Top 5 Quietest Garage Door Opener: Really Whisper Quiet?

For those in a hurry, my personal favorite as the best quiet garage door opener goes to the Chamberlain B970 (see review).

If you happen to have a room above a garage, you might have noticed how noisy a garage can get. It’s often due to a screeching garage door. Or it’s just the opener’s sound when it lifts the garage door.

As a solution, maybe you’ve come to the conclusion to acquire the quietest garage door opener possible. Here are my personal pieces of advice to improve your daily experience of your garage. But we’ll first start with my top picks of the quietest garage door openers.

Quietest Choice

Sommer Direct Drive

• Power 0.75 HP
• Battery No

Quietness

 4.6/5

Smart Feat.

 3.5/5

Price

 3.5/5

CHECK PRICE

SEE REVIEW

Best Overall

Chamberlain B970

• Power 1.25 HP
• Battery Yes

Quietness

 4/5

Smart Feat.

 4/5

Price

 4.5/5

CHECK PRICE

SEE REVIEW

Best Budget

ATOMS ATR-1611C

• Power 0.5 HP
• Battery In Option

Quietness

 3.5/5

Smart Feat.

 3.3/5

Price

 5/5

CHECK PRICE

SEE REVIEW

Our Top 5

1. The Quietest One: Sommer Direct Drive 1042V001

• Type: Direct Drive
• Power: 0.75HP
• Light: Yes
• Homelink: Yes
• Wifi: No
• Back-up Battery: No
• Warranty: Lifetime

CHECK PRICE

The Sommer 1042V001 is one of the few direct drive systems available on the US market.

It has a 0.75 HP motor and provides enough power to lift a simple or double garage doors. The whole installation is easy, lightweight, and compact. The compact size allows close installation to the ceiling, leaving more clearance above the vehicle.

The biggest advantage of this unit is the noise reduction. The unit is extremely quiet and engineered to absorb vibrations in operation.

The unit is compatible with Homelink however it doesn’t come with Wi-Fi. So you might sync your opener with your car but not control it from your Smartphone.

We can regret the size of the remotes. They are not ergonomic and the buttons are too small.

The lights on the unit prove useful but the timer is limited to 3 minutes. It might be a turndown if you need the garage door opener to serve as a main source of light.

Overall, this model offers robust performance. It provides an advanced noise reduction system but is lacking the connectivity of some more advanced models. If your main concern is noise and vibration, you might consider the Sommer Direct Drive.

2. The Best Budget Pick: SKYLINK Atoms ATR-1611C

• Type: Chain Drive
• Power: 0.5HP
• Light: Yes
• Homelink: Yes
• Wifi: In Option
• Back-up Battery: In Option
• Warranty: 1 Year

CHECK PRICE

The ATOMS ATR-1611C is a traditional chain drive opener. It can provide up to 0.5 HP. The interesting part about this model is the noise reduction level achieved with a chain drive system.

Regarding noise level, it performs better than a regular chain drive opener. The motor can barely be heard. Globally, users are very satisfied by how quiet in operation it is.

The opener shows good performance in operation. However, we can reproach the build quality. Inside, some components are made of plastic, which can justify the low price.

It comes with a LED light and is compatible with Homelink. 

What I really like about this device, is it starts at a low price and is compatible with add-on features. Add-ons you can buy separately :

• A Wi-Fi hub (called Skylink Internet Hub). It allows you to connect to your Smart Home system and control the door with your Smartphone
• A keyless entry pad (called Skylink Keyless KN-318)
• A battery backup

Overall, this model provides the basics very efficiently while ensuring quiet operation. By starting with a low price (almost half of the high-end models’ price), you can add on any features you judge necessary. It makes it a nice customizable option.

3. The Best Budget Pick N°2: Genie Chain Drive 500 (1035-V)

• Type: Chain Drive
• Power: 0.5HP
• Light: No
• Homelink: Yes
• Wifi: In Option
• Back-up Battery: No
• Warranty: 5 Years on transmission parts

CHECK PRICE

The Genie 1035-V is another budget-friendly garage opener. Although it might lack some modern garage door opener features, it completes the basics efficiently.

It uses a chain-driven system. Equipped with its 0.5 HP, it won’t have any issue lifting up to 350 lbs, 7 ft. tall door. In spite of the chain drive system, the operation is very quiet. Users were utterly satisfied with the low noise level. The counterpart is that the opening might be slow depending on the weight of the door. Users would report around 12-15 sec to open a standard 7 ft. door. To assess if it’s slow or not to you, you can measure the time your actual garage doors take to open.

