Highest Rated Garage Door Openers

What are the Highest Rated Garage Door Openers?

As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Last Updated on December 6, 2023 by bluefuze

When you decide to buy an expensive car or if you decide to renovate your house and garage, the first thing that comes to your mind is safety. For the safety of your car and garage, you need a strong, durable, and efficient garage door. And for your garage door, you need a top rated garage door opener. This post will show you the Highest rated Garage Door Openers.

There are so many types of garage door openers on the market today that you may not be able to decide where you should start.

The most important things that you need to keep in mind when you are selecting your garage door opener is the actual chain i.e. the drive type, the belt, or any other mechanism that is used to move or lift the door. The motor’s horsepower output is also important if you have a heavy garage door.

Another important factor which you need to keep in mind (which a lot of people forget when they are buying a garage door opener) is the noise which is made. If the garage is close to your house or a part of your house, you don’t want a garage door opener that is very loud.

If you are out late with the guys, you wouldn’t want your wife giving you heck for waking her up upon your return right?

Since the drive type is the most important feature you need to keep in mind when you buy a garage door opener, I have made a quick summary table below on the features of the various drive types:

Drive Type Strength Price Noise
Chain Drive
It is a metal chain which is on a sprocket to lower or lift doors		 Strong and durable Cheap and affordable Very loud
Screw Drive
Long metal rod that is threaded like a screw to close or lift the doors		 Strong but not very durable Medium price Medium loud
Belt-drive
Rubber belt on a cog to close or open doors		 Strong and durable Medium price Very quiet
Direct-drive & Jackshaft
Direct cables to the door with a rolling torsion bar and pulleys		 Strong and long lasting High price Very quiet

Now that we know the features of the various drive types, let us check the best rated garage door opener in the market in 2018.

Top 3 Highest Rated Garage Door Openers

Chamberlain WD832KEV Whisper Belt Drive – The Overall Best Rated Garage Door Opener

If you want a powerful garage door opener which is also quiet, then the Chamberlain WD832KEV is the one for you. Chamberlain is one of the best brands in the garage opener market and with a lifetime motor and belt, one-year accessories, and five-year parts warranty, you can be worry-free regarding the quality and maintenance of this garage opener.

PROS CONS
  • Reputed Brand:
    Chamberlain is one of the most reputed manufacturers of garage door openers. The quality of the motor and the driver is excellent. It uses a 1/2 HP strong steel-reinforced Belt Drive
  • Quiet:
    the Motor Vibration Isolation System of the garage opener to eliminates the vibration of the powerhead. This reduces the noise significantly.
  • Remote control:
    It has MyQ enabled technology. This allows you to monitor and control your garage door opener via your smartphone.
  • Safety:
    The Chamberlain WD832KEV can automatically close the door in case you have forgotten to. You can set it up for 1, 5 or 10 minutes.
    • Complicated Manual:
      There are reviews online that the garage opener is difficult to set up and that the manual is complicated. For one novice, it took up to 4 hours.
    • Homelink System:
      Many reviewers mentioned that if your Homelink system is older than 2012 you would have to buy a Compatibility Bridge. You need to check first if your car is compatible.

    Recommendation
    In terms of overall performance, the Chamberlain WD832KEV is the best rated garage door opener in the market. In addition to having excellent security features, it is very quiet and comes with a MyQ technology. It has an automatic close feature if you forget to shut it. It is great value for money when you consider the features you get for the price.

    Check the latest price on Amazon

    Chamberlain PD612EV 1/2 HP MyQ Enabled – The Best Budget Garage Door Opener

    If you are budget conscious and you want a strong, durable and high-quality garage opener from a reputed brand, then the Chamberlain PD612EV is a garage opener you should definitely consider. It has a 0.5 HP motor and a chain drive system that you can install easily. You also have the option of using the MQ technology to control your garage opener with a smartphone but you need to pay extra for that. It has a 10-year warranty on the motor, two-year on parts, and one-year on accessories.

    PROS CONS
    • Durable and Good Performance:
      With a 0.5 HP motor, the performance of the Chamberlain PD612EV is good and you can easily use it for 7-foot, 8-foot and, 10-foot garage doors.
    • Price:
      It is very affordable when you compare it with the other branded garage openers in the market. It is about one third the prices of other branded garage openers in its range.
      • Noise:
        The Chamberlain PD612EV is pretty loud
      • Extension kits Needed:
        For an 8-foot or 10-foot garage door, you will need a separate rail extensions kit.
      • Warranty:
        Most branded garage door openers give a lifetime warranty on the motor and belt. The warranty on the Chamberlain PD612EV is only for 10 years.

      Recommendation
      Even with a shorter term motor warranty, the Chamberlain PD612EV is a good deal when you consider the quality, performance and the price. If you have a garage door bigger than 7 feet and if you need to operate it from your smartphone, you have to pay extra but other than that the Chamberlain PD612EV is an excellent budget garage door opener.

      Check the latest price on Amazon

      Sommer Direct Drive– The Best Quiet Garage Door Opener

      Sommer Direct Drive is a European brand which offers a garage opener that has a 3/4 HP motor on a stationary chain embedded in a steel rail. Since it has only one moving part, the Direct Drive is very quiet. It is very powerful and can open doors up to 550 pounds with a height of up to 8 feet easily. Though it doesn’t have a Rolling Code, it has an excellent protection system and a beam sensor.

      PROS CONS
      • Very quiet:
        In the Direct Drive only the motor moves on a chain that is embedded into a steel rail. Since there is only one moving part, there are literally no vibrations.
      • Strong motor:
        The ¾ HP motor is positioned at the door rather than the back of the system. This gives more power to the motor.
      • Security:
        It has a Protection System and a light beam sensor. The light beam detects obstacles which are inside and closes the door if it senses movement.
      • Door Height and Weight:
        The garage opener can easily accommodate a door height of 7-foot to 8-foot. It can easily carry a door weighing up to 550 pounds.
      • Warranty:
        Sommer Direct Drive has a lifetime warranty on the motor, parts and lift system. This is the best warranty on the market today and no branded garage opener manufacturer comes close to this offer.
        • HomeLink compatibility:
          Though most reviewers have not had issues with it being HomeLink compatible, some have experienced issues which could be possible because it is a European garage opener.
        • Parts:
          Some reviewers have issues with the parts including the radio transmitter. Though there is a lifetime warranty on the parts, getting new ones are a hassle.

        Recommendation
        Considering the performance, security and the quietness of the garage opener, the Sommer Direct Drive is a good product to buy. It has all-round performance and has an excellent warranty. The Sommer brand is well reputed and the product has excellent reviews online.

        Check the latest price on Amazon

        Conclusion On the Best Rated Garage Door Opener

        The Chamberlain WD832KEV has excellent performance and is quiet. The Sommer is quiet and has an excellent warranty. The Chamberlain PD612EV is cheap and has great performance but it is loud. Depending on the features that are important to you and on your budget, you can choose any of the three garage door openers above.

        I hope this has answered your question “What are the Highest Rated Garage Door Openers?” Leave a comment below if you have any questions, or if you have any experience with any of the tools mentioned!

        Thanks for reading.

        Be sure to check out my other posts on Garage Organization: