Ryobi Vs Chamberlain – Best Smart Garage Door Opener (Mega Guide): 2022 Edition

Update – August, 2022

[We have replaced old smart garage door openers with new ones at #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, and #7 to make this list more up-to-date. Another quick update, the original Chamberlain Ultra-Quiet has been discontinued on Amazon for now. But you can find one of Chamberlain’s updated models in the ‘Other Worthy Alternatives’ section.]

The Best of the Lot

You may or may not have the time to read this entire thing right now but you surely can bookmark it for later. And if you are really curious about some main facts about smart garage door openers, then let us help you out with that.

When money is no bar then you can get yourself a Genie StealthDrive Connect Model 7155-TKV garage door opener at just under $260.

For a constrained budget, go with the Meross Smart Garage Door Opener. At around $50, you can hardly get a better deal than this.

Both these models are great for doing their job to perfection. The price difference is mainly owing to the additional support, warranties, and durability that ultimately accounts for a heftier price tag. So even if you go with the more affordable option, you can rest assured that the quality will never be substandard.

But first, let’s get to know how this stuff actually works. To fill that awkward silence at dinner parties with even more nuanced awkwardness!

Types of Mechanisms

You know the deal by now. Some are easier on your pocket while others make the day-to-day easier for you. And then there is that Swiss knife of a gadget that does it all. Keep reading to know all about them.

Jackshaft

These are the best of the lot, in terms of performance and durability. Not so much on the price. They are fine-tuned to be quieter than a moonless sky even after years of installation. Your garage can be next to your bedroom and it will still never get noisy, providing you and your family are not proud members of the “honk-if-you-are-home” society.

Get a professional to install this genius of a device, this is not your DIY project. The motor here sits on the wall rather than the ceiling. This means no matter how low your ceiling goes; it can go lower. Garages are just like people – messy, dingy, cluttered with everything from the past 20 years, and never organized into those helpful clean-cut columns.

But, with the Jackshaft garage door opener, you don’t need to worry. It can co-exist with you and your family’s clutter. You can get to it, if and when you get to it. This mechanism allows you to have various customization options including battery backup and remote operation with your mobile among others. It helps make your garage much more spacious, safer and more sophisticated place than before.

Chain Drive

If you want something strong, affordable, and easily available around the globe then a chain drive garage door opener is the answer. They really excel with the price point and ease of operation. They are the cheapest of the lot when it comes to both the product and installation process. That is why they are a hit among the homeowners.

And the market is full of competing brands of this type. So, you get enough to choose from in this very convenient price section. It comes with a sturdy chain that might require proper maintenance in the form of cleaning and lubrication from time to time. And if you do that, you are golden for years to come. These can be far more durable than the models four times their price if you just take off the chain once every season.

The weather extremes don’t cause much trouble to the functioning of these doors. The worst of each season is handled by so much grace with these door openers. Not so much by other types of garage door openers though. Also, the heaviest of the heavy garage doors can be maneuvered with so much ease with a chain drive opener. Even the bulky wooden doors and two-car doors work seamlessly with these garage door openers.

Screw Drive

But what if you could get something even cheaper? Enter the Screw Drive Garage Door Openers! They are dirt cheap with their prices. You will not need to worry about the constantly expanding electricity bill with this one. The screw drive opener is really energy efficient.

It uses a threaded rod in its operation that makes sure that the functioning requires minimal energy for a smooth, quiet, and easy operation. Its build is quite simple which means you don’t have much to worry about when it comes to its maintenance and installation. It is good at handling heavy doors too.

It can deal with your garage door even when it puffs up during peak humidity season and becomes twice its original weight. This gives you enough room to accommodate all that can and will go wrong with a typical garage in a suburb or city or metro like yours!

Direct Drive

The simplest in design and functioning is the direct drive garage door openers. The motor runs on a track and is attached to the door by a mechanical hand. Not so many parts here to creak and make noise every time you open or close the garage.

They are not the cheapest ones out there but definitely worth the price. Though you might not find them around just as easily. But hey, when was the last time you bought one from an actual shop anyways? They are quite easy to install and offer a serene performance.

It comes with the sensory feature to detect the presence of an object during its operation. This way it can halt midway to protect any person or a delicate item that might have been otherwise crushed without this option. Also, it does not require lubrication. So, you have little to worry about during the eventual relocation or just the regular maintenance process.

Belt Drive

This mechanism is known for its smooth operation and gentle handling of the garage door. The belt can be made of polyurethane, fiberglass, or steel-reinforced rubber. The trolley system incorporated here moves along a rail and opens the garage door for you.

A lot of people choose to put a couple of lights on this type of openers too without facing any sort of adverse consequences. One can always use better lighting in their garages, especially during the groggy hours of the morning.

Depending upon the door size, you can pick from ½, ¼, and ¾ horsepower of belt drive garage door opener for your place. Since it is most probably going to be a rubber belt, you won’t need to worry about regular maintenance too. They are easily available and usually come with decent warranties.

These are the top five mechanisms that are present in most of the quality garage door openers of today. Pick wisely keeping your requirements and preferences in mind for at least a couple of years to come.

Next comes the safety features you need to pay attention to before you pull the trigger on your next purchase.

Unattended Operation: Read Before You Upgrade

If you have the latest premium smart garage door opener then you must be using it via its highly interactive and personalized smart app. There are so many benefits of this mode of operation considering that you keep a couple of key safety guidelines in mind.

The ‘unattended operation’ is a term allotted to the remote usage of your garage door opener. This is either via your phone or tablet or any other device that lets you magically control your garage without having to physically be there every single time. And what a joy it is not to be the unofficial valet for every single vehicle that creeps in and out of your place.

But that also means that you won’t be able to see if it is safe to open or close the door from all angles and sides. That it is safe for the people, things, and the door itself to be opened or closed at that point. You can sort out all these issues including that of home safety by just taking care of the below-mentioned points.

Alarm

The garage door openers are required to initiate a 5-second-long alarm at the frequency and level mentioned in the UL 325 guideline. These specifications are taken care of in all properly certified garage door openers. You can check the fine print too or just ask the seller online if the product in question complies with these standards.

This audible alarm will help in alerting your family and the people around the garage door outside, if that might be the case, to make way so that accidents can be easily avoided. This can also scare off any sneaky criminal activity that could have happened otherwise.

Timer-to-Close Feature

There are a hundred things that happen all around you in a day. Sometimes even the facility of a smart app to control your garage door opener might just not be enough. That is why most of the garage door openers come with a timer to automatically close the door according to the saved settings.

Maybe you were bringing in the groceries and then your dog was about the eat something funky and then the kids got a hold of the delicious tide pods. You need to attend to all of those things NOW and you forget to close the garage door. In that case, the timer will just close the door for you even when you forget to remind it to do so.

External Control Devices

Who doesn’t love a universal remote? Nowadays there are just so many types of remotes and controllers and gadgets that you will never need in a million years but you absolutely want it. How can you not? You will find so many quirky controllers that you can pair up with your garage door openers but probably should not.

It’s not advisable to pair the operator of your garage door opener with random controllers that may or may not be easily hacked into. This at best will just infect your system with some annoying viruses or at worst put your home safety in serious jeopardy.

If you absolutely want to pair up an external controller then do that with an operator that comes with the photo-eye-entrapment feature to give a fighting chance to your garage door safety. Unreliable listing and labeling make these random controllers more hazardous than useful. Proper adherence to the UL 325 standard is required so as to make sure that proper warnings and alert systems are in place in the ones that you decide to bring home.

2-Strike Lockout

It’s good to have a backup of your backup when the situation is just that dire. That is why we have the 2-strike lockout that will make it more of a foolproof system for you. After two unsuccessful attempts at closure, your smart app controls will officially be locked out from making any further changes to the garage door.

You can easily reset the garage door opener from the physical controls present around your home. This mechanism makes sure that the cause of obstruction which can be a small pet or a kid or any other fragile/delicate item stays unharmed. And the garage door too suffers minimal damage owing to these failed attempts.

