5 Of The Best Modern Fridges You Can Buy In 2026

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Buying any major appliance is a big deal, but few more than a refrigerator. It's a modern essential that sees constant, daily use. It may be one worth splurging on if you have the money. If not, then find the best frugal option for quality and reliability.

There's a lot that goes into buying a fridge, and a lot of junk on the market, so it's important to whittle the competition down to the best. The following five refrigerators are some of the best on the market, each with their own noteworthy strengths. They span a considerable range of prices, from hundreds of dollars to the mid-thousands. 

These leading refrigerators come in a variety of designs, from an elegant French door to the classic 20th century top-freezer design. Each one is a spacious option, some surprisingly so. Others make even better use of space with customizable interior storage.

French doors are a popular design choice on the refrigerator market. Twin doors that open like a book to reveal the fridge compartment feels luxurious, and a spacious drawer freezer leaves plenty of space for meal prep. Among these designs, an LG model is one of the best. Look for a model number of LRFLC2706S to find the right one. Reviews suggest it's a remarkably quiet refrigerator with ample space for the average household, but some might say such accolades for this brand are unusual.

According to some customers, LG is one of the most overpriced kitchen appliance brands out there. A particular sore point is refrigerators, which some have complained have problems with malfunctioning parts. This refrigerator, however, has solid 4+ star ratings on multiple appliance retailers' websites, suggesting it's an exception to this unfortunate reputation.

Purchase an LG LRFLC2706S from LG for $3,199.

One of the most common complaints about modern appliances is they're not as easy to repair as they used to be. It's common for repair technicians to suggest simply getting a new refrigerator, because the combined cost of parts and labor exceeds that of a new purchase. This Whirlpool model, however, may be something of an exception.

The Whirlpool WRB329DMB is a reliable bottom-freezer model, another popular refrigerator layout with one large freezer drawer on the bottom. Satisfied customers say theirs have worked for years with few, if any, issues, and most that come up are easily fixed. However, few experiences are universally good, and this fridge has notched some customer complaints as well. People commonly find fault with the ice maker, particularly with what some call a chemical smell to the ice. There are a few tricks to try to keep ice from smelling bad, including removing bad fridge odors or changing the filter, but it can be frustrating for an investment of this size to not work out of the box. The rest of it, however, is commonly thought to be a reliable series of machine models.

Purchase a Whirlpool WRB329DMB from Whirlpool for $1,598.99.

General Electric is one of the world's most recognizable brands, but you may not have known that there are several kitchen appliance brands owned by GE — including one simply called "GE Appliances." This middle-market GE brand is behind this simple-but-appealing side-by-side refrigerator, the GSE25G.

This GE model fridge makes excellent use of its 25.3 cubic feet of space thanks to highly customizable interior shelving, including removable door shelves. The ice maker doesn't take up too much room in the freezer, either. There's also a compartment with a slide-out wire basket toward the bottom. Good features are one thing, but reliability is among the most important parts of buying a refrigerator. On this front, GE Appliances was ranked the No. 1 brand of side-by-side refrigerators by JD Power, a marketing research firm that studies consumer satisfaction across multiple industries.

Purchase a GE GSE25G from GE Appliances for $1,699.

This next unit is for people who think refrigerators are too complicated these days, and should get back to doing two things: refrigerating and freezing. There's no door-mounted ice maker and no internet connection; just a simple, straightforward refrigerator. Fitting that it comes from the brand that invented self-contained electric refrigerators in the first place.

People regard Frigidaire's FFTR1835V model as a good, basic unit that should last for a few years. Professional reviewers note that it keeps temperatures stable so cold spots should not be a concern, and its slightly narrow size can fit into a variety of spaces. It's not an especially large refrigerator, but for a small household, it's perfect — and affordable.

Despite its strengths, this Frigidaire is not without its unhappy buyers. Several people have complained online about excessive noise while the compressor is running. Noisy refrigerators can have any number of causes, which Frigidaire details on its website. However, it's also true that, even when running perfectly, modern refrigerators make louder and more varied noises than older units.

Purchase a Frigidaire FFTR1835V from Frigidaire for $799.

There's no doubt that refrigerators are more expensive than they used to be. Many fridge buyers are likely shopping on a budget, but if splurging is a possibility, the Bosch 800 Series B36CT80SNS is worth it. Bosch is one of the best refrigerator brands available, according to customers. Its refrigerators are expensive, but reliable and long-lasting. This particular model also comes with excellent internal storage, crisper drawers with half a dozen settings, and a dedicated compressor for both refrigerator and freezer. This reduces motor strain and increases reliability compared to single-compressor units.

Dual compressor technology is most often found on refrigerators far more expensive than $4,000. It doesn't just keep the internal parts working longer, it also helps temperature stability. One Reddit user reported that their Bosch refrigerator kept the same temperature inside throughout an 11-hour power outage during a heat wave. It may be the priciest refrigerator on this list, but for what you get, it could still be the best deal.

Purchase a Bosch 800 Series B36CT80SNS from Bosch for $3,999.