Chamberlain Vs Genie Garage Door Openers: The Similarities
DC Belt Drive System with 3/4 HPS
Both the Chamberlain B970-T and Genie model 3053 use smart and efficient belt-drive systems to amplify their performance. The ¾ HPS DC belt drive system is robust and sturdy enough to lift the heaviest doors quite effortlessly.
The DC motor is smaller in size and quieter in performance than AC motors. More importantly, it uses the soft start and stop technique to draw less starting current than usual methods. That said, both Genie and Chamberlain score equal marks for their choice of motors.
Noise-Free Operation
If your garage is attached to your living space, its sound and vibration during operation can disturb housemates more often. Thats why its best to invest in the quietest garage door opener. However, both Genie and Chamberlain openers provide ultra-quiet or noiseless models to eliminate that problem in the first place.
The Chamberlain garage door openers, such as the Chamberlain B4643T, usually combine a steel-reinforced belt-drive with Chamberlains patent Motor Vibration Isolation System to easily bring down the powerhead vibration and noise.
On the other hand, Genie products, such as the Genie 1.25-HP Ultra Quiet model, make use of a 140V DC motor with a built-in soft start and stop feature. It guarantees a smoother and quieter operation, making it a valuable add-on to the DC motor.
Safety Sensors
Luckily, both the brands use sensors of the highest standard keeping their users safety in concern.
Chamberlain Smart Garage Control Works With Ring
$29.98
- Control, secure and monitor your garage door from anywhere and receive real-time notifications when your garage door is opening or closing.
- Works with all major brands of garage door openers manufactured after 1993 that have standard safety sensors.
- Bluetooth Low Energy integration makes setup easier than ever. Download the myQ App and follow the in-app instructions to get set up in minutes.
Works with Amazon Key
- Get Amazon packages and groceries conveniently and securely delivered inside your garage. Free for Amazon Prime members. Check availability in your area here.
*Works with Ring features only available in the US.
*Ships to the US and Canada.
FREE Expedited Shipping on Orders over $49
Chamberlain Myq Smart Garage Hub
Its still a no-brainer: Everything we said about the Chamberlain model MYQ-G0301 myQ Smart Garage Door Hub is now true of the Chamberlain model MYQ-G0401: Its the easiest smart garage door controller to set up, the most functional controller on the market, and, its the least expensive on the marketby a wide margin. That said, theres little reason to upgrade from the previous model.
The all-wireless system means you dont have to tinker with running new wiring to your garage door opener, and a single Hub can control two doors . The app is simple to configure and use, and the system supports a small but growing number of smart home ecosystems, including HomeKit. The myQ isnt compatible with every opener, but if it works with yourscheck online before you buyits definitively the one to get.
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Best Smart Garage Door Openers For 2022
Locks and doorbells protect your front door, but many of us use our garage doors just as much. Here are the best smart garage door openers to protect them.
Most of us welcome visitors and accept packages at our front doors, but in a lot of cases, the garage is the much more common point of entry into our homes. Even so, while smart locks and doorbell cameras for our front doors remain popular, smart garage door technology often goes overlooked.
That means that plenty of people are missing out on an opportunity to monitor and automate their comings and goings. That’s what you get with a smart garage door opener, complete with the added convenience and peace of mind of being able to check whether or not the garage is open right from your phone. Most models support voice controls, too, which’ll let you close the door just by asking Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant.
Shop around, and you’ll find a number of options on the market, all of which promise to transform your existing garage door opener into a smart garage door opener with all of the bells and whistles mentioned above. Our top picks available now are listed below — we’ll update this list periodically as we continue to test new models.
Chamberlain B: User Reviews
During our research into customer satisfaction, we learned that the Chamberlain B970 is probably the most popular model on the market the Home Depot website alone lists over 1,000 customer reviews. The Chamberlain B970 has high satisfaction, with an average rating of 89 percent, or 4.6 stars out of 5.
Customers liked that the B970 offered easy installation, quiet operation and a battery backup. Some complaints included possible Wi-Fi interference from the remote controls, incompatibility with LED light bulbs and difficulties in programming the unit.
Additionally, customers liked the built-in Wi-Fi and myQ smartphone app, which is the highest-rated smart garage opener app available. This is a great unit for smart homes, as its compatible with the following platforms: HomeLink, Honeywell Total Connect, Nest, Wink, Alarm.com and XFINITY.
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Our Pick: Tailwind Iq3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller
*At the time of publishing, the price was $60.
The Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller delivers the best performance and is the most reliable of all the smart garage-door opener controllers we tested. We attribute that to two features: a hardwired door sensor and a unique Bluetooth/GPS technology that lets you control the door hands-free.
