LiftMaster Garage Door Openers Seem Too Good To Be True, So We Turned To The Reviews

Home security has never been more important. Unfortunately, if you have an outdated garage door opener, you could be more vulnerable to break-ins. If you've been thinking of modernizing or upgrading from a manual door, LiftMaster will almost certainly be on your radar. Their garage door openers appear to be very popular, and few people have a bad word to say about them, but are they too good to be true? We turned to reviews to try to find out.

We also looked into a question that often crops up: which is better, LiftMaster or Chamberlain? Interestingly, both brands are actually owned by the same company, the Chamberlain Group. The main difference is that LiftMaster is the high-performance option, primarily aimed at commercial users or homeowners with large garage doors that are heavy, or over 7 feet tall. Chamberlain is seen as the more affordable choice for standard garages. So it's not really a question of one being better than the other, but rather which is most appropriate for your home. Before making that decision, it will be important to check pricing and specifications.

Reliability is obviously a major issue. Whether you use your garage to park your car, as a workshop, or just for storage, it's frustrating when you can't easily get in and out. Although several common garage door opener problems aren't directly related to the manufacturer, you'll still want to know you can trust the equipment.

Garage door specialists, like those over at Garage and Gate Service Pros, typically talk in glowing terms about LiftMaster. Build quality, reliability, safety, and customer support are all touted as among the best in the industry. Public comments over on a Reddit forum that talks about different garage door openers, seem to agree. Although there are those who like Chamberlain and another big-name competitor, Genie, LiftMaster is a favorite of many.

Another advantage LiftMaster offers is the sheer variety of garage door openers. There are multiple drive options, battery backups in case of a power outage, smart door openers with WiFi capability, and side or wall mount garage door openers that could be a game changer for your home.

Judging by customer feedback, buyers at stores like Amazon and Walmart will often be DIY installing their LiftMaster. You can find numerous tips for installing your own garage door opener, but it obviously helps if the instructions are clear and simple. LiftMaster seems to manage this, even with their smart models. Comments mentioning how easy it is to install and program are the norm: "Instructions were simple enough to follow. Once familiarized with what goes where, installation was fairly easy and straightforward," one reviewer commented (per Amazon). Although it is one of the pricier options, the side mount LiftMaster Premium Series 98022 drew particular praise for how quiet it is and the amount of space it saves.

Although negative comments aren't common, there are a few. Some people were disappointed that their garage door opener only included one remote (this isn't true of all models). Others thought that while WiFi was easy to link up, the myQ App was a bit clunky. Additionally, some people who had Homelink in their vehicles claimed to have compatibility issues. The LiftMaster website says most should work and offers extensive help, though a compatibility bridge may be necessary (and costs extra).

After checking a variety of reviews from professional sources and homeowners, we can draw some clear conclusions: If budget is an issue, Chamberlain, Craftsman (also owned by the Chamberlain Group), and Genie offer competitively priced alternatives. If it's about high quality, performance, and reliability, LiftMaster garage door openers are tough to beat.