The Best Garage Door Opener

Buying Guide

Without a garage door opener, you’d have to manually lift the door every time you needed access, which would be especially annoying if you parked your car in there. A garage door opener is a modern convenience many people take for granted. If your home has an opener already, chances are it was already there when you bought the house. But you don’t have to wait until it malfunctions to replace it. In fact, you may find that you can upgrade to a quieter, more efficient model that offers capabilities you don’t currently have.

If you’ve decided you need a new garage door opener, though, where do you start?

“Determining horsepower (HP) should be the first step in picking out a garage door opener,” says Vicki Liston, our home improvement expert and the host of “On The Fly…DIY,” an award-winning show with unique project tutorials. “Too much HP and you are wasting a lot of money. Too little and you run the risk of tearing up the motor. The goal is to find the right balance.”

She suggests that you may need just 1/3 HP for lightweight single-car garage doors. Light-weight double-car garage doors work most efficiently with 1/2 HP. If you have a door made with a heavier material such as wood, try 3/4, 1 or even 1 1/4 HP or HPc (Horse Power Comparable). Basically, the weight and size of your door determine your power needs.

Once you’ve figured out your HP needs, think about what else is most important to you. Factors can include price, noise level, or long-term reliability and maintenance requirements. Your personal preferences here will help you determine which drive type you should get.

Liston explains that chain drives are cheap and reliable, and can be easiest to fix — but they’re noisy. Meanwhile, screw drives are quieter and need less maintenance, but you pay for that privilege. Belt drives are even quieter than screw drives but are expensive, difficult to repair and can’t be used on larger, heavier doors. Direct drives are the quietest opener on the market. They are also reliable, pricey and less common.

Once you’ve decided about drive type, it’s time to delve into the optional features, which make buying a garage door opener a bit more fun.

“There are plenty of bells and whistles that can come with today’s units, depending on your price point,” Liston explains. “From the basics, like overhead lights and a battery back-up to more advanced options, like rolling code security technology for keypads and remotes, internet connectivity, and control via a smartphone app, there’s a spectrum to pick from. Simply combine your HP requirements with your drive preference and any additional features you need for your lifestyle, security and peace of mind.”

One feature found with many modern garage door openers that you may wish to consider is battery backup. This means instead of dragging out a ladder and trying to find the cord to release the door during a blackout, you’ll be able to continue to use the garage door until the power comes back on. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll be limited in the number of times you can open and close your garage door before the backup runs out.

If you’re reluctant to get a whole new garage door opener, though, there are some garage door problems you can fix with a few less-expensive, less time-consuming upgrades.

You’ve likely noticed that some garage door openers are noisier than others. You can actually purchase a noise reduction kit for a fraction of the price of a new garage door opener. You’ll also save yourself the trouble of switching out your existing garage door opener if noise is your only concern.

You also don’t have to buy a new garage door opener if you simply want mobile connectivity. The Chamberlain MyQ Smart Hub works with most garage door openers and gives you control over your remote from wherever you are. If you leave for work in the morning and can’t remember if you closed your garage door, you’ll no longer have to turn around and go back to check. Just open the app on your smartphone and, if you forgot, close it and go on with your day. You can also set notifications to alert you if you leave the door open.

• Although you’ll certainly hear about other features, one thing matters most when it comes to a garage door opener: the motor. Your opener’s motor powers everything, so you’ll want one that is built to last. The Chamberlain B970 Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener and the Genie Chain Drive Heavy Duty Garage Door Opener have ¾-horsepower motors that provide reliable, smooth performance. The Chamberlain B970 Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener uses a steel-reinforced belt drive, adding to that advanced capacity.
• Some garage door openers slam the door into its final position. The Genie Chain Drive Heavy Duty Garage Door Opener uses a soft-start and soft-stop to ensure your door lands smoothly.
• If you’re looking for a less noisy garage door opener, the Chamberlain B970 Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener specializes in keeping noise to a minimum. It also has anti-vibration technology.
• If your home’s power goes out, you’ll have to use a manual bypass to open your garage. The Chamberlain B970 Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener’s integrated backup battery lets you open your garage door up to 20 times during the 24 hours after your power goes out.
• If you’re installing the garage door opener yourself, go with a model that has non-polarized wiring, which makes it easier to install than many other openers.
• It’s important to measure your garage door size before you buy. Many garage door openers are built for 7-foot garage doors, which are standard. However, some newer garages have doors that are either 8 or 10 feet. Some openers come with an 8-foot extension. If you buy the Chamberlain B970 Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener, you can separately purchase an extension kit that will make it work.
• Smartphone compatibility is a hot feature in today’s garage door openers. Using this type of garage door opener allows you to open and close your garage door from anywhere, as well as set alerts that let you know when your door is left open or opened unexpectedly.
• You likely won’t need your remote if you have a newer car with HomeLink built in. The Chamberlain B970 Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener and the Genie Chain Drive Heavy Duty Garage Door Opener are both HomeLink compatible.
• Most garage door openers use sensors to stop the door from closing if an object gets in the way. If you have children or pets, this is especially important. The Genie Chain Drive Heavy Duty Garage Door Opener has one of the most dependable safety systems available on garage door openers today. There are also models that have an auto-reversal sensor that also stops the garage door when an object is detected.
• Many garage door openers have a limited range, which means you’ll practically have to be parked directly in front of your door to get it to open using your remote. The Chamberlain B970 Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener has a range of at least 1,500 feet to let you get the door started as you’re nearing it.
• One benefit of the Genie Chain Drive Heavy Duty Garage Door Opener is its wireless entry keypad. Instead of needing to have your remote with you to enter through the garage, you can input a series of numbers and enter that way.
• Price may be a consideration, but the Chamberlain B970 Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener and the Liftmaster 8500 Wall Mount Garage Door Opener retail in the $200-$300 range. If you want a more budget-friendly garage door opener, you’ll want to go with the Genie Chain Drive Heavy Duty Garage Door Opener or the Skylink ATOMS Quiet DC Motor Garage Door Opener.