The inherent reversal system, edge sensors, and photo eye enhancements allow you to reverse into the garage safely. These fixtures can also prevent the garage door from improperly closing or worse closing onto something. The lockout feature thus helps you in saving your time and efforts and most important of all, your family and property.

Visual Alert

Sometimes there can be horns blaring but you are busy blasting your favorite track on your favorite headphones. That is where the visual alerts come into the picture. As usual, there are proper instructions to abide by the standards of the type, duration, and intensity of the light that needs to be flashing every single time you use the garage door for alerting you and the people around about the activity.

Types of Garage Doors

You can only use the ‘unattended operation’ i.e., the smartphone controls of the garage door with select types of garage doors. This includes only the horizontally sliding garage doors and the most common types of all – the vertically moving sectional garage doors. Don’t worry, you and everyone you know will most probably be having only these types in their present-day homes.

The swing-type garage doors and the one-piece overhead doors cannot be executed via ‘unattended operation’. It is not safe or certified to use smart garage door openers with these kinds of doors. It will be better for you to either switch the doors or the mode of operation in case you are currently operating in this mode.

Certification

Both the manufacturers and the consumers are required by the US Federal law to abide by the standards stated in UL 325 according to the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission). These standards are said to meet the safety and quality standards that a quality garage door opener should meet for safe and durable use. These standards also help you in weeding out the substandard third-party devices that are advertised deviously just to pocket profits at the cost of customer safety.

The above-mentioned criteria will help you make a smart choice to buy a truly smart garage door opener to add in the constellation of your utopian smart home heaven!

Ryobi vs Chamberlain

Most car owners are worried about whether they closed their garage door or not on multiple occasions in a day. Technology has finally solved this problem too with the creation of smart garage door openers.

Now, you can remotely control your garage door from miles away. And that means that your days of worrying about forgetting to close the garage door and other security concerns that creep up along with it are finally over. This begins the age of yet another remarkable product in the smart home automation domain.

Aside from Ryobi and Chamberlain, we have a few other worthy contenders too. Take a look at them in the following sections to make your smart home even smarter with an innovative Smart Garage Door Opener today.

Depending on your requirements, you have a variety of options to choose from. There are the ones that are fully compatible with your home Wi-Fi and then there are the ones that work on just Bluetooth for the added security cover.

Presently, the garage door openers market has two main options that are majorly ruling the market. The premium price for the best performance is offered by the Chamberlain garage door openers. For the innovative choice, you can always pick the Ryobi model and explore the best of the future, today!

1. Installation

Ryobi

Thanks to the manual kit which you get along with the package, the whole installation process is quite simple. You just need the follow the specified directions in the manual and you will be done with your new door opener in no time.

You might also contact its customer care for the additional help if you require it. And then your problem will surely be solved with dedicated assistance in no time. The setup process is equally simple for different settings and you are going to face no trouble at all.

Chamberlain

This specific model of door opener has been ruling the market with its durability and performance for quite some time. But the entire installation process for the same is not as easy as you would expect it to be. But its widescale presence has made it simple to find the professional help for the installation process of the same at discounted prices.

Today, you have so many online tutorials and online help that even if it gets a bit tricky or if you are not used to such kind of gadgets then you can just go online and find the required help without any delay. Also, once you get a hang of it, it will be a cakewalk from them onwards.

2. User-Friendly Features

Ryobi

You might be using the best appliance in the market. But without a user- friendly panel and features, it is worthless. Thankfully, the Ryobi garage door opener has taken good care of this aspect and provided us with few of the most amazing user-friendly features that one can ask for.

You get to enjoy the comforts of owning one of the best garage door openers in town with an incredible set of user-friendly features. Everything is synced up with your phone and you can use the app to keep track of all the activities going on when you are away.

Chamberlain

There are a lot of reasons that make Chamberlain one of the most successful garage door openers of all time. But when it comes to the user-friendly features than this model cannot compete with the likes of Ryobi.

You could have been enjoying the durability and quick responses of the Chamberlain garage door opener for quite some time but you might feel it a bit lacking when you get to use the Ryobi model once. This does not mean that you will the Chamberlain lacks in overall performance in any way. It just does not compare to the Ryobi when it comes to user-friendly features.

3. Belt drive

Ryobi

You will find the Ryobi to be quiet in operation too. It works on the steel reinforced belt driver thus offering you new levels of noiselessness and durability. Like most of the other features of this garage door opener, this one also demonstrates a high level of innovation. But that also means that it not has been on the market as long as its prime rival, the Chamberlain garage door opener.

Hence, it will be too soon to compare the long-lasting performance and overall capability of the Chamberlain model with the likes of Ryobi.

Chamberlain

There are not one but multiple benefits of replacing the chain drive with the belt drive. First of all, they are very quick to operate. You will save quite some time using it instead of the age-old models that still use the chain drive. The belt drive is also considerably easy to maintain. It is way more durable and you will never notice it until you plan on upgrading to the latest version.

Belt drives are totally silent in their functioning which means that the noise trouble will not be there whether you are parking the car during the rush hours of the morning or the wee hours of the night. There is this total comfort and ease with picking a door opener with the belt drive over the one with the chain drive.

4. MyQ technology & Security

Ryobi

Ryobi comes with its very own set of online assistance to help you out in times of need. You get total compatibility with the Homelink and the Wi-Fi. Thus you get online and see the activities happening in and around your house via your account. But, it still needs to come up with a customized app to be as useful as the Chamberlain garage door opener.

Chamberlain

You always feel like checking on home when you are away. And if you can do so in a quick and easy manner then your days will get a lot more peaceful for you. Thanks to the MyQ Home Control app you can finally do so without much effort. You can use this app to check up on the garage door and the outside light situation. Or, you can turn them on or off depending on the requirement right through this app.

You can also make sure that the settings of this app are always one step ahead of the possible intruders. Change the setting as many times as you like to keep the possible break-ins and the unfortunate incidents at bay. There is just so much that you can do with this app to make your life infinitely better.

5. Strength

Ryobi

A lot of advantages and benefits are listed with the usage of the Ryobi model. And most of them stand true to the claims. Strength wise, you can say that this model does not disappoint you in most of the everyday life scenarios. But does it fare better than its Chamberlain counterpart? Not better, but not worse either. You need not doubt the strength of the Ryobi model.

However, it will take a long time for this appliance to make the same kind of impact in the market with its strength and durability. Till then, you can just keep using Chamberlain with the confidence of being the owner of the best garage door opener in the market.

Chamberlain

Depending upon the overall dimensions of your garage, the door can be light or heavy. Also, the size of the door also matters when you are planning to install a certain kind of garage door opener. If the door is well under the 7 feet margin then you don’t need to worry about getting any extra extensions.

However, if the door measures more than that then you need to chip in a few extra bucks for getting the required extensions to enjoy the same level of performance as promised by the manufacturer. You can make good use of the three-buttoned remote control even from the wider distances. You just need to power it with the tri-band frequency such that you can enjoy the same quick responses using it from comparatively farther locations.

Other Worthy Alternatives

There is no shortage of smart garage door openers in the market. But, if you want a reliable and sturdy one then you might have to look a bit harder. Or, you can just keep reading and make this task extremely easy for you.

1. Chamberlain Group Chamberlain B970 Smartphone-Controlled Ultra-Quiet & Strong Belt Drive Garage Door Opener with Battery Backup and MAX Lifting Power, Blue

Main Features

You finally get a smart garage door opener that has been optimized with the anti-vibration technology for a smooth and durable performance. Currently, it is available somewhere in the 250 dollars range. It derives maximum lifting capacity in its category with the help of the incorporated Chamberlain’s Lift Power System.

Pros

• Its myQ phone app lets you safely access sharing, get real-time notifications, arrange In-garage delivery in bad weather and control the garage door from everywhere.
• The Steel-reinforced belt drive made up of high-quality materials delivers an ultra-quiet functioning.
• Built-in battery back up lets you operate your garage door during blackouts and mini power outages.
• Get an easy way out for programming the garage door keypad, remote controls and myQ light elements with the help of the advanced Motion Detecting Control Panel.

Cons

• The price range of this model is a bit on the higher end.
• The wireless feature might not work well and there is no backup wired option to perform the tasks.

