Best Garage Door Opener – Our Top 3

Introduction

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A simple task like opening and closing your garage door can take a frustrating amount of time. You especially start to note this during rushed mornings when you barely have time to brush your teeth. This simple action can even provoke a lot of pain and discomfort to someone with a medical condition.

That’s why investing in a good Garage Door Opener can be one of the best decisions ever made. If you’re completely new to this product and you’ve only heard of it from movies, then you probably think this is just a luxury. But the truth is that these devices have been changing lives for years.

With a Garage Door Opener, you won’t have to get out of your car to open up and close your garage door. Sometimes you might just not have enough time for it or the weather outside is raging. That’s why this device’s job is to operate the garage door for you.

Almost every single type and model comes with a compact remote that can be used from short distances. You can attach this remote to your keychain and simply use it from the comfort of your car. The garage door can be opened within seconds with just a single push of a button.

If you’re not a tech enthusiast then you can just opt for a simple and inexpensive Garage Door Opener. It only consists of the opener itself and one or two remotes. They’re very easy to use and you can even install it yourself.

But if you do love smart gadgets, you can opt for a more technologically advanced one. It comes with a lot of features including a smartphone control option.

What Is A Garage Door Opener?

Now, what exactly are Garage Door Openers? These devices were invented by C.G. Johnson in 1926 in Hartford City, Indiana. That’s almost 100 years ago. However, they didn’t become popular until after World War II.

Generally, a Garage Door Opener consists of a power unit that contains the electric motor and it’s connected to a track. Then a trolley connected to an arm that’s attached to the top of the door slides back and forth on the track.

The trolley is pulled along the track by a chain, belt, or screw that turns when the motor starts. A quick-release mechanism is attached to the trolley to allow the door to be disconnected from the opener. This allows you to manually operate the gate in case of a power outage or in case of an emergency.

A Garage Door Opener usually lasts between 10-15 years. But you can enjoy a good one for 20 years or more. They’re very low maintenance and most of their problems can be solved by cleaning the opener from time to time.

There are 4 basic types of Garage Door Openers. The most popular one is the Chain Drive Opener. It’s inexpensive but it’s also the loudest. This makes it unfit for attached the garages.

Belt Drive Garage Door Openers, on the other hand, are the quietest and can be used even if your garage is under a nursery.

Screw Drive Openers are also quiet since they consist of fewer moving parts. But the least complicated are the Direct Drive Openers. This is simply because the motor itself is what moves the trolley. Therefore, it doesn’t use any belts, chains, or threaded piece.

Best Garage Door Opener – Why are so important?

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Now that we’ve established what exactly are Garage Door Openers, let’s talk about why are they so popular? Even if they were invented almost 100 years ago, nothing gets so popular without a good reason.

One of the main reasons people are attracted to this product is the convenience it provides. You can just stay inside your car and open or close the garage door with the press of a button.

Another reason is security. Keeping your possessions as safe as possible is something everyone wants. That’s why Garage Door Openers with rolling codes that change every time you use the remote are widely used. Those who travel often also opt for openers with Vacation Mode which locks all remotes until you come back.

You can also rest assured that there won’t be any accidents while the opener is active. Every good Garage Door Opener features Safety Sensors that detect if something is in the door’s path. So even if your child or pet run under the garage door while it’s closing down, the Safety Sensors stop and reverse the action.

Another great benefit is the Automatic Closing feature. This closes the door after a certain amount of inactivity, saving you the trouble of forgetting the garage door opened.

Even though these devices can be highly advanced and technical, they work on a very low amount of power. This means they are very cost-efficient and more environmentally friendly.

In today’s age we, tech enthusiasts, do everything with our smartphones. Garage Door Opener manufacturers kept this in mind when they added the capability to be controlled by smartphone apps to their products.

A Garage Door Opener can be very inexpensive and low maintenance as well.

Are Garage Door Openers Safe?

Other popular questions are about whether Garage Door Openers are safe or not, even the Best Garage Door Openers. Can there be any accidents caused by these devices? Are they really secure? What if your neighbor has the same opener? Will he be able to open up your garage door, with his remote, as well?

