Open Sesame! The Best Garage Door Openers of 2022
The 6 ultimate garage door openers of 2023 Innovations that redefine convenience and security
6 Top Garage Door Openers in 2023
If you haven’t shopped for a garage door opener recently, you may have missed some of the advancements manufacturers have made in the last few years. They’re safer to operate and run more quietly, and most can be installed without hiring a professional. I’ve installed several garage door openers myself. To assemble this list of the best garage door openers, I considered a variety of types, features, and prices and reached out to an expert in the field, Nick Yahoodain of Advanced Builders and Contractors, who has over 16 years of experience in the construction and contracting business.
Our Top Picks for Garage Door Openers
Best opener overall: Chamberlain B6713T Ultra-Quiet Smart Garage Door Opener
- Power: 1.25 HP
- Type: Belt drive
- Light source: 2,000 lumen LED
- Smartphone control: Yes
- Warranty: Lifetime for motor and belt, 5 years for parts
Pros: Backup battery, quiet operation, compatible with Key by Amazon to allow access for deliveries
Cons: Relatively expensive, doesn’t work with Alexa or Google Assistant
If you want a few extra benefits beyond what you’ll find with your typical garage door opener, the Chamberlain B6713T could be a great fit. Yahoodain recommends Chamberlain models like this one, citing its value and affordability. The LED lighting system, instead of regular incandescent bulbs, is the most prominent of these features. These LEDs generate 2,000 lumens of bright, white light. Combined with the angled body of the opener, the wide cast of the lighting makes this model very popular.
Like all current Chamberlain models, the B6713T allows you to use MyQ smartphone control, letting you monitor and access your garage door from anywhere. Unlike many models, you don’t need to buy a separate hub or gateway. This unit connects directly to your home WiFi network. If you plan on using a feature like this, make sure your existing smart-home system is compatible and that your WiFi signal is strong enough to reach the garage.
Thanks to the motor, the Chamberlain B6713T is also an especially powerful opener. This makes it suitable for doors weighing up to 550 pounds and up to 10 feet tall. Even if you don’t have an oversized heavy door, it can still be a good idea to opt for a heavy-duty unit like this. By requiring less effort, your motor won’t experience the stress and strain that weaker models do, which can increase the lifespan of the unit.
The Chamberlain B6713T comes with two remote controls. If your vehicle is HomeLink enabled, it can connect straight to your car, eliminating the need for remote controls altogether. Just make sure to double-check with your car manufacturer, as some older model cars can have trouble connecting to more recent openers. Yahoodain recommends Chamberlain models like this one for homeowners looking to install themselves, unlike more professional-style openers like LiftMaster.
Best budget garage door opener: Genie Chain Drive 550 Garage Door Opener
- Power: 0.5 HP
- Type: Chain drive
- Light source: Two LED bulbs (not included)
- Smartphone control: No
- Warranty: Limited lifetime for motor, 5 years for chain and parts
Pros: Easy to install, lightweight design, works well for standard garage door designs
Cons: No backup battery, doesn’t have a lot of high-end features, not as bright as other options
Despite its low price, the Genie Chain Drive 550 Garage Door Opener provides several of the convenient features found on pricier options. It includes two preprogrammed three-button remotes and is compatible with existing HomeLink and Car2U systems. A wireless keypad for mounting outside the door is a nice perk not always found on low-budget models. Plus, a multifunctional wall panel for mounting inside your garage allows you to operate the door, set vacation locks, and control the lighting system. The included Safe-T-Beam sensors help reduce the chances of accident or injury. Once the infrared beam running across the door’s path is broken, the door will immediately stop and reverse back up.
The straightforward installation of the Genie Chain Drive 550 Garage Door Opener is another reason I ranked it above other budget models. It uses a five-piece rail system that you snap together and includes everything you need to mount it to your ceiling, such as angle brackets and lag bolts. Although this opener will likely take a few hours to install, I walked through the interactive instructions and was impressed with how helpful they were.