Verdict

The Chamberlain WD962KEV Garage Door Opener is made for long-term use in an efficient manner. It is extremely easy to use and install which means that you don’t need to be highly tech-savvy to use it. You will like this garage opener if you are looking for a futuristic smart door opener with minimal maintenance cost.

2. [Newly Added] LiftMaster 8587W Elite Series Garage Door Opener 3/4 HP

Main Features

When in need of a sleek and hassle-free smart garage door opener, just go with the LiftMaster. It has been designed to be installed in the minimum possible time with almost no effort. The entire design supports the  DC Battery Backup Without Rail Assembly thus making it all the more convenient.

Pros

• A new code is generated every time you use it such that only you get secured access to it.
• The unique code also ensures that no one else is able to trespass and cause trouble behind your back.
• When the power is out, the battery backup comes into play for making sure that you never face any trouble with it.
• Monitor and control all the functions of your garage door by syncing it up with your smartphone instantly.

Cons

• The customer care service is not helpful at all and can use more dedicated staff support.
• It does not support Amazon Alexa.

Verdict

This garage door is meant for those who value their time the most. The smartphone app will keep you updated and in control of your garage. The new codes are also sent to you in a timely fashion to save every second of your time. Choose this model if you don’t want to upgrade everything while you replace your old garage door opener.

3. [Newly Added] Nexx Smart Wi-Fi Controller NXG-300

Main Features

If you already have a garage door opener that works fine but you just want to “smart it up” to be able to control it through the mobile app or keypad, this is the right solution for you. It will expand your basic door opener with a cutting-edge smart home solution.

Pros

• You are able to schedule your garage door to open or close at any time. For example, the door can wait for you to open just in time when you usually go to work.
• You can keep track of when some of your house members opened or closed your garage door to take your car or bike for a ride.
• This device supports Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant so you can easily control your door just by your voice.
• If you like to tinker with electronics, you could easily connect it yourself without a need for external help.

Cons

• Siri can be a hustle to set up.
• Some users have experienced rare freezes in the mobile application.

Verdict

For a fairly affordable price of 80 dollars, you will be able to control your garage door from anywhere with your smartphone or with a voice assistant. This makes it a perfect candidate for people which just want to upgrade their working and reliable system at home.

4. [Newly Added] Meross Smart Garage Door Opener Remote

Main Features

Power up your basic smart garage door opener with the Meross opener remote. It will give you a great experience when controlling your garage door while not breaking the bank in the process.

Pros

• It is highly compatible with a great number of garage door opener manufacturers.
• Voice integration is never been easier whether you use Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant.
• It is easy to install.
• Connect it to your smart home via Apple HomeKit.

Cons

• Some users have experienced device disconnecting from the WiFi network.
• Setting up Google home can be tricky.

Verdict

This device is perfect for Apple users. It provides great integration into the Apple ecosystem with HomeKit and Siri. For the price of around 50 dollars, you can hardly go wrong with the Meross smart garage door opener controller.

5. [Newly Added] GoControl GD00Z-8-GC: Z-Wave Plus S2 Security

Main Features

This is basically a remote controller that works quite well with all the major garage door openers. It makes use of your Z-wave network and the existing garage door opener to help you be in full control of your garage door from the next room or the next continent!

Pros

• Get both audio and video updates about all the proceedings going on in your garage.
• It helps you fully control the functioning of your sectional garage door.
• You will not find any problem in pairing it up with the models that have been manufactured after 1993.
• Doubles up a repeater for your Z-wave network thus contributing to the strength of your home network.

Cons

• Some customers are complaining that it failed to function properly after the initial few months of use.
• You might also get an older model disguised as a newer model with fresh stickers and packaging.

Verdict

The GoControl/Linear GD00Z-8-GC Z-Wave Garage Door Opener Remote Controller is for those users who value security above everything else. You can easily install it at domestic or business locations for maximum levels of security. Take full advantage of the Z-wave technology and the SmartThings hub with this fixture.

6. [Newly Added] Remootio 2 WiFi and Bluetooth Smart Garage Door Opener

Main Features

This device will provide you with a great user experience and assure protection from the malicious people who would try to hack their way into your home. It has SmartThings support, state-of-the-art encryption, and voice command support.