Every single Garage Door Opener absolutely MUST have Motion Sensors. Don’t even think of buying it if it doesn’t. The opener is probably the heaviest moving part of your house. Not being equipped with a Motion Sensor that can detect when objects and people pass under the door, can be dangerous.

This sensor, also known as a Safety Sensor, scans the ground where the door would be in while closed. Thanks to this feature, your children and pets won’t be hurt if they run under the door while it’s closing down. The door also won’t close if you press the remote button by mistake before getting your car inside.

You also won’t have to worry if your remote gets stolen or you simply lose it. The locking feature provided by modern Garage Door Openers will allow you to lock said remote. This way the missing remote can’t be used to gain entry into your home. The opener simply disables the access code that’s been programmed into your remote.

Thanks to recent advances in coding technology, a lot of Garage Door Opener feature Rolling Codes. This means the code can change from one to another within seconds.

Every time you’ll use the remote, it will have a different access code. With this feature, the system is impossible to hack and you won’t ever open your neighbor’s garage door by accident.

How to choose the Best Garage Door Opener?

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Let’s also take a moment and talk about what exactly should you look for when choosing a Garage Door Opener. Buying the perfect one for your specific needs can be a challenge if you don’t know where to start.

Making sure your Garage Door Opener comes with remotes is the first step. Openers are generally controlled via wall-mount buttons or keypads. But a hand-held remote lets you truly experience the pleasure of having an opener. It’s best if the Garage Door Opener features Rolling Codes as well.

In case you might need to manually operate the garage door, Manual Release is a must. This will allow you to disengage the door from its electric mechanisms and offer you complete control. So an opener won’t be a problem if you need to work inside your garage and need ventilation.

Other features that we’ve already talked about are the Safety Sensors and Auto Closing. You should also opt for an opener that either has or is capable of having a backup battery. If there’s a power outage, the opener won’t be affected.

For added convenience, some Garage Door Openers come with built-in Security Lights. These light automatically power on every time the door is activated and power off after a few minutes of inactivity. This is also helpful to see your way inside when coming home after dark.

If you are a technology enthusiast, make sure the opener has a Home Automation System and can be controlled via smartphone. You can monitor and control the opener from anywhere using your phone. While the Automation System allows you to give vocal requests while you’re at home. A simple “Alexa, open the garage door” will open it.

Best Garage Door Opener – Comparison Table

Product Name	Skylink	LiftMaster	Ryobi
Image
Car Compatible	Yes	No	No
Safety Sensor	Yes	Yes	Yes
High-Quality	Yes	Yes	No
Quiet	Yes	Yes	Yes
Backup Battery Capable	Yes	Yes	Yes
Built-in Lights	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto-Close	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rolling Codes Tech	Yes	Yes	Yes
Built-in Wi-Fi	No	Yes	Yes
Link	Buy!	Buy!	Buy!

1 Skylink Garage Door Opener

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The first place on Best Garage Door Opener list is taken by the Skylink Garage Door Opener. The main reason it won our hearts isn’t just its low price but its consistent high-quality as well. It’s easy to find an opener with great features, but it’s harder to find one that can actually handle them. This device will take care of your garage door for years and is very low maintenance.

Its DC motor is capable of providing an extremely quiet door operation. You can confidently use your attached garage even in the middle of the night. Unlike other typical openers with AC motors that tend to be made for detached garages.

Thanks to its durable chain drive, this Garage Door Opener will offer long-lasting and reliable performance. And if you need to pull your car after dark, the 12W LED built-in lights will illuminate your garage.

With the Soft Start and Stop Mechanism, the opener gradually accelerates to full speeds then slows down before stopping. This helps in maximizing the life of the unit’s mechanical parts.

The Skyline Garage Door Opener is completely capable of handling a backup battery as well. Although it needs to be purchased separately. In case there’s a power outage in your home, the opener won’t be affected at all.

If you’re sure your area doesn’t have power outages then you don’t have to spend money on a separate battery. You also should check if the state you’re in considers openers without a backup battery illegal. Then you might not have a choice. So if you do have to buy one, this unit is compatible with the Backup Battery Model BA-100.

