best garage door openers

If you have a home garage with a huge door where you park your car, it’s not difficult to see the need for a garage door opener.

Especially when you get home late in the evening, exhausted and maybe in an environment where coming out of your car to open the door is not all that safe at night.

Having a garage door opener will help ensure the door opens up by itself without any physical intervention on your part.

It’s a remote-operated piece of equipment that can be installed on the door to help open it automatically when you’re going out and when you get home.

Most modern garage door openers even have smartphone apps you can connect to your home network using Wi-Fi, allowing you to operate the door even when you’re not home.

Imagine being able to open your garage door from anywhere just by swiping through an app on your smartphone.

This comes in very handy when you need to receive packages when you’re not at home, allowing delivery companies like Amazon Prime, DHL, Fedex, UPS and so on to deliver both light and heavy packages right into your garage even when you’re not at home.

Overall, if you want to make it very easy for you to drive in and drive out of your garage at any time you want without physically going to open the door, then you need to get a garage door opener installed.

The question now is, which one should you choose to install?

Well, we’ve made our research, and we’ve listed 6 of the best ones here for you to choose from. But before that, here’s what you must consider when making your choice.

How To Choose A Garage Door Opener

opening garage door with remote key

Choosing the right one is not that complicated if you know what to look for. Here are the main factors that should determine your choice.

The Type of Drive System

There’re two main types of drive systems that comes with garage door openers which include the chain drive system and a belt drive system.

The drive system usually consists of a motor, a trolley, a rail track and a belt or chain that goes through the track. The motor drives a trolley by means of a belt or a chain through the rail track which either pulls the door open or closes it.

belt drive

This belt or chain driving the trolley kit is what differentiate the two drive systems from each other. The belt is not just an ordinary rubber belt, but it’s made up of a steel-reinforced rubber. It has one main advantage over the chain drive system. It works smoothly and quietly, which makes it ideal for garages in residential buildings, or those that are close to bedrooms.

Although it’s not as durable as the chain drive, the steel reinforcement also makes it very durable and suitable for use, especially if you’re looking for something that will not wake up the neighbors whenever you get home.

chain drive garage door opener

On the other hand, instead of steel-reinforced rubber, the chain drive system makes use of a heavy-duty bicycle-like chain to drive the trolley.

Its main advantage over the belt drive system is that it’s more durable. The chain is also less expensive than a belt drive. This makes it the ideal choice for those not looking to spend much on the equipment itself and later maintenance.

It’s very suitable for standard aluminum garage doors, especially those used in workshops.

Lifting Power

No matter the type of drive system your garage door opener has, whether it’s belt driven or chain driven, without a motor powerful enough to raise and lower the door, it will not work properly.

garage door lifting power

That is why one of the first things you should check before buying an opener for your garage door is the size and weight of the door itself, so that you can know the amount of lifting power needed to open and close it properly.

All openers are operated with either D.C. or A.C. motors. The amount of force supplied by the motor to raise and lower the door is known as its lifting power or Horse Power Equivalent HPe. This will determine how powerful the opener should be.

If you have a garage with a heavy one-piece door in an area that experiences extreme weather conditions, then you need an opener with a maximum lifting power which is equivalent to 1-1/4 HPe.

For heavily used garages in moderate weather conditions, an opener with a plus lifting power equivalent to ¾ HPe will suffix.

While for lightweight sectional aluminum doors, one with a medium lifting power of ½ HPe will work just fine.

With that out of the way, after reviewing several units, here are 8 of the best garage door openers we found.

1. Chamberlain B6753T Smart Garage Door Opener

Chamberlain B6753T

If you need a quiet working garage door opener that will open and close a heavy door without the whole neighborhood knowing that you’re back, the Chamberlain B1381T is one of the best options I’d recommend.

Everything about the Chamberlain B6753T is designed to ensure you experience maximum comfort as you open and close your garage door.

It comes equipped with a built in camera that enables you to see what’s happening in your garage even if you’re not at home, simply using the MYQ app.

Also included is a motion activated corner to corner LED lighting that lights up if there’s any movement in the garage.

The Chamberlain B6753T is belt driven and it’s operated by an ultra-quiet DC motor. Everything is designed so it can be operated even when your garage door is very close to a living space like a bedroom without being a noise nuisance.

Chamberlain garage door camera

There’s also a battery backup to keep it working so you can always access your garage even if there’s no power.

These and other features makes the Chamberlain B6753T one of the best garage door opener designed specifically for homes in residential areas.

What I Like About It

  • It’s super quiet. Very good for homes.
  • The MYQ app makes it super easy to monitor the door.
  • Very easy to operate.
  • Belt and every other component feels well-built.

Drawbacks

  • It’s a bit pricey compared to other models.

