The Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener is my latest project in some ongoing renovations weāre doing at home this year. My existing opener is original to our home and has been showing its age recently, so installing this and reviewing it could not have been timelier. Iām no stranger to Chamberlainās MyQ products. In fact, Iāve owned and reviewed 2 different generations of the MyQ smart garage control device and have been using them since 2013. But today, I’m going to test the new Chamberlain MyQ garage door opener, including its smart control features and security camera, to help you decide if it’s the right choice for you. Note that I’ll beĀ reviewing the unit as it comes and functions out of the box, done as a DIY installation with the help of my dad.
Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener overview
The Chamberlain MyQ garage door opener boasts a 1 Ā¼ HP motor that offers a quiet belt drive operation. But in addition, it also comes with a 2000 lumen LED dual lamp (no more climbing ladders to replace light bulbs yay!), remote smartphone operation options and an integrated 1080p camera that captures wherever you point it to at a time stamped, 140 degree wide angle. A backup battery is also included so that you can still operate the unit if the power is out.
Unboxing the Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener
Inside the box, youāll find just about everything you need to get started, from the head unit to the belt drive to the sensors. It also comes with the other hookup extras you need, like header brackets. In case you are installing an opener in a brand new garage, this also comes with enough wiring for you to feed through the walls to the main unit. You also get two manual openers for your vehicles with an operating range of just over 450m each.
This unit is Google Assistant compatible and it technically also works with Apple Homekit as well. I say technically because Chamberlain recently discontinued their Homekit compatibility bridge so you’ll have to search around to find one if you can. While it is not compatible with Amazon Alexa, it also works with Ring, Vivint and IFTTT.
You will, however, need to supply a proper supporting bracket for this unit. If you are replacing your existing opener like we did, chances are this unit may not fit into the exact same spot (nor be the same size) as what you have right now. In my case, this drive belt was longer, which pushed the unit mount back about half a foot. The fully installed unit weighs around 13kg, so please factor that into the bracket you choose.
Installing your Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener
Installing a garage door opener can be an average afternoonās job for some DIYers, but definitely not for everybody. If youāre not 100% sure that you can do this yourself, Iād recommend calling out and having it professionally installed. I wonāt spend much time in the video showing you how to install step by step, as I believe this lengthy video from Chamberlain themselves does a great job of taking you through the process if you need extra help alongside the manual. Since the Chamberlain video only discusses how to install the opener itself, Iāll spend more time talking about features this opener has that the video does not, namely battery backup and the MyQ Smart Garage functions.
This is a recommended two person job. While the package comes with all the pieces, wiring, nuts and bolts you need, youāre also going to need a lot of different other tools. We used a handful of screwdrivers, wrenches, a power drill and needed two ladders because we both hab to be up on a ladder installing the opener on the header bracket while stabilizing the unit.
Our previous garage door opener also did not clearly label which wires were connected from the wall unit and from the sensors. If you get on a ladder and find this out the hard way like we did, Iād recommend having a voltage tester on hand too. Since youāll probably be changing the configuration of your support brackets, have a stud finder in hand just in case too.
Lastly, because much of the charm of this garage door opener lays in its MyQ features, make sure you have a strong Wi-Fi connection out to your garage so you can take advantage of the mobile functions.
Installation (including a trip to get new support bracket pieces cut and all aspects of calibration) took us just shy of 5 hours. Trust me when I say it is worth the effort.
Calibrating the Chamberlain MyQ garage door opener
Once your garage door is installed, youāll need to calibrate it and test safety features. This is only a 10-15 minute job at best. Take the ownerās manual up on a ladder with you and follow the instructions to ātrainā your garage door on proper opening and closing length of time.
Youāll be prompted to confirm whether your calibration settings are correct and then I would recommend following through on testing safety features as well, such as blocking the sensors mid-close and before you close. In the video review, Iāll show you the differences in how the opener reacts to each scenario, as it is different.
