Best Smart Garage Door Openers

Our top pick is the Chamberlain B970 because of its smart features, power, and easy installation. It’s compatible with your home Wi-Fi and comes with a free myQ automation app right out of the box. These smart features let you open and close your garage, check its status, and even set up a schedule from your phone.

Smart features like these can make your Mondays a little less manic and keep your home safe. Other garage doors have these same features, but they’re add-ons or require a little extra time and money.

The bottom line is the Chamberlain B970 combines qualities like a steel-reinforced belt with new talents like home automation.

When it comes to smart and traditional garage door openers, there are a ton of choices out there. Instead of leaving it to the traditional garage openers or smart devices, here are a few others you should consider when shopping for a new garage door opener.

With ¾ horsepower, the Decko 24300 has more power than the Skylink and Craftsman models. It’s strong enough to pull doors standing 7 feet tall and 18 feet wide (or more with a chain extension).

This power also helps in the cold climates if your door is prone to freezing shut.

This garage door opener is definitely more brawn than brains. It doesn’t have any built-in smart features, but it does have a couple of cool other features.

The auto-reverse safety sensors keep small pets and kids safe from injuries caused by a closing door. When the system senses something blocking the sensor’s beam, it automatically reverses the door.

The chain drive is louder than openers with a belt mechanism. If you have a living or sleeping space above your garage, the noise could become a problem. But an $80 upgrade can switch it out for a quieter belt drive.

The LiftMaster sticks out among our lineup because of its jackshaft drive. Unlike the other garage door openers, this model mounts to the wall rather than the ceiling. If your garage has high or sloped ceilings or isn’t very deep, a jackshaft garage door opener is a fitting choice.

Instead of using a belt or chain, this LiftMaster tightens the torsion spring on your door, causing lift. While it’s compatible with myQ and other automation programs, they’re sold separately.

The NEXX controller isn’t exactly a garage door opener. It’s more of an accessory for your garage door opener. This device works with your existing garage door, allowing you to make a standard door opener smarter.

Before purchasing, make sure your Wi-Fi connection is strong enough in your garage (a 2.4 GHz connection should be good). It takes under 10 minutes to install and allows you to control your door remotely through your phone. Just be sure your door opener is compatible with NEXX before you buy.

Drive Type 

The drive type refers to how your garage door opens.

Most doors use a chain or belt drive to pull the door up or down. Others, like the LiftMaster 8500, use a jackshaft that lifts the door through the torsion spring.

Before deciding on a new garage door opener, be sure to measure your door and research the type of door you have. For example, jackshaft drives aren’t compatible with roll-up doors.

Door Size

Before buying a new garage opener, be sure to measure the height and width of your garage door. Most chain and belt drives can handle doors up to 7-feet tall, but you can find an extension kit up to 10 feet.

Installation

Unless you already have experience with garage door openers, we recommend getting a professional to install it. Most of these doors can be self-installed. But it's a dangerous project if you’re new to installations like this or don’t have the tools to install a garage door opener.

Whether you do it yourself or hire a pro, make sure all the accessories are present. Most garage door opener kits come with safety sensors, keypads, control panels, and remotes that require installation too—it’s a lot to keep straight if it’s your first time installing one.

To find the best (with and without smart features), we dug through dozens of video and written garage door opener reviews from customers and industry professionals. But our most helpful resource was from garage door installers themselves. You can find installation videos, recommendations, and even rankings from passionate pros.

Once we had a lineup, we compared features like home automation abilities, horsepower, drive types, safety features, and warranties. Learn more about how we ranked this and our other best-of lists in our full methodology.

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