The best garage door openers

The Ryobi Ultra Quiet garage door opener runs quietly and can even charge an 18V Ryobi cordless battery if you have the brand's power tools.

If you own any Ryobi cordless power tools that were bought in the last decade or so, you are familiar with the yellow/green color that differentiates these tools. They stand out from the crowd, making it easier to find your tools when you need them.

Now, whether you want that same yellow/green color hanging from your garage ceiling with the Ryobi Ultra Quiet garage door opener is a matter of personal preference. But if you don't mind the color, this opener has a host of cool features to go with a powerful motor that delivers excellent levels of performance.

Tools in Action says the Ryobi Ultra Quiet has plenty of versatility, as you can plug devices into the opener hardware, like a Bluetooth speaker, a fan, or even an 18V Ryobi cordless tool battery. When the opener has power, it will charge the battery. But if your home ever loses power, the 18V battery works as a backup to the garage door opener, allowing it to operate normally.

Even with all of the add-on options, installation is easier than you'd think, according to Shop Tool Reviews. You'll use a technique similar to what you'd use for most garage door openers.

This opener uses a rubber belt with steel reinforcement instead of a chain, which means it runs with very little noise.

A few Home Depot shoppers say the Ryobi garage door opener sometimes struggles to move the door up and down properly. One reviewer said the problem appears to be related to the safety sensors, which cause the door to fail to close fully sometimes.

Pros: Garage door opener with multiple options for adding plug-in devices, will charge an 18V Ryobi cordless tool battery, easy installation, will run quietly

Cons: Odd yellow/green color, some potential problems with the door sensors

The Chamberlain B970 has the horsepower needed to handle older garage doors, while still running more quietly than other heavy-duty openers.

One problem people have with large, heavy wooden garage doors at older homes is that many openers can't handle the weight. The Chamberlain B970 has a 1.25-horsepower motor, which is quite a bit more powerful than some other models, giving it the power to raise heavy doors.

The B970 is belt-driven with steel reinforcement, which allows it to run more quietly than other styles of heavy-duty garage door openers. Beyond its powerful motor, this Chamberlain model has a battery backup system, smartphone access, and long-range remote controls, all of which simplify the operation of the opener.

Additionally, the B970 includes encryption features that prevent others from hacking the system to gain entry to your garage. Expert reviewers like this garage door opener a lot. The Tool Spy says the Chamberlain B970 justifies its higher price point by delivering excellent build quality and anti-vibration features. Consumer Search and Garage How To also approve of this unit.

One Home Depot shopper says this garage door opener performs reliably and quietly, but it needs an extra component that's not included to use the HomeLink feature that's built into many newer vehicles.

Amazon reviewer Finny says the opener works well when you only need to close and open the garage. But if you want to use the extra Internet-related features, such as having the system sense when your vehicle is nearby and automatically open, you might run into trouble while setting them up.

Pros: Handles over-sized and heavy wooden or metal garage doors easily, good anti-vibration features, carries a 1.25-horsepower motor, steel-reinforced belt runs quietly

Cons: Carries an above-average price point, some tech connectivity features are difficult to set up

When you need to have all the latest features in a garage door opener, the Chamberlain B730 delivers an impressive list of options.

If you want a few extra features beyond what you'll find with your typical garage door opener, the Chamberlain B730 contains many of the latest technologies and features. You'll have to pay a bit extra for them, but the added tech is worth it.

The Chamberlain has all the basic garage door opener features you'd expect, such as a steel-reinforced belt drive in a powerful 3/4-horsepower motor. It includes a battery backup that you can use when the power goes out at your home.

And for some extra features, you'll appreciate accessing the system through the MyQ smartphone app. You can set up this Chamberlain opener to automatically close the door after 1, 5, or 10 minutes, which is great for people who are a bit forgetful. We also really like the motion-detecting control panel, which turns on lights whenever it records nearby movement.

If you live in a home where there are living quarters directly above the garage, Garage Guide DIY says force-sensing technology built into the B730 ensures a smooth operation, no matter what temperature it is in your garage. The unit adjusts the motor's power on the fly, keeping it running smoothly. Amazon reviewer Steven Bone says the B730/WD962KEV opener runs extremely quietly and is easy to install.

Garage Door Opener Pro says this Chamberlain model gives you the ability to program different opening and closing procedures, depending on who is pressing the button.

You'll receive a battery backup feature with the WD962KEV, and its remotes work over a range of about 1,500 feet, which makes this opener extremely reliable, according to The Tool Spy.

Some Amazon customers, including Leon L. Stevens, reported having problems making this Chamberlain opener work properly after going through the installation process. For example, the door occasionally may reverse upward, as if the safety sensors have read something blocking the opening, even when nothing is in the way.

Pros: Excellent collection of advanced features in a garage door opener, powerful 3/4-horsepower motor for quiet operation with heavy doors, battery backup feature, includes steel-reinforced belt

Cons: More expensive than some others, some issues with safety sensors reported

Because it doesn't have advanced features, the price for the Genie 1035-V is low, so it works perfectly for those on a tight budget.

Most garage door openers are pretty expensive. So if you need an opener on a budget, the Genie 1035-V (also known as the Genie Chain Drive 500) gives you that desirable low price point. It doesn't have a lot of high-end tech features, nor will it manage heavy garage doors, but it does the basic work of raising and lowering the garage door perfectly well.

