The 6 Best Garage Door Openers

Is your garage door opener old, loud and ugly? Well, it’s time to upgrade!

After looking through countless garage door openers, we found the best one to be the beamUP Centurion. With its smart capabilities and belt-drive capable of lifting even the heaviest garage door, it’s a no-brainer why this model won best garage door opener.

If you’re wanting a budget garage door opener or want to read the reviews, you can find them all below.

Let’s get into it, shall we?

Best Garage Door Opener

beamUP Centurion

  • Drive Type: Belt Drive
  • Warranty: Lifetime motor and belt
  • Wifi Capable: Yes
  • Weight Limit: 600lbs

What I like

You’re probably wondering, who the heck is beamUP? Well, they’re one of the best garage door opener manufacturers out there. Not only does the Centurion model have upwards of 600lb weight capacity, but it’s also packed with plenty of features for the price.

Whether you have a single or double 16’x7′ garage door, you’ll be able to enjoy the smooth operation this opener provides. It’s super quiet as you’d expect from a belt-drive garage door opener, but it’s also powerful with its 1-1/4th horsepower motor.

The smart capabilities will allow you to operate and monitor your garage door from the easy-to-use application. You’ll be able to control your garage door from thousands of miles away. It’s a great feature if you’re ever away on vacation and need to let the house sitter or mailman inside. It’ll also notify you if your garage door has been opened so you can be aware of who’s coming and going.

The 3000 lumens LED light will work to light your garage 24/7 while saving you money on lightbulbs. It also actively scans your garage with radar motion sensors so the light will turn on as soon as you walk or drive into the garage.

Installation is super easy and requires no special tools. The instructions are written in plain English and if you’re handy, you shouldn’t have any problem with getting it working.

This model also comes with 2 remote controls, a keypad, and a wireless door sentry. You won’t need to buy any additional add-ons for your garage door, this is the whole package. That’s why I would recommend this model over any others, it’s hard to find a better deal than this.

Did I mention it also works with Alexa?

What I don’t like

One gripe I have is that it has to be close to your home’s internet connection, otherwise you won’t be able to utilize the application’s features. It can be a bit of a bummer to invest heavily into your garage door opener only to not be able to use it if your router is far away. Check before you buy if you get a signal in your garage to ensure connectivity.

Verdict

If you want to invest in a garage door opener that’ll last you for 10+ years, this is the one to do it. You won’t have to buy any extras or addons and you can count on the lifetime guarantee should anything go wrong. If you’re on a budget, you can save and get one of the cheaper models.

Pros
  • Capable of lifting up to 600lbs
  • Smart capable
  • Comes with tons of extras
  • Quiet
Cons
  • Smart capabilities are limited to your garage being in range of your home’s internet connection

Also Great Garage Door Opener

Genie ChainDrive 550 Garage Door Opener

  • Drive Type: Chain Drive
  • Warranty: Limited 10 Year Motor
  • Wifi: No

Some people don’t want or need their garage door opener to have wi-fi capabilities. If you’re one of those people, then this is the garage door opener for you.

What I like

While it does utilize a chain drive system, it still operates quiet as heck. If you have a wood or steel door, you’ll still be able to open it easily with its 500lb capacity. Chain drives also last longer than belt drives, making this an investment for your future.

If you have a Homelink or CAR2U, it works out of the box. If you don’t, it also comes with 2 3 button remotes that can you can keep in your car. You’ll have everything you need to set up this garage door opener right out of the box, including the wireless keypad and wall control system.

If you have an 8ft high garage door, you can also purchase the extension kit to fit this garage door opener to your garage. It can be a bit of a headache trying to find an opener that fits your oddly shaped door, but you can even connect more than 2 extensions to fit any size you have.

The manual is written well so you shouldn’t have any issue installing this garage door opener yourself. I would advise getting a hand from a buddy if you can get one.

What I don’t like

It doesn’t have any fancy features, but that can be a benefit depending on how you look at it. If you do want to add-on wifi features, you can buy the Alladin portion separately.

Verdict

If you need a no-frills garage door opener that’s reliable and will last you for years, you shouldn’t need to look anywhere else.

Pros
  • No-frills to add on to the price
  • Still capable of lifting a 500lb garage door
Cons
  • No extras if you’re looking for the best of the best

Best Smart Garage Door Opener

Genie StealthDrive Connect Model 7155-TKV

  • Drive Type: Belt
  • Warranty: Lifetime limited motor warranty
  • Wifi Capable: Yes

What I like

The best part about this smart garage door opener is that it comes with a battery backup. If the power goes out, you’ll still be able to open your garage door and get your car or belongings out of your house. If you aren’t strong enough to open your garage door manually, you’ll be able to rely on the backup. It also lasts 50 power cycles!

It also comes with the Aladdin Connect Wi-Fi app that you can utilize to know when your garage door is being opened or closed by an authorized user. You can also open your garage door from anywhere as long as you have internet access. It also documents a history of when and who opened the garage door, perfect if you ever have any doubt of who’s coming and going.

If you have Google Assistant or Alexa, you can utilize both systems to operate your garage door.

It’s a belt drive system that is super quiet. It’s ideal if you have a room that’s above the garage with kids sleeping, they’ll never even know you came home! The 1.25 horsepower motor is still strong enough to lift even some of the heaviest garage doors out there.

You shouldn’t have any issue installing this as long as you’re handy. If you’re not, you can still take a crack at it as the instructions are well written and you won’t need any specialized tools.

What I don’t like

If your garage isn’t near a wifi connection, you won’t be able to utilize the smart capabilities of this garage door opener.

