Best Quiet Garage Door Opener 2023: Reviews and Buying Guide
“The quest for a silent home begins from its garage.”
Mock me all you want for this made-up quote but it’s true. A noisy garage can make or break the peace and quiet of our houses.
I’ve seen people complain about a loud garage door in the middle of the night. It’s bad for the picky neighbors as well.
The fault is with the old-fashioned garage openers that don’t have the means to suppress sound.
It’s high time to look for newer options that kill the noise and work just as efficiently as their predecessors.
At A Glance: Our Top Picks for Quiet Garage Door Openers
In this article, I’ll be directing you towards quiet garage door opener models.
You’ll also find a nifty guide describing all the factors you need to know to replicate my research.
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Why Do You Need a Silent Garage Door Opening System?
The reason is simple! We want a noiseless (as much as possible) house to dwell in. Garage is a part of our house. Thus, we need the garage to be quiet as well.
Normal garage openers are often noisy and annoy people when operated.
With a quiet product at the helm, we can enjoy a good night’s sleep or an afternoon nap without being bothered.
For houses that share a common wall with their neighbors, this is even more important.
With a noiseless machine, neighbors won’t bore you with their complaints.
If you have a living space just above your garage, a quiet door opener helps. It reduces vibrations and keeps you, the elderly, and the children of your house worry-free.
Thanks to these machines, you won’t be bothered while watching a good TV show or a movie.
These machines often run on DC current, batteries or Wi-Fi. This means low energy consumption and electricity bills for us middle-class people.
What to consider when buying Garage Door Openers?
Are you having trouble deciding what type of garage door opening system to buy?
I’ve pointed out all the important factors that should influence your buying decisions.
The same factors prompted me to select the top 5 silent garage door openers for my list.
What Type of Garage Door You Have?
In other words, what’s the weight and size of your garage door?
Trust me, depending on your answer, the best garage door opener might be different for you.
Also, since you have to settle for a specific device, chances are, you have to settle for a specific noise level too.
For example, standard garage doors made with aluminum require less powerful units such as ½ HP systems. You can use models with ¼ HP motor too. But they’ll be slower.
People should choose a device with a 1/3 HP motor if they have a garage that’s fit for a single car.
In other words, the garage should be 10 feet wide and 8 feet tall for it to work.
If you have wooden doors within a weight range of 550 pounds, feel free to go for ¾ HP door opening units.
These are great if your garage is 16 feet wide or more. These are helpful if one frequently uses the door multiple times a day.
There are companies that put out machines powered by more than 1HP motors.
These are for commercial establishments. The “Quiet” factor goes out the window here.
Take Time Cycling Through Different Types of Machines
There are four types of door opening systems for garages.
One should make the choice between the chain-driven machines, the belt-driven tools, screw-operated products, and torsion-driven systems.
The chain driven systems are the loudest of the bunch. These days, makers use sound isolation systems to keep them quiet.
If you want to open and close your garage at a high speed, choose the screw-based products. Companies like Genie are the best exponents of this technology.
Experts favor belt-driven opening systems as the quietest of the lot. The basic structure is like the chain drive products.
But in place of a chain, a reinforced belt further muffs the sound in question.
The torsion system is preferable if you have a low and vaulted garage door.
When using these, make sure to install them at the side of the door and attach them with the rod at the top.
AC or DC – Which Type of Motor to Go for?
Motors are more complicated than counting Horse Powers or HPs when it comes to these products.
You need to go for either an AC motor or a DC motor depending on the model.
My vote goes to the DC powered motors and for good reasons. AC motors are great for people who use garage doors for many times throughout the day.
Obviously, they wouldn’t mind the noise.
Even then, DC motor types are better.
These things are quieter than their AC cousins. Garage openers with a DC motor feature soft start or soft stop mechanisms.
This allows less electricity consumption and accidents while operating these things.
Many of these motors feature a battery backup system. Whenever there’s a power outage, it comes in handy.
The option of battery-driven power allows for security perks, the lighting of the garage, and additional benefits to continue uninterrupted.
Judge How Quiet Is Your Product
The sound level of garage door openers can vary. This is due to the fact that the space inside might be empty or full.
But one can determine the amount of noiselessness by the vibration counts. Silent products will vibrate less than louder ones.
Also, quiet garage door openers come with a sound and vibration insulation chamber. This muffs vibrations and noise to a great deal. These can be costlier than normal units.
If you guys have a living space on top of your garage, go for door opening models that sit by the side of your garage door and not on the ceiling. It’s the safest bet.
This way, the product won’t send vibrations through the ceiling and into your living space.
