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Upgrade or replace your garage door opener with these top picks.

The great thing about garage door openers is that they last a while (up to 10 to 15 years on average). And when the time comes to find a new one, there are a ton of options: from simple and standard versions, to smart garage door openers loaded with features like compatible apps and smart home integration.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute Media and Tech Lab, our experts test all kinds of gadgets that make the at-home experience more convenient, including smart light switches and outdoor projectors. When it came to garage door openers, we’ve spent over 75+ hours assessing and installing various picks. Our engineers assessed factors like ease of installation and tested any functional claims or any additional features they might have, such as a remote or camera. If it’s a smart garage door opener, we also test how intuitive the app is to use and evaluate if it has any integration capabilities with smart home devices.

Our picks below are vetted from top-tested recommendations, road-tested favorites and come from highly rated and reviewed brands. These are the best garage door openers to buy in 2021:

If you’re looking to completely replace your automatic garage door opener, this is your best bet. It has smart features like MyQ tech that lets you open and close your garage door from your phone and it also comes with two remotes, a wireless keypad and a motion-detecting control panel.

You’ll also never have to worry about your garage door not working during a power outage with the built-in backup battery. To top it all off, it has a built-in HD camera and two-way audio so you can keep an eye on your garage and communicate with visitors.

This garage door opener will fully replace your existing one, and with a chain drive, it makes for a durable option. This pick comes with a pre-programmed remote and push-button wall control, plus it's compatible with Homelink and Car2U, both universal garage door openers. Despite this being a chain drive type opener, multiple reviewers on Amazon say this surprisingly makes little noise with one saying, “it’s a very quiet unit, easy to assemble and install, and it's well priced.”

If you would rather not deal with setting up apps and using a smartphone for your garage door, this Genie garage door opener comes with two pre-programmed remotes, a wireless keypad and a wall-mount console. It’s Homelink and Car2U compatible, so you won’t need any additional hardware like a hub. It’s one of the most popular garage door openers that come with a remote on Amazon and has over 1,500 reviews and a 4.6 rating.

Chamberlain is one of the biggest names in automatic garage door openers, so it’s no surprise that the MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener has over 35,000 perfect 5-star reviews on Amazon. It has Wifi Connectivity, and our engineers love that it allows delivery to your garage for Amazon Prime members, alerts you if your garage is left open and lets you open and close the garage door straight from your phone.

If you have a Chamberlain-made garage door opener, adding MyQ is easy and the app is intuitive to use. MyQ is compatible with Google Assistant but unfortunately not with Alexa.

Not only is the iSmartgate Pro loaded with features such as voice control and access share with up to ten users but it also works with other smart devices such as cameras, locks and lights. It works particularly well with security cameras which means you can keep an eye on your garage and access recordings from any device.

It’s compatible with many smart home systems like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit and IFTTT, making integrating into your smart home seamless. The app is not as intuitive as our tech experts would like, however, it is one of the most feature-rich garage door openers.

This garage door opener uses a belt drive, so it’s ultra-quiet and reinforced with durable steel. It also comes with two remote controls, a wireless exterior keypad and dual-function wall control. It also has over 2,200 reviews and a 4.7 rating on Amazon, with many comments saying it’s very quiet. One reviewer says that the garage door opener is beneath their master bedroom “barely hears it."

Liftmaster is a favorite brand of our tech experts, and the 8500 Elite Series will save space on your ceiling thanks to its wall mounting capabilities. It has over 500 perfect 5-star reviews, and shoppers say it’s “whisper quiet” and “a quality item all-around.” One thing to note, this is not compatible with roll doors or those with little room above the track.

If you’re looking to automate your existing garage door and an Alexa smart home user, you’ll find integrating easy. It’s also compatible with Google Assistant and SmartThings. The NXG-200 works with a wide range of garage door openers, but you’ll want to check compatibility before you buy it.

The installation is relatively simple and streamlined, thanks to the wireless sensor technology. Our tech experts also like the variety of features, including geofencing capability, voice control and the fact that it’s easy to share access to the garage with multiple approved visitors.

The Aladdin Connect lets you control up to three garage doors from your smartphone. This garage door opener is perfect for the big, busy household as the device allows you to share up to 19 virtual keys, which means you can also give access to friends, babysitters, dog walkers and more.

It is important to note that if your garage opener is made by another brand, there’s a decent chance it won’t be compatible. It’s Wi-Fi enabled and compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, plus it has a sensor that will alert you if your garage is opened electronically or manually.

You’ll never have to worry about your garage door not working during a power outage since this garage door opener comes with a built-in backup battery. Like many Chamberlain smart garage door openers, you can control it through your smartphone with MyQ. It also has a steel reinforced belt drive so it will be quiet and durable. One standout feature, it has three 100 lumen LED lights so you’ll be able to see every corner of the garage. Over 1,200 reviewers gave this a 4.8 rating, saying it’s strong, quiet and easy to install.

• If you’re fully replacing your garage door opener, consider the size and weight of the door. Most garage door openers are compatible with common sizes and configurations of doors. However, for larger doors (typically those over 7 feet) you may need an extension kit for it to fit. For most doors, ½ horsepower will work well, but for heavier doors (like a solid wood door) you may want to upgrade to ¾ horsepower.

• Consider if a belt or chain garage door opener is better for you. If you’re fully replacing your garage door opener, these are two popular options. A chain drive can typically handle more weight and tend to be less expensive, but they're noisier. Belt drives are quieter but are on the more expensive side — and over time, they may need readjustment due to the belt stretching out.

• Check the compatibility of the garage door opener with your current setup. Whether you’re upgrading to a smart garage door opener or replacing the entire system, make sure the garage door opener meets the requirements of the door.

•With smart garage door openers you’ll want to check that your smart garage door opener works with your smart home system so that the smart features can communicate with each other.

•If using a smart garage door opener with Wifi, make sure you get a good signal in your garage. Otherwise, the smart features may not work as well or may have issues with the garage door opener.