With these two components, Tailwind has successfully solved two of the most common problems weve found with smart garage-door opener controllers: false alerts, and unreliable geofencing for opening and closing your garage door .
The Tailwind iQ3 is compatible with all garage-door openers . And it can operate up to three doors with one controller . In extensive testing over 12 months, the iQ3 worked flawlessly, immediately opening the door as we pulled into our driveway and closing it before we were out of sight. Its the only device that sends alerts to your smartphone telling you who opened or closed the door. And you can set the door to auto-close, if its left open for a set period of time.
The Tailwind iQ3 is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and Samsung SmartThings, allowing you to open or close the door, query its status, or set up automated routines via their respective apps.
Difference Between Myq Hub And Smart Garage Door Opener
If you already have a working garage door opener, There isnt much advantage to replacing the entire garage door opener it with a new smart garage door opener. Instead, you can make your old garage door opener smart by using a smart garage door controller like the MyQ hub .
For the last year, Ive been using the Chamberlain MyQ smart garage hub connected to my old Genie opener. Its served me well, and until now I had no reason to swap out my working garage door opener for a new smart garage door opener.
- The MyQ hub is really low-cost compared to a brand new opener. I paid $30 for the MyQ hub and my new Chamberlain opener cost $180.
- Plus, the installation of the MyQ hub is way quicker than a completely new garage door opener. In the end, I spent about three hours installing the new Chamberlain opener, which wasnt bad. Im sure I could do it quite a bit faster the second time, but Id never be able to match the 15 minutes it took to setup the MyQ hub.
- The MyQ hub relies on a tilt sensor that sticks to your garage door to determine when your garage door is opened or closed. If the sensor loses connection to the hub due to low battery or some weird interference, the MyQ hub will not work. The Chamberlain smart garage door opener does not have this problem. The open/close sensor is built into the opener so theres never a risk of a lost connection.
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Smart Garage Door Openers 101
If you already own a motorized garage opener, even one with a belt drive opener or a chain drive, you can use one of the easy add-on accessories above for smart garage door control. If you’re in the market for a whole new opener mechanism and you want a smart device, you can find smart opener and door sensor options from makers such as Chamberlain, LiftMaster and Ryobi.
Smart garage door controllers come in a few variations. In general, a control attaches to your existing opener with a double-sided adhesive strip. In most cases, you’ll need to attach two small wires to the open and close command nodes on your existing garage door opener.
Smart garage kits also typically include some type of sensor to attach to your garage door. This sensor detects and transmits your garage door status, so the control accurately knows whether the door is open, closed or somewhere in between, and with the garage door opener app, can send you a push notification if your garage is open when it shouldn’t be. It also usually serves as a safety sensor.
The ability to connect to a Wi-Fi signal is key to ensuring your new smart garage door and remote control work the way you want them to. On the smart side, an add-on controller connects to your Wi-Fi network, which is easy enough. You’ll need a strong 2.4GHz internet connection that reaches your garage. Typically, a corresponding app will walk you through adding your device to the network, as well as the general installation.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers
If your door is left open, the Tailwind iQ3 will notify you only twice. And it wont repeatedly notify you, as most other controllers will. This is both a blessing and a drawback, depending on how you feel about notifications. But it does mean you could miss a notification and end up leaving your door wide open. An effective workaround is to set the door to close automatically.
Tailwinds notifications are not as customizable as those from competing controllers. For example, you cant set a specific notification if the door is opened between, say, 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on a Thursday. This may be a non-issue for many people, but wed like to see it as an option.
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A Word About Chamberlain Group Openers With Yellow Learn Buttons
In combing through the opener compatibility information for each of these garage door controllers, I discovered a consistent exception involving garage door openers made by the Chamberlain Group with a yellow learn button. Three of the five controllers I evaluatedincluding the Chamberlain MyQ modeldont work with these openers, which were made by the Chamberlain Group and sold under the Chamberlain, LiftMaster, and Craftsman brands in the U.S. between 2010 and 2021.
The only controllers that will work with these openers are the Meross MSG100 and the Tailwind IQ3 model , which can be purchased with special adapters for these openers. Tailwind includes them at no additional cost.
I reached out to the Chamberlain Group to learn more about this odd group of openers, and a spokesperson told me they use photoelectric sensors with an energy conservation feature where the sensor lights would shut off after the garage door had been closed for some time. The feature has since been removed from all Chamberlain, LiftMaster, and Craftsman openers.
The bottom line: Check first to determine whether the controller you buy is compatible with your garage door opener. To help you do so, Ive included a link to the compatibility checker provided by each brand in their write-ups below.