The main drawbacks are the lack of lighting (for illumination), backup battery, and Wi-Fi. For the latter, Aladdin Connect System can be purchased separately to control the door via the Internet.

This opener is also compatible with Homelink and Car2U.

If your focus is on the basics and you don’t have any use for extra features, the Genie 1035-V offers the best option for smaller budgets.

4. The Best-Overall: Chamberlain B970

• Type: Belt Drive
• Power: 1.25HP
• Light: Yes
• Homelink: Yes
• Wifi: Yes
• Back-up Battery: Yes
• Warranty: Lifetime on Motor and Belt

CHECK PRICE

The Chamberlain B970 is a belt-driven garage door opener. It’s one of the most popular units on the market. It’s mainly because of its reliability, huge delivered power (1.25 HP), quietness, and wireless features. Indeed, you might have understood it: overall the B970 has almost it all.

It comes equipped with:

• Battery back-up
• Long range remotes (up to 1500 ft)
• Control panel that detects motion to turn lights on
• In built Wi-Fi controlled with MyQ App

With the power delivered, this unit will not struggle with any type of garage door. Moreover, its level of quietness in operation led users to be more than satisfied. With this price range, you have almost no concessions. It’s good value for money regarding all the embarked features and the build quality.

However, there are some cons to this smart garage door opener. If you want to connect it to your Smarthome system (such as Alexa or Google Home), you’ll have to concede extra dollars.

Otherwise, MyQ App (Chamberlain proprietary app) works well to control from distance the unit.

Another flaw is the opener’s compatibility with ALL the versions of Homelink. Only the most recent versions of Homelink will work (version after 2012).

Users also complained about the Wi-Fi connection. The unit would struggle to detect low Wi-Fi signals. Solutions might be to plan to have a Wi-Fi extender signal or be sure the Wi-Fi signal in the garage is strong enough.

5. Chamberlain B550

• Type: Belt Drive
• Power: 0.5HP
• Light: Yes
• Homelink: Yes
• Wifi: Yes
• Back-up Battery: Yes
• Warranty:
  10 years for Motor
  15 years for Belt

CHECK PRICE

The Chamberlain B550 is a cheaper version of the above B970. The unit is equipped with a belt drive system. It comes with all the features of the B970 and also ensures very quiet operations.

The two main differences are :

• The power of the unit reaches 0.5 HP, which is more than enough for a standard simple or double garage door (up to 350 lbs).
• The control panel does not come with a motion detector 

This model also requires payment for additional features such as Alexa, Google Home compatibility. You’ll have to go through the MyQ App to control this smart garage door opener when away from home. The Wi-Fi connectivity though is better than the B970 as no users reported any complaint about it.

This unit is only compatible with the most recent versions of Homelink (after 2012).

First: Inspect Garage Door Rollers & Rails

Your opener might not be at fault. I would recommend having a look and investigate what makes noise and what doesn’t.

Don’t use the electric opener. Opening the door manually will give you a clue if that’s the door tracks or the rollers at fault.

If the noise source appears to come from the rollers or rails, you may consider :

• Lubricate the stem of the rollers
• Or grease the bearing (don’t lubricate the Nylon surface of roller)
• Replacing worn rollers
• Clean any traces of grease, dirt or dust in the tracks.
• Check tracks alignment and any stress it might cause to the rollers.

Dear Sherlock. If after investigation, the conclusion is to replace your garage door opener. Here are a few tips and recommendations.

How to Choose the Right Model

Choosing a whisper quiet garage opener means understanding what technology it uses and what makes the system noisy.

You can also directly skip to our recommendation of silent garage door openers.

The 4 Transmission Types

1. Chain Drive Opener

The chain-driven door opener works like the metallic chain of a bicycle. The motor, instead of spinning the bicycle wheel, causes the motion of a trolley attached to the chain. The trolley is connected to the garage door. Every time the trolley moves along the chain, it will pull out the garage door and open it. While “pushing-in” the garage door will close it.

This type of opener is very cost-effective. Those units can be found at an affordable price. And the installation is also easy.

Another perk of this type of opener is its durability and reliability. From a mechanical standpoint, chains are effective and durable means of power transmission.

Noise is the main drawback. Most components are made of metal: from the wheel, the chain, to the chain housing. Metal/Metal friction and contacts can be noisy.

Maintenance of the chain is another key element to consider. The chain needs to be lubricated at least once a year with white grease.

