Retrofit compatibility

If you are choosing a retrofit, look closely at the product page, which should list the brands used in the retrofit. It should also detail important caveats, such as if the retrofit will not work on garage doors of a certain age (late 90s/early 2000s doors may have compatibility issues) . Some retrofits won’t work with some garage door sensor designs, either. Pay attention to all these details before choosing.

Height

Garage door motor kits are usually rated for height, usually the standard 7 feet. If your garage door is taller, you may spend more on an extension kit, aka extra tracks to fit taller garage doors.

Horse power

Horsepower requirements vary based on the side of the garage door and its total weight. If you are getting a new motor, match the HP with your old motor. The smallest, lightest doors can be obtained with 0.3HP, but larger and stronger doors need at least 0.75HP. Our top picks are rated at 1.5HP so you don’t have to worry about the size of your garage door.

shine

If you don’t have many light sources in your garage, we suggest choosing a motor that includes lighting options, allowing you to install your own bulbs or offering LED lights.

App controls

One of the biggest benefits of a smart garage door opener is the ability to use app controls right from your phone, whenever you want. So pay attention to the app and the settings it offers. See if you like the style of the app and if it offers settings you like like geofencing, remote control with Wi-Fi, automatic shutdown and more.

Smart home support

Not all smart garage doors work with other smart home platforms. If you have a preferred voice assistant like Google Assistant or Alexa, find a system that works with them. If you use a car dashboard like CarPlay, see if it’s supported as well.