
The Genie ChainDrive 550 is the sensible floor of this category: a half-horsepower chain drive with none of the smart features, but a ten-year motor warranty, a 500 lb door rating, and a box that already contains two remotes, an exterior keypad and a wall console. Good Housekeeping made it their pick for buyers who want the accessories included, and Car and Driver singled it out for people who would rather not deal with apps at all. The compromises are the ones inherent to the type — it is noisier than a belt, there is no battery backup, and that last point means Genie cannot sell it into California. For a detached garage or a workshop where nobody is sleeping overhead, very little of that matters.
- — Ten-year motor warranty, double what Genie gives its cheaper Chain Drive 500
- — Rated to 500 lb of door weight, well clear of the 350 lb ceiling on the cheaper chain drive
- — Arrives complete with two pre-programmed three-button remotes, an exterior wireless keypad and a wall console
- — Rated for 7-foot doors; an 8-foot door needs Genie's extension kit 39027R, bought separately
- — No battery backup, and consequently it cannot be shipped to California under state law SB-969
- — No Wi-Fi and no app — this is a deliberately unconnected opener