Your wall unit will also allow you to enable sensor motion detection and automatically turn the openerās lights on when you walk into your garage. A 2000 lumen dual lamp is enough to light my entire garage and Iāve enabled this feature so that I donāt have to fumble with the lights if Iām going to put things in the trash or in the car for the next day. If you enable this feature, the lamp stays on for approximately 4 1/2 minutes each cycle.
Wi-Fi and camera features
The last thing to do is to tend to the āsmartā part of your āsmartā garage door opener. Youāll need to download the MyQ App (if for some reason you still have the old Chamberlain App, itās been long disabled and doesnāt work with this unit) and sign in or create a profile. From here, itās pretty straightforward. You just have to select to add a new unit and follow the instructions on screen. The local signal comes from the wall opener, so you donāt need to get up on a ladder again. Itās about a 5 minute job to connect the opener, and then youāll need to pull down the camera and sync that up too. The camera is on a swivel mount, so you can position it any way you like. Iāve set our camera to face the entry of the garage door.
Once this is done, youāll be asked to enable push notifications (which I recommend) and thatās it! You can now open and close your garage direct from your smartphone and get notified of any video activity that is picked up alongside it. The camera will also record you opening and closing the door and also capture screenshots of activity it captures. I have an Apple Watch and MyQ automatically pushes these notifications and screenshots to it too (as shown below).
The Smartphone MyQ and camera features also have different warning features to deter intruders or speak to anybody coming by, such as couriers. For example, the video camera features two way audio to have conversations with whomever is in your garage, and the MyQ Smart garage opener makes a loud chime and flashes the openerās lights prior to closing your door as you can see in my video review.
A nice feature about this app is that you can invite a co-owner to share in your account, so you can grant your spouse or another family member easy admin access. If you need to grant additional access to anybody else (be it family members, neighbours, contractors, etc) there is a MyQ community app that you can use to do this and keep track of whom youāve given access to.
The garage door opener comes with a 30 day trial to Chamberlainās Cloud service. After that, you can subscribe to ongoing service for as little as $4 a month, depending on the service tier and subscription length.
By the way, if youāre interested in just remote opening and the safety chimes, Chamberlain offers a MyQ Remote Hub on its own that likely retrofits and works with your garage door opener. I did a review of this a few years back, which you can read by clicking here. The only thing I will forewarn as an owner of multi-generations of this is that the sensors are battery powered, and Iād recommend having extra batteries on hand since I was never given much notice before they died.
Is the Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener worth the time, effort, and investment?
One word: yes. Our garage door opener just passed the 25 year mark and while we never had a problem with its operation, the light fixture was starting to flicker (our garage always looked like we were entering a horror movie house) and the chain drive was really noisy. The steel-reinforced belt drive glides like a cloud and is far quieter than our old unit. While setting up the Wi-Fi features took a couple attempts, it was simple enough.
I also appreciate the safety features. Our previous opener was really touch and go with the reliability of safety features and this one is spot on. The MyQ features are great too. Iāve already benefited from the remote smart openers from the last 10 years and Iām looking forward to this upgraded total package. Although it will take a power outage for us to test it, Iām also glad thereās a backup battery too so that we can get in and out of the house. We donāt get them often here (the last multi-day outage was either 2014 or 2015,) but itās a definite inconvenience when there is one and you have to hand open and close the garage door to get the car out.
Just be sure to measure your door before you buy this as the box comes with all of the necessary hookups for a 7 foot door. If you have an 8 or 10 foot garage door, youāll need to get an extra extension kit from Chamberlain before you install it.
Iām a big fan of the Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener and should have considered getting this a lot sooner. ItĀ is now available at Best Buy and online at BestBuy.ca. If youāre not in the market for the full opener, but want some smart features, you can get the MyQ Smart Garage control on its own here.
Table of Contents
- Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener overview
- Unboxing the Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener
- Installing your Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener
- Calibrating the Chamberlain MyQ garage door opener
- Wi-Fi and camera features
- Is the Chamberlain MyQ smart garage door opener worth the time, effort, and investment?
