Backyard Boss

The Best Smart Garage Door Opener for 2021

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With automation quickly becoming the norm in homes all over the world, your garage door shouldn’t be any different. Being able to control and secure your garage is one of the best ways to feel comfortable and confident in the security of your home. Even if you aren’t there, a smart garage door opener can let you keep an eye on things and make sure your garage is safe.

There is a wide variety of smart garage door openers and smart controllers available on the market. By understanding what each one has to offer and how it can help you with your security, you can make the right choice for your particular home. Not everyone has the same protection needs, so knowing what you want to get out of a smart garage door opener can help with the process.

Backyard Boss Best Smart Garage Door Opener for 2021

PRODUCT

FEATURES

Chamberlain B6765T B6765 Secure View Video Smart (1.25 hp) Garage Door Opener - $$title$$

Chamberlain B6765T B6765 Secure View Video Smart (1.25 hp) Garage Door Opener

  • System Type: Full
  • Camera: Yes
  • Color: Blue

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GarageMate - $$title$$

GarageMate

  • System Type: Add-on
  • Camera: No
  • Color: White

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HBN Smart Garage Door Opener - $$title$$

HBN Smart Garage Door Opener

  • System Type: Add-on
  • Camera: No
  • Color: White

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Chamberlain B550 Smart Garage Door Opener - $$title$$

Chamberlain B550 Smart Garage Door Opener

  • System Type: Full
  • Camera: Yes
  • Color: Blue

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Genie ALKT1-R Aladdin Connect Smart Garage Door Opener - $$title$$

Genie ALKT1-R Aladdin Connect Smart Garage Door Opener

  • System Type: Add-on
  • Camera: No
  • Color: Gray

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Why You Can Trust Us

In my time as a contractor, I installed a wide range of garage door openers and garage door controllers. For the most part, it is a relatively simple mechanism that doesn’t require a lot of knowledge to install correctly. However, it is something that most people use every single day. Because of this, it must be installed accurately.

With my understanding of how most standard garage doors and garage door controllers work, I have a good idea of what will make a good smart garage door opener. With this experience, I want to help you pick one that will be just right for your particular needs and preferred outcomes with a purchase like this.

Best Smart Garage Door Opener for Security

Chamberlain B6765T B6765 Secure View Video Smart (1.25 hp) Garage Door Opener

    This complete system is built to give you as much control over your garage security as possible

      Pros:

    • Includes camera
    • Number pad compatible
    • 2-way audio
      Cons:

    • Difficult to install
    • High cost

Why We Like It: The Chamberlain Secure View Video Smart Garage Door Opener is one of the most comprehensive and functional smart garage door openers available on the market. 

With a built-in smart camera that can be manually adjusted a full 360 degrees, you can keep an eye on your garage whether you are home or not. It also features 2-way audio so you can communicate with anyone who is in your garage.

You can monitor and control your garage door from your smartphone with the Chamberlain’s myQ app, and the corner to corner lighting makes it easy to see what’s going on if you need to check on things. On top of that, it is a powerful, high-quality garage door opener with a steel-reinforced belt drive and heavy-duty components.

Who Should Buy It: People who want the most functionality and the best monitoring possible so they can keep an eye on their garage when they are not around.

Best Smart Garage Door Opener With Easy Setup

GarageMate

    This add-on system is Bluetooth compatible and can be easily installed by almost anyone

      Pros:

    • Easy install
    • Siri compatible
    • Built for extreme temperatures
      Cons:

    • No camera
    • Not fully automated
    • Not compatible with every opener

Why We Like It: For those who want the benefits of a smart garage door opener, the GarageMate is a great option. 

With minimal setup, you can control your garage from your smartphone in almost no time. It works with almost all kinds of garage door openers, and you can set it up in minutes with just a few connections.

You can pair the receiver with up to 8 phones to make sure that everyone in your family has access to your garage without having to buy multiple buttons. Plus, you can see a log of recent activity on the door, so you always know who is coming in and out of your house at a moment’s notice.

Who Should Buy It: People who don’t need a lot of different features with their smart garage door opener but still want the convenience of opening the door with their phone.

Best Budget Smart Garage Door Opener

HBN Smart Garage Door Opener

    This add-on system is compatible with almost any garage door opener and smart phone

      Pros:

    • Easy install
    • Universal
    • Stable operation
      Cons:

    • No camera
    • Not automated

Why We Like It: The HBN Smart Garage Door Opener is a great addition to any garage door opener for a minimal initial investment.

With just a few simple connections, you can be controlling your garage door from your smartphone and keeping an eye on when it is open and closed. The app can also send you reminders to open or close your garage door at certain times, so you never lock anyone out by accident.

This easy-to-use smart garage door opener is compatible with almost any standard opener you already have installed in your home. As long as your opener was made after 1993, you can set it up to control it through your phone. Even if you have trouble setting up the mechanism, HBN will send you the required accessories to get everything connected.

Who Should Buy It: People who want the convenience of a smart garage door opener but don’t want to spend a lot of money or replace their current opener.