2. Belt Drive Opener

The mechanism of the belt drive garage door opener is the same as the chain drive opener. It replaces the metallic chain with a belt. The belt is mainly made of rubber and can be fiberglass or steel reinforced.

The main advantage of a belt is the decrease in noise. Indeed, a belt dampens vibration and smoothens the operations. And thanks to the rubber coating, there is no metal-metal contact.

If there is a bedroom above the garage, you might consider this type of opener. This is among the quietest system for garage door openers.

Mechanically speaking the belt is almost as capable as the chain to transmit power. The advantage of a belt is that it’s quiet, light, and thus more energy efficient. Moreover, the belt doesn’t require lubrication as the chain does.

If we had to compare the durability between belt and chain, the latter if properly lubricated, has a better lifespan. The counterpart is that the belt often comes with an extra-long warranty.

Price-wise, belt drive openers are more expensive. In comparison with chain drive openers, consider spending 40 – 100$ more.

3. Screw Drive Opener

The screw drive opener has a totally different cinematic approach. It consists of a threaded rod that rotates when the motor is on. On the rod is fixed a trolley connected with the garage door. When the threaded rod (called the “screw”) turns, it causes the trolley to move away from the garage door and open it. The opposite rotation of the screw will cause the trolley to move towards the garage door and close it.

This is a quiet system but not as much as the belt drive opener. The reason is that there is no clanking chain noise. And they tend to deliver a slower motion. The result is less noise but also a slower opening/closing of the garage door.

This screw drive opener is more efficient in transmitting power. The inertia of a belt and a chain is higher and thus more difficult to put in motion. However, the strain in the case of heavy doors can lead to wear off the threads on the trolley.

It does not require rolling a chain/belt around for installation. The screw takes less space. This makes the system more compact and easier to install. Its size makes it an interesting choice for a garage with a low ceiling.

Screw drive openers are a bit more affordable than the chain/belt opener.

Like the chain drive, maintenance is required to extend the opener’s lifespan. These threads require to be lubricated once or twice per year especially to prevent wear.

4. Direct Drive Opener

The direct-drive opener acts like the chain drive opener. Instead of putting the chain in motion, the motor is in motion on a stationary chain. The motor’s housing is connected to the door. While the motor will move along the rail, it will push or pull the door.

This model is the quietest amongst all. You can call it the Ultra Quiet garage door opener model.

Only the motor moves along the rail, limiting the number of parts in motion. The direct consequence is extreme durability.

By the way, this kind of opener often comes with a lifetime warranty. 

The only downer with this kind of opener is it’s mostly available for the European market. So availability is quite limited for America.

The tag price is in the range of that of a belt drive system.

Power

The motor power depends on the weight of the garage door. Picking an underrated power unit will lead it to overwork and operate slowly. Picking the right power will allow the motor to operate at its optimum speed 

The below table should help you choose the corresponding power depending on your door weight. Note for reference : 

• a single door weighs approximately 130 lbs.
• a double door with windows weighs approximately 350 lbs.
• a double door with glass weighs approximately 400 lbs. 

Features

Modern garage door openers also come with an array of features. While choosing an opener, here are a few features I recommend looking out for :

• Multiple remotes. From my personal experience, spare remotes are superimportant. Whether if you break it, forget it or if you’re out of battery, having a spare can save your day.
• Lights. The motors are often equipped with lights when in use. Some can even act as a main source of light for the garage. I personally always had a light on my motor to indicate the door is in motion.
• Keyless entry pad. This is a control panel allowing to lock the garage door with a code.
• Control via Smartphone. This feature is really useful if you don’t have enough spare remotes. Or if you want to punctually give access to your garage when you’re out of home.
• Backup batteries. If you want to turn your system independant to power failure, a back-up battery is a must. My take on this, is that it’s nice to have. But as long as you don’t encounter power shortage that often, it’s ok not to have such a battery.

Verdict: Quiet but not Perfect

A few last recommendations:

• I would not neglect the warranty period. Any device, whatever the brand can work perfectly for one year and break down at its second or third year.
• For the installation part, don’t hesitate to call a professional if you don’t feel like installing it  yourself.

My personal preference goes to the Chamberlain B970. Because I regard garage door openers as home appliances. Just like fridges, I’d expect them to last more than 5 years.  I consider this as a long-term investment. Moreover, I don’t have use of the extra payable features, so MyQ App available on the Chamberlain would definitely be enough for my personal use.

I hope this guide provided useful information to help you make the right choice to quiet your garage.

Thank you for reading,

Peace & Zen-Up