In order to solve the problems of high power consumption and low output damping force of magnetorheological dampers, the relationship model between the structural parameters and the optimization objectives of dampers is established with the low power consumption and lightweight of magnetorheological dampers. The key structural parameters of the magnetorheological damper are optimized by the multi‐objective genetic algorithm, and the optimal solution is obtained, and the optimized magnetorheological damper is tested and studied. The rationality of the selected parameters is verified by experimental study. The results show that the power consumption of magnetorheological dampers is reduced by 43 % and the damping force is increased by 30 % after optimization. There is a balance relationship between the power consumption optimization and the damping force optimization of the damper. Therefore, when finding the optimal solution, we should consider the needs of the actual situation and select the most reasonable parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]