Remotes and wall controls should be kept out of the reach of children, and buying a model with an emergency release which allows manual door operation during power failures is also a good idea. Belt-drive units are the quietest, but also the most expensive. Motor noise can be reduced with a vibration-isolation system . A keypad or touchpad outside the garage allows entry via a programmable code . If this feature doesn't come standard with the unit you choose, it can generally be added as an option.
Some units have a simple doorbell-style button for opening and closing the door .
Most openers include a light, which should stay on for a few minutes after the unit is activated to allow time to get into the house . Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our All The Reviews Reviewed chart. Chamberlain, the company that manufactures the garage door openers for Sears, also earns three nods for its own brand. Alternative Considerations Installing a garage-door opener isn't just a matter of unpacking the box and plugging the unit in. It's an all-day job, best tackled with two pairs of hands, at least one pair of which has some mechanical skills.