled access routes
• Battery-powered and a 2-year warranty
• Available in white, black, and silver finishes to match door hardware

Where it’s not the best fit: Freedor is fitted at the top of the door rather than the bottom or wall, so installation is a little more involved than Dorgard, and it’s most cost-effective when the priority is genuinely reducing the effort of opening heavy doors – not just holding a lighter door open.

Best for: care homes, hospitals, schools, and hotels with heavy fire-rated doors on high-traffic routes, accessibility-critical doorways (wheelchair users, elderly residents, trolleys and equipment), and any building where staff or visitors are currently struggling to push doors open but still require the flexibility for the door to remain closed when needed.

How to choose: match the device to the door, not just the building

The three products aren’t tiered “good/better/best” – they’re built for different physical problems. Here’s a practical way to decide:

1. Is the door heavy or hard to push open? Choose Freedor SmartSound. This is the only device of the three designed to reduce opening effort via free-swing technology.
2. Is the floor uneven, carpeted, or does the door sit somewhere a floor unit would look out of place? Choose DorMag SmartSound for its wall-mounted, discreet fitting behind the door.
3. Do you need a fast, low-cost, reliable retainer for a standard door on a flat floor? Choose Dorgard, especially if you’re fitting many doors across a site and want to keep per-door cost down.

Many buildings end up using a mix – Dorgard across standard internal doors, with DorMag or Freedor specified for problem doors (uneven floors, heavy fire doors, accessibility routes). 

Compliance, installation, and support

All three devices are designed to meet UK fire safety regulations for holding fire doors open and have a 2-year warranty. Each comes with full technical documentation – data sheets and Declarations of Performance. Fireco also offers installation services and a maintenance plan, which is worth factoring in if you’re specifying devices across a large estate rather than a single site.

What if sound activation isn’t enough? The Pro range

Everything above – Dorgard, DorMag SmartSound, and Freedor SmartSound – listens for the fire alarm and releases automatically. That works well for the vast majority of buildings. But in high-risk areas like kitchens, stairwells, and corridors, or sites where background noise could interfere with sound detection, Fireco also offers a radio-activated Pro range: Dorgard Pro, DorMag Pro, and Freedor Pro.

Instead of listening for the alarm, each Pro device is controlled by ProHub, a separate controller wired directly into the fire alarm panel. When the alarm activates, ProHub sends a radio signal that releases the doors – so detection doesn’t rely on sound at all.

Dorgard Pro is the radio-activated equivalent of Dorgard: the same floor-fitted retainer, but radio-activated by ProHub rather than listening for the alarm, so it’s suitable for high-risk zones including corridors, kitchens and stairwells.

DorMag Pro is the radio-activated equivalent of DorMag SmartSound: a wireless, magnetic wall-mounted retainer with the same compact, discreet design, again controlled via ProHub instead of sound detection.

Freedor Pro is the radio-activated equivalent of Freedor SmartSound: the same free-swing mechanism that takes the weight out of heavy fire doors and lets you place them open at a convenient angle, with ProHub triggering the close via radio signal in an emergency. Freedor Pro requires professional installation.

Because all three share ProHub as their controller, the Pro range is also:

• Unaffected by background noise, since release is triggered from the alarm panel itself rather than sound detection
• Suitable for Critical (Category A) installations under BS 7273-4, which some higher-risk buildings are required to specify
• An expandable, monitorable system – Fireco’s Site Manager software gives real-time status, battery level, and signal strength for every unit across a site, from any internet-connected device
• Compatible with intruder alarm and lockdown system integration, for buildings that need doors to respond to more than just fire alarms

In short: use the guidance earlier in this article to work out whether Dorgard, DorMag, or Freedor is the right physical fit for your door, then decide between the SmartSound (sound-activated) or Pro (radio-activated) version based on whether your building has high-risk zones, background noise, or a Category A compliance requirement.

Final recommendation

• Choose Dorgard (or Dorgard Pro) if you want the simplest, most cost-effective way to legally hold open a large number of standard fire doors.
• Choose DorMag SmartSound (or DorMag Pro) if your floors are uneven or carpeted, or you need a more discreet, wall-mounted fitting.
• Choose Freedor SmartSound (or Freedor Pro) if heavy fire doors are the actual problem – it’s the only option that reduces the physical effort of opening the door and holds it at any angle.
• Add Pro/ProHub to any of the above if you have high-risk zones, background noise, or a Category A (BS 7273-4) compliance requirement.

If you’re specifying across a mixed estate, it’s worth speaking to Fireco directly (01273 320650) or requesting a site survey. We can help match specific doors to the right device, and the right activation method, based on weight, floor type, risk level, and footfall.