Editors Choice: Meross MSG100 Smart Wi-Fi Garage Door Opener
Most Compatible: Tailwind IQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller Pro
Easiest to Set Up: Chamberlain MyQ-G0401-ES Smart Garage Control
Smart Garage Control Reviews
Great upgrade to an existing opener. Was quick and easy to install, five minute setup and fifteen minute install. Now I can the check status of the door and operate it from my smart phone. Color blends in with the garage. Nice upgrade for a none Wi-Fi garage door opener.
LoveTheWeekend, Rockford, IL
Works Great as Advertised. Set up was simple and easy, 15 mins tops. Works as expected. Text notifications come every time. Love how you can set a schedule for the garage door. I have it close every night at midnight just in case someone left the door open.
BTG1, Pittsburgh, PA
Great accessory that is easy to install. This device is real easy to install and setup. Connected it to another manufacturers garage door opener and it works great. I love the alert feature when the door opens, it is a great security feature.
JZ33, Northern Illinois, IL
Simple set up. Added my wife as co-owner and she was able to set up her phone just as easily without my help. I am planning on ordering a second sensor for the other bay in garage giving us ability to monitor house safely from anywhere via our phones.
A new option… and peace of mind! The system also offers the ability to sign up for a program with Amazon Prime, that allows the delivery driver to open your garage and place your package inside. Out of the weather, out of sight of any possible package stealers.
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Will My Smart Garage Door Opener Work If The Power Goes Out
Garage door openers, smart or not, run on electricity, which means it will not work in the case of a power outage. You may still be able to manually open and close your garage door, but try to avoid doing this unless absolutely necessary, like if you need to get your car out. It can be hazardous to force a garage door up or down with an opener attached.
Should You Buy The Chamberlain B970
We admit that its unusual to have to subscribe to a service to get the MyQ mobile app to work with your Google Assistant and IFTTT, but the fee is small enough that you can think of it as part of the overall price.
However, this is perhaps one of the only negatives on what is otherwise a great product. Its got everything you need a light, a backup battery, good controls, and Wi-Fi, plus it has a super smooth belt drive. This is a model we can safely recommend.
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Does It Have A Reliable Wifi Connection
One aspect that differentiates the Chamberlain brand from other garage door openers is the MyQ app. Its true, other brands have connected openers as well, but Chamberlain has a head start. The MyQ app has been out for a few years now and theyve used that time to work out the kinks. In the beginning there were a lot of connection issues with the app, but now it seems to be humming along quite nicely.
One thing you do have to make sure of is that the WiFi signal in your garage is strong. I have a detached garage so my garage is pretty far from my homes WiFi router. When the garage door is closed, the WiFi signal is not strong enough to be reliable from inside the garage. Therefore, I used a power line adapter to extend my network to my garage . Now, the garage door opener connects directly to the garage WiFi and never has any problems.
Belt Drive Is Super Quiet
The model I purchased has a belt drive. The main reason for choosing a belt drive is quieter operation.
It may have been because my old opener was on its last legs, but that thing sounded a bit like screws in a garbage disposal. Compared to my old opener, this new one is whisper quiet.
Noise isnt a huge concern for me since I have a detached garage. Im constantly making all kinds of noise out in my shop so a little extra noise from the opener doesnt mean much. However, the smooth, silent operation of my new opener is nice.
For those of you with an attached garage, you may prefer the quiet of a belt drive as rooms right next to the garage might otherwise get polluted with noise from a chain drive opener.
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Other Smart Garage Door Openers We Tested
The Nexx NXG-200 is a small, simple opener that does its job well. It’s wired, but it comes with pre-stripped wires that are simple to connect to your motor or wired garage buttonthey are a bit short, though, so make sure you have an outlet nearby for the hub. The app is also simple, and anyone with a modicum of smart home experience will find the entire setup process breezy. Plus it works with Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, and SmartThings, which is a nice stable of smart home services.
However, while the Nexx does have a good built-in geofencing feature , the rest of its software falls just a bit flat. The app’s interface is a bit clunky, and it’s missing some options we’d like to seelike more customizable notifications. .
In addition, the help pages in the app all seem to be broken, as is the subscription button . That all comes at a higher price than other options.
Pros
The Best Smart Garage Door Openers In 2022
Here are the best smart garage door openers that will work with your smart home setup.
The best smart garage door openers let you bring what’s probably the second-most used door in your house into the 21st Century. That’s because a smart garage door opener lets you control â and monitor â your garage door right from your smartphone, wherever you happen to be.
You can also connect smart garage door openers to other smart home devices, so that when you’re returning home at night, your lights will turn on when you open your garage door. Or, if you’re away, but your neighbor needs to borrow your lawnmower, you can simply open your garage door from your phone.
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.
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