Garage Door Opener Review says installation of the 1035-V is an easy process because its components are lightweight. Even with a lightweight design, it still can open doors of up to 7 feet in height and up to 350 pounds in weight with its 1/2-horsepower motor.

To receive this low price, you will have to make a few sacrifices. For example, the Chain Drive 500 only has one light bulb socket, and it is limited to a 60-watt bulb. Other options in our guide can take two 100-watt bulbs, providing much more light. And the kit doesn't ship with an exterior keypad opener, which you can buy separately.

Pros: Very low price point, extremely easy to install with a lightweight design, included instructions are clear, will work well for standard garage door designs

Cons: Includes inexpensive parts, doesn't have a lot of high-end features, limited to one light bulb for illuminating the garage

Types of garage door openers

When selecting a garage door opener for your home or business, you have a few operating mechanisms from which you can choose, according to Lowe's. Each type of opener uses a motor to move a trolley (or the motor itself) along the rail, which lifts and lowers the door.

• Belt Drive: The belt drive on a garage door opener uses a steel-reinforced rubber belt to lift and lower the garage door, allowing it to run quietly and smoothly. If you have living quarters above the garage, a belt drive is a smart choice. But it does require a bit more maintenance than other models.
• Chain Drive: A chain drive garage door opener has been the most common type of opener available for many years. It uses a metal chain to move the trolley to open and close the door. Chain drives will cause more vibration and noise than other types of openers, but they do tend to cost less than other options, SF Gate says.
• Direct Drive: With a direct drive system, the motor functions as the trolley, which means the entire motor moves along the rail. Because these systems don't have multiple moving parts, they tend to run quietly with minimal vibration.
• Screw Drive: For a garage door opener with a screw drive, you'll have less maintenance and moving parts to monitor over time. This type of drive uses a threaded rod to open and close the door, which works well for wider and heavier doors, according to The Home Depot. The screw drive opener tends to run more quietly than other options too.

Key features for garage door openers

The garage door opener traditionally has been a simple device. And it still is for the most part. But as with a lot of household items, technological advances are finding their way into garage door opener hardware. There are quite a few cool features in modern garage door openers, some of which are things you never knew you needed to automate the process of opening and closing a garage door.

• Automatic Close: If you commonly forget to close your garage door, you can set up some systems to automatically close an open door after a certain period of time.
• Battery Backup: Should the power ever be out at your home when you drive up with your vehicle, some garage door openers have a battery backup so they'll still operate, allowing you to exit the car inside the garage, rather than caught outside in a rainstorm.
• Controls: Most garage door openers will ship with a wall-mount button for inside the garage and remote control devices you can place in your vehicle. Some will have a keypad that you place outside the garage door, so you can enter a code and open the door.
• Horsepower: The horsepower measurement, often shortened to HP, describes the power the garage door opener motor has. A motor with a greater horsepower measurement will open and close the door more quickly, while also being able to handle larger and heavier doors. Motors between 1/2 HP and 1 HP are the most common for residential garages, FeldCo says.
• Security Code: To avoid problems with hackers accessing your garage door opener code, your unit should have some sort of encryption or rolling code technology built into it, according to Quality Overhead Door.
• Security Lights: Most newer garage door openers have at least two bright light bulbs, as well as lights activated by motion. On the other hand, some older or cheaper openers are limited to a single light bulb. This doesn't help much with a garage darkened by shadows, leaving you unsure if the rustling in the corner is your cat … or a skunk that snuck into the garage.
• Smartphone Control: Many newer garage door openers allow you to connect the device to your home's Wi-Fi network, according to RW Garage Doors. You then can open and close the door through a smartphone app. In fact, many of these apps will give you an alert on the smartphone when the garage door is open for a certain period. Some opener models even can connect to your existing Smart Home system, incorporating all your appliances on one system.

The best car seats for your infant, toddler, or kid

Car seats are one of the most critical pieces of gear parents with young kids need, but they're also one of the most overwhelming items to buy. We've cut through the myriad options to find the best ones for kids of all ages. In choosing the top picks for the best car seats and boosters, we considered both expert tests and reviews as well as parents' actual experiences. These are the best of the best:

• Best infant car seat: Chicco KeyFit 30
• Best budget infant car seat: Graco SnugRide Click Connect 30
• Best lightweight infant car seat: Nuna PIPA Lite LX
• Best convertible car seat: Chicco NextFit Zip
• Best budget convertible car seat: Evenflo Triumph LX
• Best harness-to-booster seat: Britax Frontier ClickTight
• Best budget harness-to-booster seat: Evenflo Maestro
• Best booster seat: Graco Affix Booster Seat
• Best budget booster seat: Harmony Youth Booster

The best roadside emergency kits

Roadside emergency car kits can ensure you have some useful items on hand, in case your vehicle breaks down or is involved in an accident. Here are the best ones you can buy:

• Best budget roadside emergency kit: STDY Auto Emergency Kit
• Best premium roadside emergency kit: Roadside Rescue Emergency Assistant Kit
• Best winter roadside emergency kit: Lifeline AAA Severe Weather Road Safety Kit
• Best high-visibility roadside emergency kit: Always Prepared Reflective Car Emergency Roadside Kit