Reviewed by THE SPRUCE

The Best Smart Garage Door Openers for Easier and More Secure Access

Our favorite is the Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller Pro

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By JEREMY LAUKKONEN

Updated on 07/13/22

Fact checked by

YOONA WAGENER

We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products.

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If you've ever been away from home and suddenly couldn't remember if you shut the door, most smart garage door openers let you check that via a phone app and even close or open the door remotely.

Whether you're interested in learning about the options or considering an upgrade, many models don't involve professional installation. "If you're able to upgrade your existing garage door opener to a smart garage door opener, you might have better luck installing it on your own," says Dan Mock, VP of Operations at Mister Sparky Electric.

We researched dozens of smart garage door opener kits and integrated units for ease of installation, compatibility, and advanced features to find the best ones. Our favorite, the Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller Pro, has excellent compatibility with smart home systems and garage door openers and comes with an unparalleled feature set—including an option to automatically open and close the door when it senses your arrival or departure.

Here are the best smart garage door openers.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller Pro at Gotailwind.com

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.8

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What We Like

Operate via app or Bluetooth proximity
Works with HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home
Free adapter available to improve compatibility

What We Don't Like

Needs adapter for iPhone automatic controls
More involved installation than wireless sensors

The Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Controller Pro has an unparalleled feature set, works with most garage door openers right out of the box, and works with a free adapter if yours isn’t covered. It also has excellent compatibility with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Homekit, SmartThings, and If This Then That (IFTTT) and has a night mode for extra security, which is why it’s the best overall smart garage door opener by a pretty wide margin.

The Tailwind iQ3’s standout feature is that it can automatically open your garage door when you arrive home and close it when you leave. This feature, also known as geofencing, requires a Bluetooth-equipped vehicle and an Android phone, or you can buy an accessory that allows it to work with iPhones and older vehicles that don’t have Bluetooth.

The iQ3 has many other useful features, including a night mode to automatically shut the door if it’s left open for more than five minutes and a sharing trait that lets others control the door at specific times of the day. This opener also works well with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, so you can control it with voice commands.

The Tailwind iQ3 is a little more complicated to set up than many competitors because it uses a wired sensor, but that’s a tradeoff for reliability. Wireless sensors are significantly easier to install, but they’re also more prone to failure.