Verdict

This smart garage door opener comes with everything you need right out of the box. If you want to be connected to your home’s smart system, you’ll have no problem doing that with this product. For the price and everything includes, it’s hard to find better.

Pros
  • Fully smart capable with Google or Alexa home systems
  • Comes with a battery backup
  • Has a 1.25 horsepower motor
Cons
  • Garage needs to have wireless signal for smart functions to work

Best Budget Garage Door Opener

SKYLINK Atoms ATR-1611C

  • Drive Type: Chain Drive
  • Warranty: 1 Year
  • Wifi Capable: No

If you want your garage door opener to just do one thing, open your garage door, then this bad boy is right for you.

What I like

It has no frills, keeping the cost down extremely low. You’ll still be able to enjoy the longevity of a chain drive system while paying bargain prices. This opener utilizes a soft start and stop so that it maximizes the lifespan of all the moving parts, saving you headache years down the road.

It also comes with a 12W LED light, giving you the visibility you need when you come home late at night. If you need to utilize a backup battery, you can purchase it separately. Having options to upgrade your system is great, letting you decide how much you want to spend.

If you ever have a problem with your garage door opener, this system has a diagnostic display telling you exactly what you need to service. No one likes to pay just for a repairman to come and tell you what’s wrong, you’ll be able to service your own machine on your own time.

Best of all? It’s still quiet as heck for a chain drive.

What I don’t like

It doesn’t come with a keypad or wifi capability. It can be a dealbreaker if you’re wanting to upgrade to a smart garage door opener. It also only comes with one remote.

Verdict

If you don’t need fancy features and want to save some cash, this bargain garage door opener is perfect. You won’t be paying for add-ons that you won’t ever use.

Pros
  • Bargain price
  • Comes with a light
  • Has diagnostic panel if anything goes wrong
Cons
  • No smart capabilities

Best Belt Drive Garage Door Opener

Chamberlain B550 Smart Garage Door

  • Drive Type: Belt Drive
  • Warranty: 10 Year Motor
  • Wifi Capable: Yes

This model is everything you’d ever want in a garage door opener. If you’re wanting the best of the best and aren’t afraid to invest, then this opener won’t fail you.

What I like

A belt drive garage door opener is quiet. So quiet that you’d wonder how you lived before with your chain drive opener. It’s a must if you have children in the house or want to enjoy peace and quiet without interruptions when anyone is coming and going.

This opener has a steel-reinforced belt drive that offers years of use. It comes with 1/2 horsepower of strength which is enough for most residential garage doors. You’ll be able to count on it to open your garage door with ease.

It also comes with the myQ app, which will allow you to control your garage door from anywhere. You can also invite people to your home’s system and give them control over your garage door. This makes going on vacation super easy, you don’t even need to give them keys to your house!

You can also integrate this system with Google Assistant. You’ll also be able to enjoy the Wink feature, which will illuminate your garage when you come home. Installation is easy and well documented, as long as you’re handy you shouldn’t have an issue doing it yourself.

What I don’t like

You will need to subscribe to Chamberlain’s smart system if you’d like to use it. It adds a cost and is a bit of a greedy move on Chamberlain’s part.

Verdict

This garage opener has all the bells and whistles you’d expect out of a high-end model. It’s super quiet, installation is easy, and has all the smart features you’d ever want. While you may have to pay for the smart capabilities, it’s a small price to pay for all the add-ons you get with this system.

Pros
  • Integrates with smart system (and has its own app)
  • 1/2 horsepower motor
  • Has a light
Cons
  • Need to pay to use Chamberlain’s smart features

Best Wall Mount Garage Door Opener

Genie B6172H Smart Wall Mount Garage Door Opener

  • Drive Type: Wall Drive
  • Warranty: Lifetime Motor Warranty
  • Wifi Capable: Yes

Have vaulted ceilings? You need a wall-mounted garage door opener and this model is the last one you’ll ever need.

What I like

This wall-driven garage door opener has a weight capacity of 850lbs. Even if you have a heavy steel door, you should be able to open it with this 24v motor without an issue. It also has a lifetime motor warranty so you know you’re in good hands.

It also saves you on ceiling space if you want to use it over a traditional model. The way this installs is it goes right next to your garage door, so you won’t have to lose on all that headroom up above. You can install overhead garage storage systems and you’ll be able to utilize space you would’ve lost.

This model also utilizes Genie’s Alladin smart system. Connect it to your Alexa or Google system and open your garage door with your voice. Cool, huh?

Not only that, you’ll know when your garage door has been open while you’re away from home. It also lets you open your garage door from anywhere as long as you’re near an internet connection.

It also comes with a battery backup should the power go out. That’s going to be handy should the power go out and you need to access your vehicles.

What I don’t like

The price.

Verdict

If you have the budget to afford this product, I’d say go for it. It’s going to let you reclaim space you otherwise would have lost and it comes with all the features you’d ever want in any garage door opener. Worth the investment, I’d say.

Pros
  • Save on ceiling space
  • Has 850 weight capacity
  • Comes with smart features
Cons
  • Pricy

Final Thoughts

If you can afford the beamUP Centurion opener, it’s a great option. You won’t be let down with its ultra-powerful belt-driven capabilities. If you’re on a budget, the SKYLINK Atoms ATR-1611C will suit you just fine.

It’s also a good idea to check out pick up the best surge protector for your garage door opener. You wouldn’t want a surge to blow out your brand new investment!

About Roy Cohen

I'm Roy, founder of Hack My Garage. I started out like most not knowing how to hammer a nail, but now I know more than most people about home improvement and DIY. I want to spread my wealth of knowledge with the world and hope to make it a better place.

You can find Roy at his LinkedIn or his email: roy@hackmygarage.com