Pros

• Supports both garage door openers and gate openers.
• If you find yourself with your WiFi down, it supports Bluetooth for unobstructed control of your garage doors.
• You can keep track of who from your family opened your garage doors via dedicated QR codes.
• Offers easy integration with your SmartThings hub.
• Allows you to control your home with Alexa, Google Home, and Siri.
• Provides dependable and secure 256-bit encryption in order to keep intruders away from your system.

Cons

• Instructions can be confusing.
• Customer support is not the best in class.

Verdict

If money is no object to you, this device provides a great user experience, especially if you happened to have a SmartThings hub. Also, if your WiFi router breaks down, there is the ease of mind that this device will work via Bluetooth with your app without any problems.

7. [Newly Added] BeamUp V2B – Smart Garage Door Controller

Main Features

This is a highly compatible product that enables users to add smart rule-based control to their garage door. Nice application and voice command support might just be the thing that persuades you to buy this device.

Pros

• Product is compatible with most garage door openers produced from 1993 and onwards.
• beamUp smartphone application offers a pleasant user experience.
• The application allows you to share access with an unlimited number of your family members.
• You can set up rules to open or close doors at a particular time and schedule delayed commands.
• Integrates well with Alexa, Siri, and IFTTT.
• There is also Apple watch support.

Cons

• There is no available ethernet connection for wired internet access if that is something that would bother you.
• Customer service for the beamUp lacks in comparison to other devices.

Verdict

For a mid-range price of about 75 to 80 dollars, this is a good product. It offers unlimited access without a need for the user to pay additional fees, which can be good for your budget in a long term. There is a great user experience if you have an Apple watch.

8. Genie StealthDrive Connect Model 7155-TKV Smartphone-Controlled Ultra-Quiet Strong Belt Drive Garage Door Opener

 Main Features

This top-shelf smart garage door opener is worth every single penny of its 250 dollars price tag (prices may vary overtime). It works well with both Google Assistant and Alexa. You also get a robust battery backup of upto 50 cycles since the initial power failure with this one.

Pros

• True to its name the Genie StealthDrive Connect Model 7155-TKV runs on 1 1/4 HPC DC Motor that operates on a steel-reinforced belt. This makes it perfect for homes with garages next to the nurseries and bedrooms.
• You can simply use its Aladdin Connect technology to monitor and control the garage door from literally anywhere (not from space yet!) with a standard voice command.
• It comes with a pre-programmed remote and a sturdy 5-piece rail system that snaps together like a Lego house. No more hassles here.
• The three main accessories that comes in this package are a pair of 3-button garage doors, a multi-functional wall-mounted console with light control button as well as vacation lock. And thirdly the wireless keypad that needs a pin to open the door.
• Its infrared beam from the Genie Safe-T-Beam safety sensor keeps accidents from every occurring while the garage door is operational.

Cons

• The prompts for the Aladdin Connect technology might be a hassle to remember with 20 other smart devices.
• The garage door opener and its accompanying accessories might be a pain to sync together in some cases.
• The craftmanship might be subpar in terms of strength and quality.

 Verdict

It’s an innovative and unique blend of features that is definitely worth a try. Its better to buy it online and try it out within the return window to make a sufficiently informed and cost-efficient decision. It comes with individual virtual keys too for different members of the family on its Genie Aladdin Connect smartphone app.

This brings us to the end of our laboriously compiled list of the top Smart Garage Door Openers at present. Make a smart choice to gain immensely from this smart home investment.

Conclusion

This brings us to the end of the highly informative account of the smart garage door openers. The above details will surely help you in picking the model that best addresses your garage door needs. You can also pick the one that suits your budget and specifications well.

The undisputed winner of the garage door openers for the year 2022 is Genie StealthDrive Connect Model 7155-TKV. It has all you require from an outstanding garage door opener such as safety sensors, battery backup, connectivity, and easy installation among others.

Since you are here till now so do tell us what you would like to read about next. As long as it is from the smart home automation universe, we will make sure that you get rare details about the product of your choice without going through many hassles.