Wi-Fi based garage doors are a great option too. They don’t need motors to work. So, no sound of their own.
These things go well with other quiet models and work as remotes. People have also built custom door opening mechanisms and paired these units with them.
Look at the Security Measures the Makers Provided
It might not look like much but safety is important in case of these products as well. You’ll find most garage openers to be heavy (except the Wi-Fi driven systems).
These things should be tightly secured in a place to avoid causing accidents by freefall.
Also, buy devices that come with motion detectors.
These products will be able to secure the garage door by reversing it the moment an out-of-pattern movement takes place.
This helps when you have children or pets moving in and out of the garage without you noticing.
In many houses, the garage can be accessed through the back door of the house and vice versa. If that’s the case with your house too, make sure to buy a door opener for Rolling Code facility.
With this, the remote of the garage will communicate with the unit inside and send a unique code every time you open the doors from the outside.
It prevents unwanted people from gaining access to your house through the garage.
Customer Support Is Important in this Case
I can sense many of my readers asking, “Why?”
Well, we’re dealing with machines in this case. These machines have intricate parts which being a homeowner, we might not know about.
There are instances where people have faced problems operating these little beasts as well.
In any case, whichever model you choose should be backed by a reputed brand and a good customer service.
The customer service guys should provide adequate support if anything goes wrong and there’s a trouble with the tool.
You Should Definitely Look for These Added Benefits
Look for a remote or two that come with the device you’re purchasing. These remotes offer you easy access inside the garage.
If not remotes, look for a keyless pad to be mounted outside the door. It helps by letting you in simply by tapping and no codes.
It helps if you can control the door opener from a distance using your Wi-Fi network. Very often, we leave garage doors open in a moment of panic.
Such facilities will allow you to close the door using the internet and the router of your house.
Make sure to buy products that come with added lighting facilities. The ideal garage door opener should be able to light up the garage at the front and in the back when necessary.
One can even extend or shorten the duration for which these lights will stay on.
I’d not lie to you at this point. Every garage door opening machine makes some noise. It’s just that some are more silent and make vibrate less than others.
With that in mind, here are some of my favorite (and quiet) garage door opening systems out there.
Best Quiet Garage Door Opener 2021
As far as garage openers are concerned, too much power for the motor can make the machine noisy.
This is not ideal when we’re scouring the earth for a discreet product.
Yet, there are exceptions. Chamberlain B730/WD962 is one for example.
This machine gives people ¾ Horsepower to work with. Add to that, it’s driven by a “Belt Drive System.”
As I mentioned earlier, these types are surprisingly quiet when operating.
We have to thank the vibration isolation system that causes the motor to stay still and not make noises while operating.
I’d go as far as saying that this little product is perfect for garages that have a room on top of them.
Despite how complicated it may sound, installing the Chamberlain B730 is rather easy. There’s a quick installation system in place.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to tinker with it for more than half an hour to get it installed.
This is a “Power Operated” machine. It works best when there’s power around.
But this is not the entire story. There’s a battery backup system in place as well.
Thanks to this, people will be able to use this thing normally even when there’s no power to work with.
Yes, people can work with all the functions on offer. Most notably, the delay timer in case of closing the door.
The nifty battery can deliver users with 20 opening and closing circles within 24 hours. It does help when you have guests visiting your house.
Users can close the door within 1, 5 or 10 minutes after opening. One can get out of the car, open the garage door, get back inside, and drive the car in.
This is not the end of it!
People have motion sensor controls to take advantage of.
Whenever Chamberlain B730 detects movements inside or outside the garage, the system turns all the lights on so you guys can see better.
With the Chamberlain WD962, we have not one but two remotes with three buttons. These things help you operate the device from a distance.
Not enough? Try the secure keypad. It helps people by generating a unique 4-digit code.
All one needs to do is touch the keypad from outside or inside the garage (depending on where you put it) and the door will open by itself.
Do you know that people can operate this little device using a Smartphone as well? No kidding!
You can! Thanks to a certain feature called MyQ compatibility, one can operate the machine with the help of their phones using the app from Play Store or Apple.
All you have to do is to pair this thing up with an internet gateway. For that, you’ll need a CIGBU that’s sold separately.
If safety is a concern for the users (and I know it is) then Chamberlain B730 has got their backs. This little thing has a sensor that fires invisible beams of light across the door.
Whenever a person or an object interrupts that light, the garage door won’t close.
Furthermore, the door reverses.
The interruption of these light beams causes the opening lights to flash and alarm people that something fishy is going on.
I like the Direct Drive Garage Openers more than the ones with a chain or a belt system.