I like that I can open and close from my phone and that it has a battery back up. I get a lot of power outages.
I like the feature that you can invite others to share in your account, so you can grant your spouse or another family member easy admin access.
best feature Wi-Fi and camera, awesome to keep an eye on all your belongings in the garage!
I really like the WiFi camera feature. Will use it all the time!
I like the motion detection feature to automatically turn on the light when I walk into the garage!
The connectivity to my smart phone
best feature Wi-Fi and camera, awesome to keep an eye on all your belongings in the garage!
I think the best feature is the wi fi camera
I think my favourite feature has to be the integration and notifications on phone. Having a camera is a nice bonus. š
I love it is remotely managed through this smart garage door opener. My favorite feature is the 2000-lumen LED dual lamp.
love to Share the app with members of your family and they always have the ability to get into the garage.
My favourite feature is the camera for security and the MyQ app is great for convenience
The Camera that can capture the door closing. That could bring peace of mind when needed.
I like my phone app feature for it so I can use it and watch the camera on it
My favourite thing is that I will be able to control the garage door with my phone!
Best feature is the camera, for security purposes
I love the 2000 lumen LED dual lamp which means I don’t need to lug a ladder to the garage to change light bulbs.
control the door with your phone
my favourite feature is the camera so I can see my garage when I am away if anyone uses it
I love that I can open the garage door with my phone, and turn my vehicle on via the starter so it warms up before getting in. As we have a detached garage this makes it a lot more convenient. I also love the added security especially as there’s been a huge increase in vehicle theft.
I love that the MyQ smart garage control, also has a video camera with a time stamp!
I like that it can be controlled remotely, would work great with my smart watch!
The speaker would be nice to tell my husband to get is ass in the house!!
I am a simple person the fact I can have amotion sensor motion automatically turn the openerās lights on when I walk into your garage is pretty handy!!!
I love that it captures any video activity alongside it and records it
I love that it captures any video activity alongside it and records it
You can open and close your garage direct from your smartphone and get notified of any video activity that is picked up alongside it.
I love that the garage door opener has a camera very smart and useful so I can see what is going on in my garage.
I love that the garage door opener has a camera very smart and useful
I can manage the door remotely on my phone and because it has a 2 way speaker so I can talk to someone there
Remote smartphone operation would be amazing, especially for knowing if you left your door open without having to go back and check on it.
safety features like a camera
My favourite feature is that it comes equipped with a security camera.
Iād appreciate knowing if my garage door is open or closed in order to save me a trip back to check on it.
how you can manage the door remotely on your phone and that it has a 2 way speaker so I can talk to whoever is there
My favourite feature is the 2000 lumen LED dual lamp (no more climbing ladders to change light bulbs)
What I like best about the garage door opener is its safety features. My favourite feature is the integrated 1080p camera.
how you can manage the door remotely on your phone and that it has a 2 way speaker so I can talk to whoever is there
My favorite feature is actually the 2000 lumen LED light. I have no other lights in my garage, and I depend on the garage-door opener.
I love that the garage door opener has a camera – super useful for us!
My favourite feature is the camera.
Love the remote smartphone operation options and an integrated 1080p camera.
I’d appreciate knowing if my garage door is open or closed in order to save me a trip back to check on it.
my favourite feature is the camera so I can see whats going on in my garage when I need to
What I like best about the garage door opener is its safety features. My favourite feature is the integrated 1080p camera.
I like that you use a phone app. My favourite feature is the camera.
This thing is great, my favourite feature is the video camera that also allows video access to my garage. All from my phone š
I love that you can remotely manage the door from a smart phone! So cool!
My favourite feature is the 2000 lumen LED dual lamp (no more climbing ladders to change light bulbs)
I love that the smart garage door opener works with MyQ app so I can remotely manage and monitor my garage door and the opener from my smart phone. And my spouse can do this too! Sweet!
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