2. LiftMaster 8165W ½ HP Chain Drive Garage Door Opener

LiftMaster 8165W

The chain driven Liftmaster 8165W is one of the most reliable garage door openers out there in the market.

One of the most important selling point of this model is the ease at which it can be installed and ready for use. If you have the right tools and follow the installation instructions, setting it up is a breeze.

As you can tell from the little description above, it’s chain driven and it’s also powered with a ½ HP AC motor. Therefore, it’s very suitable for opening and closing heavy duty aluminum doors.

The chain drive system also guarantees long term durability and reliability compared to a belt drive.

Equipped with safety sensors, the Liftmaster 8165W will not close on any obstruction such as when people or a vehicle is under the door, ensuring secure entrance and exit out of the garage.

Granting access in and out of the garage is possible using the myQ app. This can come in very handy when receiving packages from delivery companies like Amazon.

3. BeamUp Centurion BU800

BeamUp Centurion BU800

BeamUp produces 3 models of garage door openers. The Workhorse BU 100, the Sentry BU400 and the Centurion BU800.

The BU800 Centurion is top of the line and has the highest lift power of 1-1/4 HPE which is capable of lifting heavy carriage house doors whether it’s 8×7 feet or even a 16×7 feet double door.

Instead of a chain, the BU800 features an ultra-quiet steel reinforced belt drive which provides quiet operation ideal for garages close to living spaces.

For ease of use, safety and added security, the Beamup BU800 Centurion comes equipped with a motion activated 3000 lumen LED lighting which helps illuminate the whole garage. Fully equipped with motion sensors, any movement in the garage triggers the LED lighting for visibility and security.

Beamup garage door opener LED

The Centurion comes with a smart controller which allows the homeowner to check open and close the door, check the status of the door whether it’s open or closed, share access with others and receive real-time notifications if the door is left open.

It also works seamlessly with Alexa, which means you can even use voice commands to get your garage door open. Setup is easy and straightforward.

Once it’s delivered to your doorstep, you can use the manual and the video guide right on the Beamup website to install it yourself if you have the right tools and skills.

4. LiftMaster 8500 Elite Series Garage Door Opener

liftmaster 8500 garage door opener

The Liftmaster 8500 Elite Series offers you a super quiet solution to help you open and close your garage door automatically.

You just have to mount it beside the door and hook it up directly to get it to function.

It’s equipped with security 2.0, which beefs up the security of your garage even more. With every click, a new code is sent to your garage door opener, which helps protect your garage from any intruder and ensure it only opens up for you.

It also comes equipped with a motion detector which locks your door immediately after you enter the garage.

The Liftmaster 8500 also features a protector system which projects a light beam across the door opening, preventing it from close if anything interrupts it.

This safety features ensures the door will not close if you or anyone is under it.

5. Craftsman CMXEOCG472 ½ HP Chain Drive garage Door Opener

Craftsman CMXEOCG472

The Craftsman ½ HP chain drive garage door opener is a very safe, secure and efficient solution you can use for opening your garage.

With the capacity to lift residential garage doors up to 7 ft. high, this unit is a very powerful one to go for.

Installation is very easy and maintenance is likewise easy, as the unit works by means of a simple rail system which is very easy to setup.

With the remote provided with it, you can open the garage from a very far distance, as it’s equipped with a tri-frequency radio system which virtually eliminate and prevent other products in your home from scrapping the signal.

The unit also comes with wireless keyless entry pad which you can use to access it by means of a programmable 4 digit pin which you must have set beforehand.

Related: 10 Best Storage Racks for Organizing Items in Your Garage

6. Genie 7155-TKV Garage Door Opener

genie chain drive garage door opener

The Genie Model 7155-TKV is one of the best smart garage door openers out there you can use to seamlessly and quietly access your garage, even when you’re not around.

It works with Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery which allows you to have packages delivered right inside your garage when you’re not at home.

Powering it is a 1-1/4 HPc DC Motor capable of lifting up to 500lbs in weight and 7ft in height. If your door is up to 8 ft, you can also order an extension kit for it.

The opener comes integrated with the Aladdin connect app designed so you can monitor and operate the door using your smartphone from just about anywhere. The app even allows you to operate the door using voice control.

It’s belt driven, and works really quietly. So you don’t have to worry about noise.

In case there’s a power outage, the included backup battery ensures you can still access your garage using the opener.

What I Like About It

  • Only emits a smooth whining sound during operation. It’s very quiet.
  • You can operate it remotely using the integrated Aladdin app.
  • It’s ideal for heavy doors up to 500lbs.
  • Easy and straightforward installation.

Drawbacks

  • The lights are not motion activated.

Sharing is caring!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *