With an average of three out of every four single-family homes having a garage a quality garage door opener is essential to making everyday life a little bit easier. These spaces are more than just a place to put your vehicle.
They have become the additional storage space of the home, the place where you have that extra fridge, the place where your holiday decorations reside until another year has passed by and they are needed once again. So, you need easy access to them all the time.
Gone are the days of wrestling with manually opening your garage door. Long forgotten the time of only the tallest and/or strongest member of the family being able to open the heavy garage door. Now, we are in the age of the electronic garage door opener.
Read on for a brief history of the garage door opener and a complete list of the best garage door openers of the new year.
The History of Garage Door Openers
To discuss the history of the openers one must first start with the history of the garage door itself. The garage is pretty novel having only started appearing at the turn of the century around 1912.
Why is that? Well, because that was just about when cars started to become the preferred mode of transportation over the horse and buggy. With the rise of the popularity of the automobile came the need for a new type of outbuilding on the homesteads of the 1900s.
Before the automobile, the only outbuildings on the property housed horses and carriages. So, naturally, people started parking their cars next to their reliable steeds. This would've been fine except it led to a certain, well, smelly situation. Cars were expensive in the beginning of the industry and the piquant odor of horse manure sinking into the newly upholstered seats simply wouldn't do.
So, the garage, an iteration of the French word for shelter/storage garer, was born.
With the Garage, Comes the Need for a New Kind of Door
In the beginning, these new outbuildings were essentially smaller barns. The barn doors would take a beating being opened and closed multiple times per day and didn't give a convenient solution when the snowstorms of winter descended. A new kind of door was necessary for this new kind of building.
C.G. Johnson came up with a solution in 1921 of a door that ran along tracks. The door would slide upwards and fold over on itself eventually running horizontally against the ceiling of the garage itself. This was revolutionary at the time.
However, there were drawbacks. These doors were heavy and brutal to lift on your own. So, 5 years later in 1926, Johnson invented the first electric door opener. Now, you still had to get out of the car and turn the contraption on but the spark was ignited.
The first iteration of the modern automatic garage door opener wouldn't appear until the mid-1970s. The door had changed from wood to steel.
How Do We Judge The Best Garage Door Openers?
So, how do we pick the best of the best? We will rate each garage door opener by application, price, and options. We are going to go through the top brands one by one and point out the differences.
Each brand has slightly different variations and is better suited for different purposes. We will explain which is best for what property. Then we will go through our top picks of those brands models.
Now that you understand the criteria, let's get it started. Here they are the best garage door openers of 2020.
Genie
Genie has been a pioneer of the industry since 1954. Offering openers for both residential and commercial applications they pride themselves on offering innovation, superb product quality, and stellar service.
They offer a more affordable solution without compromising the power and technology of the other brands.
Genie 6170 Jackshaft Garage Door Opener
This wall mount unit is the newest in the line from Genie.
It offers a cleaner look and is more compact having the ability to fit in the tight space between the rail and the wall. It's rated to operate doors up to 850 lbs.
Along with the safety feature of Battery Backup, it also offers GenieSense® monitoring and diagnostic tracking technologies that are always monitoring the door and will automatically stop the door if it senses any significant change.
The IntelliCode® access security system and automatic locking functionality ensure your home remains safe even while you're away.
This is a powerful little system with all the bells and whistles and will get the job done in any garage.
Click here for a full list of features and pricing.
Marantec
Marantec is the new kid on the block coming onto the scene in 1997. Their systems use cutting edge German technologies to produce operators with unparalleled safety, super-quiet operation, and a firm commitment to quality.
Their integrated LED lighting, stellar product warranties, and unique accessories line set them apart from other garage door opener brands.
Marantec Synergy 380 1.1 Hpcs DC Belt Drive
Ever wondered what it would be like to never have to replace the bulb in your garage door opener? Let us introduce you to Synergy 380 the first residential system with integrated LED lighting that lasts over 30,000 hours. The system also has optional battery backup to keep you out of the rain even when the power goes out.
This backup doesn't just cover the opening and closing of the garage door. Those LED lights will still come on even in the battery backup mode!
Couple this with their lifetime warranty on the motor, gears, and rail assembly and you have yourself a great system that will last. The opener comes with programmable speed settings that are great for homes with kids or elderly residents who need the door to open slower or faster.
