Genie offers competitive garage door openers at various price points. Their motors
can handle even the heaviest doors with ease while their belt drive models offer
quieter operation than Chamberlain’s chain drive systems.
Upgrading your garage door opener can make a dramatic impactful statement about
the quality and comfort of your home. To help guide our evaluation, we looked at
key criteria like horsepower and drive style as well as accessories and features like
smart home connectivity and cameras.
1. Chamberlain
Chamberlain’s StealthDrive garage door opener stands out for many reasons, such
as its wall-mounted design that saves ceiling space and near-silent operation. Other
highlights include myQ smart app programming, security+2.0 hacking prevention,
battery backup and remote LED lighting that illuminates your garage. Users
appreciate its slim design, easy setup process and near-silent motor. Unfortunately,
one critical buyer reported an instruction booklet error and drive failure after two
years of use.
This smart garage door opener includes an HD camera that lets you monitor your
garage from any device using the myQ app on your smartphone, enabling remote
monitoring from anywhere via myQ app and setting timer-to-close features, alerts
and past activity reports. Furthermore, Amazon drivers can deliver packages directly
into your garage if Amazon Key setup.
The Chamberlain Group, owner of LiftMaster brand garage doors as well as Raynor
and Craftsman garage door products, is an industry leader when it comes to home
access solutions. Their focus on customer-driven metrics like product registrations
and star ratings as well as constantly striving to enhance product development,
manufacturing and distribution processes has cemented them a place in this space.
2. Genie
If you’re in search of a smart garage door opener with smart home integration, the
Genie Aladdin Connect may be worth its price and some installation hassles. Utilizing
Wi-Fi connectivity for remote control of the door via phone app as well as Amazon
Alexa and Google Assistant voice control capabilities.
Our best garage door opener for quiet operation features a combination of DC motor
and belt drive to produce very minimal sound during operation – in fact, barely
audible from inside the house unlike its chain-driven Craftsman predecessor which
rattled windows! Additionally, smooth opening and closing movements were
achieved and safety sensors never failed in our tests to reverse it when blocked by
objects or obstructions.
However, its warranty is shorter than other models and lacks battery backup or light
sockets to power its LED lights. Furthermore, Aladdin Connect does not support
Apple HomeKit; Genie offers optional linking with Google Assistant at an additional
fee; but on the upside, the Aladdin Connect comes complete with accessories
including two remote controls with up to 26-foot range remote controls, wireless
keypad and wall console – making this model suitable for anyone wanting a basic
smart home system solution.
3. Liftmaster
Liftmaster offers a smart garage door opener with all of the features necessary for
efficient use: direct drive motor and built-in camera combine to form an effective,
feature-packed system that makes your garage more functional than ever.
Rolling code technology and battery backup provide enhanced protection, helping
prevent unauthorised entry. Your garage will remain operational even in case the
power goes out!
This heavy-duty opener is suitable for steel and double-car garage doors with
standard 7-foot height, although an extension kit may be purchased if 8- or 10-foot
doors are needed. Furthermore, its integrated LED light of 2,000 lumens brightness
makes your way easier when entering or leaving your garage.
This opener boasts Wi-Fi smart features built-in, including mobile app control and
integration with Amazon Key to allow authorized delivery drivers to leave packages
inside your garage. In addition, this opener comes equipped with three button
remote control, an in-garage control panel and wireless keypad for added
convenience.
4. Craftsman
Customer Reviews claims this garage door opener to be the “best of its kind”. Wi-Fi
connectivity enables app control, works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
voice controls and features an illuminated security light with 1,000 lumen brightness
that doubles as battery backup – not to mention rolling codes which generate new
codes with each use and deadbolt locking mechanisms preventing thieves from
breaking in to steal packages!
It features a belt drive to make it quieter than chain-drive models and its 1/2
horsepower motor is more than capable of operating most single or double car
garage doors. Unfortunately, however, it doesn’t come equipped with its own
camera; an external solution must be purchased.
Screw-drive and chain-drive openers require regular lubrication to maintain proper
functioning, as well as inspection for signs of wear and tear. However, these less
expensive models on our list often offer better value despite lacking smart home
integration or battery backup; still making them an excellent option for most homes.
5. Sears
Direct drive garage door openers differ from their traditional counterparts in that
they attach directly to your spring system instead of using belts or chains with trolly
systems, thus having fewer moving parts resulting in quieter operation that lasts
longer. This makes direct drive openers better at keeping noise to a minimum as
well as lasting longer than their conventional counterparts.
This Sears model boasts a 0.75 horsepower motor that’s powerful enough to lift
most single and double garage doors up to 7 feet tall; for doors taller than this you
may require an extension rail kit separately. In addition, there’s built-in LED lighting
featuring an 1,500 lumen floodlight that automatically turns on when opening your
door as well as a backup battery in case of power outages.
This chain option is more cost-effective than belt options and suitable for heavy-duty
doors, however reviewers note it is noisy and may need readjustment in time.
Furthermore, there’s no motion sensor or camera; which may be key if there’s lots of
foot traffic entering and leaving your garage frequently. Instead, however, this
opener comes equipped with Wi-Fi smart capabilities as well as compatibility with
Amazon Key systems to facilitate package delivery safely.
