What makes the “best” garage door material will depend entirely on where the garage door is being installed, your budget, and how you plan to use your garage door. There are benefits to each type of garage door material.

Steel: Durable, strong and surprisingly economical. It must be painted powder-coated or clad to avoid rusting. Steel doors can mimic painted wood ones via stamped-on grain and can be insulated to fight wind, sound and temperature infiltration. These are the most common type used.

Aluminum: Lighter than steel and can also be made into doors that mimic painted wood. Aluminum resists dents and rust, and good-quality aluminum doors tend to cost more than steel doors, but they tend to be less durable than steel.

Vinyl/Fiberglass: Cheap, lightweight option, but they don’t last long. Not recommended.