A 3/4 HPc DC belt-drive opener with built-in Wi-Fi and the Aladdin Connect app. PCMag rated it 3.5 out of 5 and called it one of the quietest garage door openers it has tested, with smooth operation and reliable scheduling, but marked it down for having no battery backup and no IFTTT or Apple HomeKit support.
Full review
PCMag's verdict
PCMag rated the SilentMax Connect 3.5 out of 5 in a review published in December 2019, calling it a solid choice for replacing an aging opener. Its listed pros are quiet, smooth operation, Alexa and Google Assistant support and a reasonable price; its cons are the lack of a battery backup, of IFTTT and HomeKit support, and of integration with other smart devices.
Noise and door operation
Quietness is where PCMag says the opener takes top honors. The reviewer reports the DC motor and belt drive could barely be heard from inside the house, where the chain-drive Craftsman opener it replaced rattled the windows. Openings and closings were smooth, and the safety sensors reversed the door every time the beam was interrupted.
Remotes and the wall switch responded quickly. Commands from the app take slightly longer by design: PCMag explains there is a pause while the lights flash to warn that the door is about to move.
Aladdin Connect app and smart features
The opener connects to home Wi-Fi without a separate hub. In the Aladdin Connect app, PCMag describes one button to open or close the door, a history timeline, shared access that can be full, recurring or temporary, and rules that close the door after it has been open for a set time. Push notifications arrived immediately in testing and access schedules were followed without issue.
PCMag found no IFTTT applets and no HomeKit support, and no way to tie the opener to cameras or lighting.
Hardware and installation
PCMag lists a 3/4 HPc DC motor rated for doors up to 7 feet high and 500 pounds, two remotes, a two-button wall console and safety beam sensors in the box, and no battery backup. Genie's product page adds a limited lifetime motor warranty and pairing with up to 16 wireless devices.
The reviewer does not call installation an easy DIY project, since it may require installing a header and making support brackets from angle iron; Genie sent representatives to install the review unit, and PCMag estimates around $200 for professional installation. Connecting to Wi-Fi afterwards was relatively easy.
Strengths
- +One of the quietest openers PCMag has tested; it could barely be heard from inside the house
- +Smooth opening and closing, and the safety sensors never failed to reverse the door in PCMag's testing
- +Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands
- +Aladdin Connect app shares full, recurring or temporary access and sets auto-close rules
- +HomeLink and Car2U compatible
Watch-outs
- −No battery backup
- −No IFTTT or Apple HomeKit support at the time of PCMag's review
- −Does not integrate with other smart devices such as cameras and lighting
- −PCMag does not consider installation an easy DIY job and estimates about $200 for a professional
- −Genie advises against ordinary LED bulbs because they can reduce remote range; it sells its own
How it compares
Like the Chamberlain B5330 on this page it is a DC belt-drive opener with app control, but it has no battery backup and no camera, and its motor is rated 3/4 HPc against the B5330's 1 HP. The Genie 1035 is a chain-drive opener and the Genie 4062-TKNMSO a screw-drive unit.
Rating sources
Our 3.7 score is the average of these published ratings, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. More about methodology.