Chain or Belt-system openers come with too many moving parts. But the “Direct Drive” systems such as SOMMER 1042V001 feature only one moving part.
It drastically reduces vibrations and the noises that come with them.
In case of SOMMER 1042V001, a ¾ HP motor is at the forefront of this device.
It operates the machine by traveling back and forth along a chain and on a durable steel rail to make sure your garage doors open and close without any hitches whatsoever.
The best thing about this product is that the motor doesn’t compromise on power by any means.
The motor I keep rambling about is located at the back of my garage door and not on the machine itself. This supplies more than enough power to open and close the door.
Also, this little motor features a soft start and stop technology. People won’t have to jostle with the buttons of the transmitter to get the machine to work.
Don’t worry, such simple mechanisms don’t fail that often.
In fact, SOMMER ¾ HP garage opening device has been tested for 1,00,000 times for efficiency before being cleared for the potential consumers.
This German product is smart! You need to place an interior wall station inside your garage and that’s it!
One can operate the door via two transmitters of 2 buttons from the outside.
Since people use an interior system to operate this garage door opener, hackers can guess the code one enters and replay it to gain access to the tool.
Relax! SOMMER has thought of it and installed Rolling Code Technology.
It prevents hackers from getting a hold of your code and playing it back for access inside the garage. The device works at 310 MHz of frequency.
Apart from that, people have the standard invisible beam system with SOMMER 1042V001 as well.
The invisible beam is sent across the garage door when someone opens it. If it’s interrupted by a person or a thing, the door will reverse immediately.
The internal obstacle detection system reverses the door if there are some unauthorized movements from the inside part of the garage as well.
The only issue I have with this machine is that SOMMER caters to garage doors with 7 – 8 feet of height and no more. This is thanks to the rail that’s included with the package.
It’s a bummer considering the earlier recommendation of mine can be used for a 10-foot high door.
If you think installing this thing is a chore, you’re further from the truth. I received an entire installation kit with the package when I bought this for testing.
I get that people might be worried about replacing the existing opener in favor of this thing.
Don’t worry. It’s super easy to replace the old tool with the kit too.
If you want something useful within a low price, go for the door opener from Nexx Garage.
The NXG-100 grants people the pleasure of complete automation and lets them take control of the device via a host of mediums.
I get that. Yet, why is it on my list of quiet garage openers? Isn’t this only a remote?
Or is it a door opener by itself? The answer depends on how you use this thing.
People can set it up with a custom-built garage opener system that they can craft by hand.
Mind you, they don’t need motors. Only screws, a mounting system, few belts, and other stuff. Setting these up takes time but the device is completely silent without the motor.
This is not a hefty product by any means. It’s a small device. This thing works with most of the silent garage door opener machines too.
It’s compatible with Chamberlain, LiftMaster, Genie, and a lot of noiseless models out there.
All you need to do is to bring it online with help of your home internet WiFi of 2.4GHz and pair it up with the system. Trust me, that’s all it takes to work!
People can use devices with Google assistant, Amazon Alexa, and other smartphones in tandem with this little tool.
With google assistant, you just need to speak and tell the machine to open up the garage gate for you. With the smartphones, just tap and it’s ready.
One cool feature is the fact that Nexx could detect my cell phone location while testing. This is useful!
Say if you drive your car out two to three times a day, this device tracks your cell and knows when you’re outside the garage. Then, it automatically opens the door.
You don’t have to do anything. Just sit back and let it take care of the situation!
Wondering if Nexx is compatible with apple watches? It is!
With this watch and the garage door opener pair up, people will get notified if the door is open for too long or if it is closed.
Of course, the same feature is available via notifications and reminders for smartphones as well.
With this product, everything is automated. You can set the timer for the regular closure of the garage door at a fixed time.
You are free to set up emails to notify you when the door was opened and closed.
One can even share the access of Nexx door opener with family members. People can access the controls but you reserve the control over who gets to open the door and at what time.
Have anybody waiting outside the garage that you don’t know?
You can choose not to open the door and let that person in. This makes it secure for the users and you.
Nexx 100 keeps a log of time and date as to when was the door opened and at what time. You guys can always review who went in and why.
Also, the customer care of SIMPALTEK is always at an arm’s length for users if something goes wrong with the device. This is what I call total connectivity.
The makers left nothing to chance.
The “Belt Drive” system is great when you work with a lightweight machine. This is what you get with Genie SilentMax 1200 device.
The reduced weight means fewer vibrations. Fewer vibrations mean a less noisy door control to work with.
Unlike some of the models on the market, Genie SilentMax works with a DC motor.