The integrated LCD screen walks you through the simple programming sequence to allow the system to automatically calculate the personalized requirements of lifting and closing your specific garage door.
This system, considered to be the safest garage door opener on the market, will cost you less than $350.
Click here for a full list of features and pricing.
SOMMER
SOMMER is a European manufacturer with quality, progress, and innovation as its main tenets. Their garage door openers are made in Germany and are distributed throughout North America.
Their United States headquarters is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The products feature a modern and sleek design which can't often be said of a garage door opener.
SOMMER 2110 Evo+ 1100n 1 1/4hp Direct Drive Garage Door Opener
This system stands out from the crowd in functionality, durability, and safety. It's one of the longest-lasting systems on the market because there is only one moving part. This cuts down on maintenance and breakdown potential.
It's one of the quietest and smoothest systems on this list and comes with a lot of standard safety features. The SOMMER 2110 has advanced object and force detection, an emergency release that can be locked or unlocked from any position, and an automatic locking feature in the case of a break-in. The safety features are many and impressive.
One of the coolest features of this garage door opener is its modular design. Sommer offers several unique plug and play add ons.
At just over $340 you too can have the most stylish garage door opener on the block.
Click here for a full list of features and pricing.
Linear
Linear has been around a long time and provides openers for both residential and commercial applications. They offer the unique ability for a lot of their models to be completely hands-free due to the built-in wi-fi of their units.
Their focus is on progress and innovation and they are breaking new ground in the industry.
Linear LDCO852
The LDC0852 model is the top of the line from Linear. It comes complete with wi-fi and a dedicated app for your smartphone. It's able to authorize ten different users through the app. You can set custom access and permissions for each of the authorized users. You never have to leave your house key with the neighbor again!
It's compatible with smart home systems and offers battery backup. It's 800 newtons of lifting force make it capable of lifting any door around.
The coolest feature that sets this opener apart is its hands-free capabilities. Your garage door will open when you come home and close when you leave, automatically. No more wondering if you closed the garage door when you left.
Click here for a full list of features.
Liftmaster
Another behemoth in the industry, Liftmaster is another subsidiary of CGI and adheres to the same standards. All of their openers take advantage of their patented myQ Technology.
Liftmaster offers a lot more variety. They have an entire line of openers dedicated to residential use and high-powered commercial lifting models that can handle all sorts of warehouse scenarios or large gate opening needs.
No matter the opener you choose they are all guaranteed to be whisper-quiet, strong, and versatile to suit a variety of different needs.
Liftmaster WLED
The WLED is a belt drive opener with battery backup and automatic locking functionality. This unit comes with its own built-in wi-fi and takes advantage of the Liftmaster myQ technology.
This door also offers secure in garage deliveries from Amazon Prime in selected areas. It connects with smart home operators and is virtually silent due to it's powerful but lightweight DC motor.
Your garage will no longer be dark and dingy in the brilliant 3100 lumens LED light of the WLED.
Click here for a full list of features.
Chamberlain
Owned by the parent company Chamberlain Group (CGI), Chamberlain is taking the humble garage door opener into the new age. These openers are great for residential or commercial applications and have incorporated the newest technologies into their systems.
Their smart garage door openers offer a whole new world of convenience and practicality that C.G. Johnson would be proud of. Each model offers its own unique components we will list below. But, the coolest thing about all of them? They have battery backups that allow you to get into your garage remotely even if the power is out.
Chamberlain B1381 Corner to Corner Lighting™ Led WI-Fi Garage Door Opener
This smart system is our top choice from the Chamberlain line. Not only is it great for residential or commercial applications but it's wi-fi enabled so you can control it from your smartphone.
This system features 3100 lumens LED lights that will fill the entire garage with brilliant light for any project and never leave you vulnerable. It comes with the battery backup we mentioned so that power outages are no issue.
This system even comes equipped to enable secure in-garage delivery for your Amazon Prime deliveries.
With all the bells and whistles the price also seems right landing right around $340.
Click here for a full list of features.
Now Go out and Get Yourself the Best of the Best!
We hope this gives you some confidence in picking the best garage door openers for your residential or commercial properties. Any of these systems would give you great results it just depends on the specifics of your property.
Want to learn more about all the garage door openers we offer here at Moving Up?
Click here for our full inventory now and find the opener that will work best for you!