Best Smart Garage Door Opener for Multiple Doors

Chamberlain B550 Smart Garage Door Opener

    This complete system is fully automated and powerful enough for almost any garage door system

      Pros:

    • Powerful chain drive
    • Camera included
    • Secure
      Cons:

    • Difficult installation
    • Not compatible with every door

Why We Like It: The Chamberlain B550 Smart Garage Door Opener is a multi-door option for people who have separated garage doors or want to control a back and front door. 

The opener itself is strong enough to lift even the heaviest doors and is built using the MED Lift Power System, so you can feel safe knowing your door is always secure.

Chamberlain’s myQ program can be controlled by your smartphone, so you can have instant access to your garage at any time. It also comes with a numbered keypad for easy access with a code should the need arise.

Who Should Buy It: People who want to open multiple doors and need a smart opener that will be powerful enough to control all areas of the garage.

Best Smart Garage Door Opener for Alexa and Google Assistant

Genie ALKT1-R Aladdin Connect Smart Garage Door Opener

    This smart garage door opener is an add-on system with easy installation and completely WiFi enabled

      Pros:

    • Simple mechanism
    • Door monitoring
    • Automates open and close times
      Cons:

    • Not universal
    • No camera

Why We Like It: The Genie ALKT1-R Aladdin Connect Smart Garage Door Opener is a simple and elegant solution to smart garage door control. 

You can open, close, and monitor your garage door all from your smartphone and have complete control no matter where you are. You can also automate your doors and set different times to open and close them.

The Aladdin smart garage door opener also allows you to control your garage using Amazon Echo, Amazon Alexa, or Google Voice Assistant. The voice control is convenient and simple and can be perfect for people with busy lives who need a hands-free option and remote controls.

Who Should Buy It: People who regularly use Alexa for their home automation and would like a simple, elegant option for their garage door opener.

What You Need to Know About a Smart Garage Opener

Standard Garage Door Opener

Image credits: Dave Dugdale via Creative Commons

Smart garage door openers can be a great addition to any existing home automation system. It is especially true if you regularly use your garage door as an entrance or exit to your home. Many people park in their garages and exclusively use that as their entrance instead of the front door, and automating this can be a big help for people with busy lives.

Most garage door openers that are automated allow you to check on the open or close status of the door in real time no matter where you are with a push notification. It is a great feature if you work out of town or are regularly out of the house. Some even have security camera functionality that is incredibly useful if you want to keep an eye on your garage with your smart device when you aren’t there.

You can also set up many of them using extra features to interact with your current home automation. For example, you can automate your home with connected technology to turn certain lights whenever you open the garage door. It can be an incredibly convenient feature with an easy installation process that makes coming home after a long day at work more comfortable and easy.

Not all smart garage door openers are compatible with your current garage door button system. That’s why it is important to know what kind of garage door opening mechanism you already have and whether or not it will work with automation or a smart opener. There are two different types of smart garage door openers, both of which we will discuss below so you can decide which one will be the best option for you.

Types of Smart Wireless Garage Door Openers

Direct Drive Garage Door Opener

Image credits: QuietHut via Creative Commons

Add-On Device

Add-on device smart garage door openers are more or less electronic switches that hook up to your current garage door opener. They allow you to switch the opener on or off from your smartphone and can often be automated to open or close the door at certain times through the app. Many of the included apps for your mobile device can also notify you if the garage door is opened or closed so you can know what is happening at your home when you aren’t there.

The benefit of the add-on devices is the fact that they are so easy to install. If you don’t want to completely re-install a whole new opener system and keep the one you have, these could be a good option. Plus, they tend to be a lot less expensive. However, they do not have many of the features that a full system has. Depending on your needs and what you want to get out of a smart garage door opener, you may want to end up going with a full system.

Full System

A full system smart garage door opener is much more complicated than an add-on device and requires more work and expense. They are a complete opener, garage door motor, and garage door opener unit with a whole new chain drive mechanism and wiring that will usually have to be installed by a professional.

One of the benefits of a full system is that they have more features than just smart cameras. They can be integrated with your current home automation system and often have cameras and other security features that an add-on device doesn't have. If you have the time and money for it, a full system smart garage door opener might be the best option for you.

How We Picked

Smart wireless garage door openers that we picked are useful in various situations and for people with different needs. By knowing what you want to get out of a smart garage door opener, you can decide which one is the right one for you. You should also establish your budget to narrow down your search to find the best product for yourself.

The options we chose are all controllable by smartphone. It is one of the most important things with a smart garage door opener. Being able to open or close your garage door with your phone, whether you are there or not, is a great way to feel secure and make sure that your home is protected when you are away.

The Best Smart Garage Door Opener of 2021 - Our Verdict

All of the openers on our list are good for specific purposes, but the best one overall is the Chamberlain Secure View Video Smart Garage Door Opener. It is packed with features, and as a full system, it gives you the best, most comprehensive experience when it comes to the automation and security of your home. Plus, it is relatively inexpensive for all the different features and functionality that it has.

Knowing what you want to get out of a smart garage door opener system can help you choose one that will serve you well. Not all are the same, and your needs and expectations will dictate the features you want a system to have. However, all of them will allow you to have some amount of control over your home when you are not there.

Do you have a smart garage door opener that you love? Let us know about it in the comment section below!