If you have an older automatic garage door, one of the best smart garage door openers is an inexpensive way to let you control it from your smartphone and let you know when it's being opened and closed.Â
A smart garage door opener connects to your existing garage door, and then links to your Wi-Fi network so you can monitor it from anywhere. Plus, you can link it to other smart home devices, so if you open it at night, you can set your smart lights to turn on. Or, you can set your smart locks to lock when the door closes.
The best smart garage door openers we recommend here are designed to attach to existing non-smart garage door openers, and cost less than $100. If you're shopping for a new garage door opener, Chamberlain, Genie, Skylink, and Ryobi all make Wi-Fi-connected models ranging in price from $169 to $300, so you don't need to purchase additional accessories to control them from your smartphone.Â
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What are the best smart garage door openers?
After testing and reviewing a number of the top models, we think the best smart garage door opener is the Chamberlain MyQ-G0301. For starters, it's very inexpensive. It typically sells for less than $40, half the price of most of the competition. The MyQ is also very easy to set up — just attach a few wires to your garage door opener, download an app to your smartphone, and you're ready to go. The MyQ works with Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and IFTTT (among other smart home systems), though it does not work with Alexa.Â
Chamberlain recently released a successor, the MyQ-G0401, which has an updated design, has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and can control multiple garage doors (extra sensors sold separately). It also works with Google Assistant and IFTTT, but not Alexa. It's currently available for $27; stay tuned for our review.
If you're looking for a smart garage door opener that works with Alexa, we suggest the Tailwind iQ3 Garage Door Opener. While its setup was trickier than the Chamberlain, the Tailwind does work with Amazon's virtual assistant, as well as Google Assistant and SmartThings. And, it supports multiple users.Â
The best smart garage door openers you can buy today
If you're looking for the best smart garage door opener, look no further than the Chamberlain MyQ. It includes a sensor for your garage door as well as a hub that connects to your Wi-Fi network. When you send a command using your smartphone, it is relayed to the hub, which then goes to the sensor that activates your garage door. The MyQ app, available for Android and iOS devices, lets you check to see if your door is open, and then close — or open — it remotely. MyQ is also one of the best Google Home compatible devices, meaning you can pair it to Google Assistant and control it with your voice.
MyQ will work with most brands of garage door openers made after 1993 that have standard safety sensors, according to Chamberlain. Currently, MyQ works with Nest, SmartThings and Xfinity Home smart home systems. If you want it to be one of the best HomeKit devices, you need to purchase a $49 adapter. This will let you control your garage doors using Siri, and create scenes so that the lights come on when the door goes up. The one thing it doesn't do, though, is work with Alexa.
Read our full Chamberlain MyQG0301 review.Â
The Tailwind iQ3 smart garage door opener has a unique feature: If you have an Android phone, it can use your car's Bluetooth connection to trigger your garage door to open and close automatically when you arrive or leave home. (iPhone owners have to use a separate dongle). It's clever and works well, but you can't adjust the range at which it activates.Â
Like many other smart garage door openers, installing the iQ3 wasn't as intuitive as we'd like, but once it was set up, it worked nearly flawlessly. We liked its simple app, notifications, and compatibility with Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, and IFTTT. You can also buy versions that work with one, two, or three garage doors.
Read our full Tailwind iQ3 smart garage door opener review.
The Nexx Garage is the best smart garage door opener for Alexa users, but it works with Google Home, too, so you can open or close the door using voice commands. Â However, setup is a little trickier, as you have to run a wire from your garage door to the garage door opener.Â
Similar to with GoGogate, Nexx owners can give permission to multiple users, and a calendar in the app lets you see when the door was opened, and by whom. In addition to asking Alexa or Google Assistant to open your door, a feature called Just Drive uses geofencing to detect when you're arriving home, and will automatically open the garage door of you so choose.
Nexx has a list on its site of garage door openers that won't work with its system, though it acknowledges that the list is incomplete. Nexx has a newer model, the NXG-200, which is currently available for $79.99, which we're in the process of reviewing.Â
Read our full Nexx review.
Whereas many smart garage door openers will use a sensor that detects movement to tell if your garage door is open or closed, the Garadget smart garage door opener uses a laser that shines on a reflective tab that you mount to your door. That means there's one less piece of equipment with a battery that can run out, but it also makes setup a bit tricker than other smart garage door openers, as you have to align the laser precisely.
Garagdet's app gives you alerts in real time if your door is opened, or if the door stays open for too long. We did get the occasional false alert, though. Still, we also liked the fact that Garadget works with Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, and IFTTT, so you've no lack of options if you want to connect it with other smart home assistants and devices.Â
Read our full Garadget review.
GarageMate's smart garage door opener is very simple; almost too much so. Unlike the other smart garage door openers we've reviewed, which connect to your Wi-Fi, GarageMate connects to your phone via Bluetooth. This means that you can't check on its status, nor operate it, when you're away from home. That's a bit of a bummer, which is why it's further down our list of the best smart garage door openers.
The GarageMate smart garage door opener also doesn't work with any other smart home systems. However, using your smartphone, you can use Siri or Google Assistant to voice launch the app and automatically open the door. GarageMat's Activity Log lets you monitor who opened your garage for added security, and it works with up to eight users. If you're looking for something simple, cheap, and secure, this is one to consider, but it's not our first choice.
Read our full GarageMate review.
The Genie Aladdin Connect attaches via two wires to your garage door opener, and then connects wirelessly to your home Wi-Fi network, letting you control your garage door via an app.
The Aladdin Connect works with a variety of garage door openers made after 1993, and not just those from Genie. It's compatible with some Chamberlain, Liftmaster, and Craftsman garage door openers, too. The Aladdin Connect can be controlled via Alexa and Google Assistant. It also works with Samsung's SmartThings platform, so you can program your doors to open automatically if smoke is detected on a smart smoke detector, or if CO2 levels get too high. You can also set up geofencing, so that it'll open your doors when you get home.
While the Aladdin Connect only comes with one door sensor, it can control up to three garage doors. In addition, you can add up to 19 virtual keys to give others access, and control the garage door from your smartwatch.Â
How to choose the best smart garage door opener for you
If you're don't have one already, you can purchase a garage door opener that already has smart home compatibility built in. However, if you have an older garage door opener, you can make it "smart" by purchasing a kit that will let you connect it to the Internet, thereby allowing you to control it remotely using your smartphone.
Before you buy a smart garage door opener, you should make sure it will work with your existing garage door. Usually, you can find out which doors an opener is compatible with on the manufacturer's site.
The best smart garage door openers have Wi-Fi, while others use Bluetooth to connect to your phone. We recommend sticking with Wi-Fi models, as they'll allow you to remotely monitor your garage door; Bluetooth models will work only when you're within about 20 feet of the garage.
You also want to find out how many smart home systems each garage door opener is compatible with — the more, the better, because you'll have more options when building out your smart home.
If you're buying a completely new garage door opener, there are many models from Chamberlain and Genie with this technology built in. For example, the Chamberlain B550 ($193) comes with MyQ baked in, so you don't need to purchase a third-party accessory.
How we test smart garage door openers
To determine what's the best smart garage door opener, we install them in a garage on an existing non-smart garage door opener. We look to see how easy it is to physically install and how easily it connects to our home Wi-Fi network.Â
As with any smart home product, the best smart garage door opener should have an intuitive app that makes it easy to operate, receive notifications, and troubleshoot issues. A good smart garage door opener should also be compatible with the leading virtual assistants (Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit), and be easy to link to them.
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