Being a chain-drive model, this garage door opener will be a bit louder than the other recommendations in this guide. The 0.5 horsepower motor is also relatively weak, but as long as your door isn’t more than 500 pounds, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Best garage door opener for heavy doors: Genie 4063-TNMSV Screw Drive Garage Door Opener
- Power: 2 HP
- Type: Screw Drive
- Light source: Incandescent bulbs
- Smartphone control: Yes
- Warranty: Limited Lifetime for motor, 5 years for parts
Pros: Strong enough to quickly raise heavy doors, screw drive has no belts or chains,
Cons: Does not include backup battery, light bulbs must be purchased separately
Heavy garage doors, like older wooden doors, or modern all-glass versions, can be a challenge for less powerful openers, and apply extra strain on their motor, chains, and belts. This isn’t the case with the Genie 4063-TNMSV, which boasts a 2HP motor that can easily lift doors up to 7 feet tall and 750 pounds. It’s screw-drive uses a long threaded screw to raise and lower the door, which allows it to work much more efficiently than belt or chain-drive openers, and minimizes the amount of lifting force lost between the motor and the door itself. This smooth operation also makes them quieter, and reduces the chances of annoying jerking motions during lifting and lowering.
The Genie 4063-TNMSV has brains as well as brawn, providing a range of smart capabilities. It can be controlled and monitored using Genie’s Aladdin Connect app, or if you prefer voice-commands, paired with Alexa or Google Assistant to control using a smart speaker. The Genie 4063-TNMSV includes two pre-programmed remotes and a wall console too, if you prefer to keep things old-school. Both of these remotes can be connected to your car’s built-in HomeLink or Car2U systems.
The Genie 4063-TNMSV doesn’t include the necessary incandescent light bulbs, though, and must be purchased separately. Also, if your garage door is taller than 7 feet, you’ll need to purchase a separate $46 extension kit.
Best wall-mounted garage door opener: LiftMaster 98022 Elite Series DC Jackshaft Wall Mount Garage Door Opener
- Power: 3/4 HP
- Type: Jackshaft drive
- Light source: 1000 Lumens
- Smartphone control: Yes
- Warranty: Lifetime for the motor, 5 years for parts
Pros: Motor has a lifetime warranty, compact design, ultra-quiet operation, back-up battery and WiFi-enabled
Cons: Requires professional installation, expensive
Because it uses a jackshaft to open and close the door instead of a chain or belt, the LiftMaster 98022 is one of the quietest garage door openers around. Yahoodain recommended professional LiftMaster models like this one because of their quiet operation. The 98022 replaces a model we previously recommended, the 8500. This new upgrade comes with backup battery, is wifi-enabled, and has a built-in light source that can give full light coverage in your garage.
A minimal footprint is also one of the primary benefits of the LiftMaster. The extra space can be used for overhead storage or for parking vehicles with roof carriers. The LiftMaster 98022 is also easier to maintain than ceiling-mounted openers, which require lubrication and ladders to reach.
Like the Chamberlains listed above, the LiftMaster 98022 is MyQ-enabled (Chamberlain Group owns both Chamberlain and LiftMaster) to connect your home router to the opener. If you do, you can control the LiftMaster from your smartphone, no matter where you are in the world.
According to Yahoodain, the LiftMaster products requires professional installation. If you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, you can easily injure yourself and also cause expensive damage to your garage door. The 98022 axes the cable tension monitor, which should make install easier, however.
Installing the battery is simple, though. After mounting it to the wall next to the opener, you plug it into the LiftMaster with a connector cord.
One more caveat is that the LiftMaster 98022 isn’t compatible with all doors; you’ll need to have a front-mount torsion bar, though it can lift garage doors up to 850 lbs.
Best garage door opener with camera: Chamberlain B6753T Garage Door Opener
- Power: 1.25 HP
- Type: Belt drive
- Light source: Corner-to-corner LED
- Smartphone control: Yes
- Warranty: Limited lifetime for motor, 5 years for parts, 1 year for belt
Pros: Quiet operation, 2,000 lumens LED coverage, 2-way audio through the camera, adjustable camera angle
Cons: Requires subscription to save footage, camera won’t work in power outage
Considering the number of valuable items commonly kept in garages, it’s not hard to imagine the value of having a camera keeping an eye on things. The integrated camera of the Chamberlain B6753T does just that, allowing you to livestream through the myQ app and automatically record footage when motion is detected — all with two-way audio available.
Of course, the primary function of a garage door opener is to open the garage door, and the Chamberlain B6753T does this well. Its 1.25-horsepower motor and belt-drive system ensure that it’s strong enough to easily handle most doors, and many users note its smooth, ultra-quiet operation.
We’re also impressed by the amount of illumination and coverage provided by the corner-to-corner LED lights, which is extremely useful for capturing clear video footage. It’s important to note that although the Chamberlain B6753T has a backup battery in case of power outage, the camera function will not work while running off the battery.
The main drawback of the Chamberlain B6753T is that you need to subscribe to the myQ Video Storage plan in order to save video footage. Without it, you can only livestream from the app. These subscription plans can be purchased for $3/month for 7-day video storage or $10/month for 30-day storage. Both plans allow you to review, share, and download any video.
How we chose the best garage door openers
Based on my personal experience helping to install garage door openers, as well as the insight and advice from Advanced Builders and Contractors’ Nick Yahoodain, I developed a set of criteria to judge and compare potential picks for our list of the best garage door openers.
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Functionality: This category is meant to ensure that the garage door opener does its primary job effectively — to open and close your door — and performs any other features properly as well. Specifically, what specific attributes make this opener the top pick for its category, and what makes it more effective than similar options?
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Installation: Through reading instruction manuals, watching online videos, and my correspondence with Yahoodain, I familiarized myself with the specific installation requirements of potential openers. I used this information to identify any issues that potential customers would need to know before buying.
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Special features: I noted any special features that also come with the unit, like smartphone control or app connectivity. I also looked for interesting and helpful accessories, like LED lighting or quick-release keys.
Garage door opener FAQs
What type of garage door opener lasts the longest?
The overall lifespan of a garage door opener will depend on the model, brand, and amount of use it gets, but in general, a chain-drive opener will last the longest. It requires less maintenance than screw drive openers that must be lubricated semiannually and isn’t affected by temperature or humidity changes like a belt-drive mechanism. It’s worth noting that the lighter your garage door, the less strain it will place on the motor of your opener, which will extend its lifespan.
What is the most powerful garage door opener?
The most powerful garage door openers are typically screw-drive models. They use a long, threaded rod that turns one way to pull the door up and reverses direction to lower it. With fewer moving parts, a screw-drive loses much less lifting force during operation than a chain or belt, which allows it to work more efficiently and produce more power.
Which is better: Genie or Chamberlain?
Both these brands offer popular and reliable garage door openers and match up fairly evenly in installation, power ranges offered, and smart capabilities. Considering this, the better brand really comes down to specific accessories or features that would be most useful to you at the lowest price.
What type of garage door opener do I need?
When selecting a garage door opener for your home or business, you have a few operating mechanisms to choose from. Each type of opener uses a motor to move a trolley (or the motor itself) along the rail, which lifts and lowers the door.
- Belt drive: A belt drive uses a steel-reinforced rubber belt to lift and lower the garage door, allowing it to run quietly and smoothly. If you have living quarters above the garage, a belt drive is a smart choice. Requires more maintenance over time.
- Chain drive: A chain-drive garage door opener has been the most common type for many years. It uses a metal chain to move the trolley to open and close the door. Chain drives are louder but are stronger and longer-lasting.
- Direct drive: The motor functions as the trolley, which means the entire motor moves along the rail. Runs quietly with minimal vibration.
- Jackshaft: Controls the torsion bar that opens and closes the door and is mounted on the left or right side of the door. Jackshaft openers tend to run more quietly than other options, although they’re also usually more expensive.
What features should I look for in a garage door opener?
Garage door openers traditionally have been simple devices, but technological advances are finding their way into garage door opener hardware. Useful features include automatic close, battery backup, controls (wall-mount button, remote control devices, keypad), horsepower, security lights, and smartphone control.
We hope this guide helps you find the perfect garage door opener for your needs! If you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to leave a comment below. Open sesame to a world of convenience and security!