Pros

• Easy to Install
• Easy to Use
• Safety Sensor
• High-End Quality
• Long-Lasting
• Rolling Codes
• Durable
• Extremely Quiet
• Backup Battery capable
• Soft Start And Stop System
• Has 12W Built-in Lights
• Affordable
• Car Compatible
• It can be used for both single and double garage doors

Cons

• Backup Battery Sold Separately

2 LiftMaster Garage Door Opener

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The second place on our list is taken by the very popular LiftMaster Garage Door Opener. This unit isn’t too far behind our winner, thanks to its modern tech features. It allows you to operate and monitor your garage using nothing but a smartphone app.

With its integrated MyQ technology, you’ll be able to know what happens at home, from your phone, at any given time. We already do everything from our phones, so having this feature is only natural for modern homeowners.

The MyQ app is completely free to download and it doesn’t require any annual activation fees either. If anything happens at home, you’ll know immediately. The app will even warn you if someone tries to force your garage door open.

Once you’ve paired it with Internet Gateway, you can easily monitor and control your Garage Door Opener from anywhere. You can even turn the lights on and off as well. This feature is very useful if a family member forgot the door open. With just a few taps on your phone, you’ll be able to fix the problems within seconds.

The LiftMaster Garage Door Opener is also compatible with HomeLink. And with the app, you’ll frequently receive emails or text alerts that inform you about what’s going on back home.

LiftMaster, like many top Garage Door Opener manufacturers, used motors that are specifically built for openers. The integrated P3 motor will offer durable and powerful performance.

Since it features an AC motor Belt Drive System, you’ll benefit from years of reliable and maintenance-free service. This powerful, yet pretty quiet opener consumes 75% less power while in standby mode.

Unfortunately, this product does not come with a rail.

Pros

• Easy to Use
• Safety Sensors
• Quiet
• Rolling Codes
• Long-Lasting
• You can control and monitor the Garage Door Opener from anywhere, using your smartphone.

Cons

• No Rail Included
• Hard To Install For Beginners
• No Backup Battery Included

3 Ryobi Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener

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The last one on our Best Garage Door Opener Top 3 is none other than Ryobi’s Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener. This unit is very popular but unfortunately, also faulty at times. It’s one of the few openers you must be ready to take a gamble on. It doesn’t exactly stay true to its price either. But if you’re lucky enough not to have any problems, this device offers exceptional performance.

The Ryobi Ultra-Quiet Garage Door Opener comes with a Wireless Keypad, Outdoor Keypad, and Remotes. This equips you with various easy and secure ways to open up your garage door.

While the unit is backup battery capable, the battery itself is not included in the package either. If you decide not to invest in a separate backup battery, you might face some problems in case of an outage. The Garage Door Opener will completely stop working.

After the Californian wildfires, when 5 people lost their lives because they couldn’t open their garage doors, most states enforce backup batteries. This makes the Garage Door Openers a little harder to maintain but ideal if you live in an area prone to power outages.

Thanks to the built-in Motion Sensors, also known as Safety Sensors, your children and pets will be safe. The moment the unit detects an obstacle, it automatically stops until its path is clear again.

If you’ll end up with one of Ryobi’s openers that work perfectly, then you’ll enjoy the quietest Garage Door Opener ever made. Even your baby will sleep throughout the whole process.

With the 2 HP motor, the garage door will open faster and the motor will have a longer life. The integrated LED light will illuminate your garage during nighttime.

Pros

• Easy to Install
• Easy to Use
• Safety Sensor
• Integrated LED Lights
• Has a 2HP Motor
• Can Be Very Quiet
• Backup Battery Capable
• Built-in Wi-Fi

Cons

• No Battery Backup Included
• No Charger Included
• Known to Malfunction
• If you face any technical problems, you might not find a specialist to fix it.
• Low Quality
• Might Randomly Open Itself Up

Conclusion

Garage Door Openers have evolved tremendously in the last almost 100 years. A lot of them still feature the same simple but more durable design. Others, on the other hand, come equipped with endless convenient features for tech enthusiasts.