This is very easy to program for the job. You need to push a button for the job to begin the process.
After that, just follow a few steps and you’ll be fine.
There are three buttons on the wireless remote control. One powers it on and two buttons allow smooth traveling of the motor to open and close the doors.
Once put into action, the motor allows the door to open or close with speed. 9 inches per second. That’s fast!
During my checks, I found the motor running on 140V of electricity. If you ask me, the driving force is powerful enough to move a 7 feet door.
Want to open or close your door of 8 feet? There’s an extension kit from Genie that lets users do so as well.
The belt drive is reinforced by steel. It allows it to be durable and withstand every weather calamity and problems caused by us humans.
The design is clean as well. I like the low profile C-Channel style. It will prevent dust and dirt buildup and clogging of the moving parts.
This minimalistic garage door opener features a flash mounting system as well.
Genie SilentMax 1200 requires low headroom for the device to function with. People won’t have to assemble extra devices to make sure this thing works perfectly.
I’m not worried about the safety of any of my readers. This product has gone through numerous safety checks.
On top of that, there are various measures that ensure the safety of the users.
For example, there’s a T-Beam of infrared light in place. Whenever an object crosses the beam, the door opener stops and reverses.
This helps people in preventing accidents.
But what if there’s something wrong with the mechanism itself?
Well, don’t worry. There’s a diagnostic technology in place.
It lets people know if anything’s wrong with the safety system itself. It’s great that the makers went to such depths for a safe machine.
You also have room for two 100-watt overhead lights with this garage door opening system. These bulbs turn on when you park a vehicle inside the garage.
They light up the backside of the garage that’s more critical. But here’s the catch: You need to buy these bulbs separately.
I found a motion sensor built in too. This thing forces the lights to be activated when there’s a slight bit of movement inside your premises.
Remember the rolling code technology I discussed in case of SOMMER?
Well, SilentMax comes equipped with Intellicode (a version of it). It changes the garage code automatically each time. If anyone’s trying to break in through your garage, that person won’t be able to.
I’m just about to conclude my list of recommendations as far as quiet garage door opener models are concerned.
So I thought, what better way to end the list than to do so with a space-saving design?
So, here’s the LiftMaster 8500 Jackshaft Operator.
This is one model that mounts to the side of your garage wall instead of taking up space onto the ceiling.
This model is silent for two reasons. One: It has internal ways to hush the vibrations and sounds.
The other is the fact that it sits at the side of your garage door. It won’t send vibrations or sound through the ceiling and disturb the living space.
Don’t get demotivated by the size of this thing. It comes with MyQ Technology. That means one can access its functions through a Smartphone app.
Portability and convenience at their very best!
One thing that limits this tool, in my opinion, is the fact that it doesn’t go well with roll-up garage doors.
But the small houses with vaulted doors will be a perfect fit to go with this system. If you have a torsion or Torque Tension mount system, LiftMaster 8500 is perfect for your garage.
In fact, thanks to its Wayne Dalton torquemaster system compatibility, the noise is further reduced.
Add to that the fact that LiftMaster 8500 works with 18-feet garage doors. So, the motor generates power minus the noise.
Like all the other models on my list, I could program how far the door will travel and at what speed. It’s a small unit but packs the punch. I like it!
Whenever someone enters the garage, a motion sensor kicks into gear. It activates the garage lights.
This helps users to see better by illuminating the dark places at night.
Yes, it runs with the help of electricity. But there’s also battery backup to help people get through power outages.
It sends out audio-visual feed to your smartphones when closing the door of your garage. People are constantly in the know about the scenario.
Thus, people can stay out of danger when the door is coming down on them at a fast speed.
This item makes your garage doors very secure. With Security 2.0+ system, the machine will generate a new code each time you close the door.
Whenever you open the door for the next time, just type in the new code. This way, only YOU can open up the door.
Of course, there’s a protector system with infrared beams. These beams take effect when the garage door is opened.
If anything interrupts these beams, the system prevents the door from closing.
I was wondering if someone could open the door from outside or not?
As it turns out, no; there’s no chance. Makers provided people with a power lock deadbolt. It prevents forced opening of your beloved garage door.
On the Best Quiet Garage Openers
When it comes to our garages, we don’t give the door openers much of a thought.
Very often, we make ill-informed choices that force us to buy a shady product with a fragile construction and of course, deafening noise.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to bring about some changes with this guide of mine on quiet garage door openers.
This little guide will tell you how different types of openers work. Also, you’ll be able to pick from some of the best machines in the business.
I’d advise you to double check the buying guide just so you don’t miscalculate and end up spending money on a product you don’t need.