Top 5 compared
The best mini fridges
Cold drinks and snacks within reach in a dorm room, bedroom, office or den, without a trip to the kitchen.
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The top 5 at a glance
A mini fridge is a small fridge for a room other than the kitchen. Compressor models work like the kitchen fridge on a smaller scale and hold a set temperature. The smallest slide under a desk; taller ones stand just under counter height, with room for groceries and a small freezer compartment or chiller.
Those freezer sections are small, more for chilling drinks than for a stock of frozen food, and frost can build up in them over time. For skincare, a few drinks on a desk or a car trip, the little thermoelectric cooler here suits better: it runs from the car or a USB port as well as the wall, though it only cools to a set amount below the room.
What matters
- A reversible door, so it opens away from the wall.
- A decibel rating, if it’ll run in a bedroom.
- The yearly kWh figure, or Energy Star certification.
- A thermostat marked in degrees, not just numbered steps.
#1Midea 1.6 cu ft Compact Refrigerator (WHS-65LB1)
$100–$150
Small enough to slide under a desk at 19.3 in tall, with a compressor, a six-step thermostat and a small freezer compartment, so it keeps milk and leftovers truly cold rather than just cool. It’s Energy Star certified, rated at 207 kWh a year.
What owners say: Owners say it keeps things nicely cold and tucks under a desk with room to spare, which suits a dorm; they’re split on the noise, and some find the freezer ices up quickly.
A closer look: Let it stand upright for a few hours after delivery before plugging it in, so the compressor settles. Start the dial in the middle and adjust after a day, and when frost builds up in the freezer, switch it off with the door open and a towel underneath to defrost.
- Compressor cooling
- Rack for a 2-liter bottle
- Energy Star certified
- Under 42 dB
- Stand upright before first use
Best for: Dorms and under a desk
- Capacity
- 1.6 cu ft
- Temperature
- 6-step dial
- Freezer
- Small compartment
- Energy use
- 207 kWh/yr
- Size (W x D x H)
- 18.7 x 17.6 x 19.3 in
- Reversible door
- Yes
#2Upstreman 3.2 cu ft Mini Fridge with Freezer (BR321)
$100–$150
A 3.2 cu ft fridge that runs at 38 dB on Upstreman’s figure, quiet enough to sleep beside, with a crisper drawer for fruit, two adjustable glass shelves and a five-step thermostat from 32 to 50°F. It’s Energy Star certified, at 206 kWh a year.
What owners say: Owners like the look and how much it frees up the main fridge, as a dorm or office fridge; they’re mixed on how cold the freezer gets, and a few units arrived scratched or dented.
Heads up: Upstreman says the freezer compartment isn’t for ice cream or ice cubes, so treat it as a chiller for drinks and fresh food.
A closer look: Most of the space is fridge, 2.9 cu ft against the freezer’s 0.3, with three door shelves for cans and bottles. Use the leveling feet so the door swings shut on its own, and clear the freezer with the scraper in the box before the frost gets thick.
- Runs at 38 dB
- Crisper drawer for fruit
- Two adjustable glass shelves
- Defrost scraper in the box
- Energy Star certified
Best for: A bedroom, where quiet matters
- Capacity
- 3.2 cu ft
- Temperature
- 5 steps, 32–50°F
- Freezer
- 0.3 cu ft (not for ice cream)
- Energy use
- 206 kWh/yr
- Size (W x D x H)
- 18.7 x 17.4 x 33.1 in
- Reversible door
- Yes
#3Igloo 3.2 cu ft Mini Fridge with Freezer (IRF32BK6A)
$100–$150
Twice the room of an under-desk fridge on much the same floor space: 3.2 cu ft with two glass shelves, door storage and a separate freezer compartment, and a dial that sets the fridge anywhere from 32 to 50°F.
What owners say: Owners use it as an office or bedroom fridge and like how fast it cools and how it looks in black; some found it noisy, a few had one fail within months, and the freezer can make the top shelf too cold.
A closer look: Keep delicate food such as salad off the top shelf, just under the freezer, where it runs coldest. At 32.7 in tall it fits under most kitchen counters, and a gap behind and at the sides helps it run cooler and more quietly.
- Fits under most counters
- Two glass shelves
- Door storage
- Compressor cooling
- Top shelf runs coldest
Best for: Stocking up without losing floor space
- Capacity
- 3.2 cu ft
- Temperature
- 32–50°F dial
- Freezer
- 0.2 cu ft compartment
- Energy use
- 304 kWh/yr
- Size (W x D x H)
- 18.5 x 17.3 x 32.7 in
- Reversible door
- Yes
#4Cooluli Classic 4-Liter Mini Fridge (cooler and warmer)
$50–$75
The little desk-and-dresser kind: a 4-liter thermoelectric cooler that holds six cans or a shelf of skincare, cools 40 to 45°F below the room and warms to 122–144°F at the flick of a switch. Wall, car and USB cords all come in the box.
What owners say: Quiet enough for an office or a bedroom and roomier than it looks, owners say, taking a six-pack; some had one stop after about six months, and opinions on value vary.
A closer look: There’s no thermostat, so the cold depends on the room: it keeps drinks pleasantly cool on a desk but won’t match a compressor fridge on a hot day. Put things in already chilled, leave space around the vents, and keep fresh food and medicines in the kitchen fridge.
- Wall, car and USB cords
- Thermoelectric cooling
- Weighs 4 lb
- Matte finish
Best for: Skincare, cans and car trips
- Capacity
- 0.14 cu ft (6 cans)
- Temperature
- 40–45°F below room
- Freezer
- None (also warms)
- Energy use
- 315 kWh/yr
- Size (W x D x H)
- 7.3 x 10.3 x 10.8 in
- Reversible door
- No
#5Frigidaire Retro 3.2 cu ft Compact Fridge (EFR376, red)
$100–$150
Rounded retro styling, a pull handle and a built-in bottle opener give it a 1950s diner look in red. Inside it’s a practical 3.2 cu ft fridge with two glass shelves, a can dispenser, a 2-liter door basket and a chiller compartment with an ice cube tray.
What owners say: The bright red finish wins owners over, and they find it roomy for drinks and party food, with a freezer that works; some say it struggles to stay cold or runs noisily, and a few arrived dented.
A closer look: The flush back lets it stand close to a wall, so it suits a den, a home bar or a guest room. Keep the chiller for ice cubes and cold drinks rather than frozen food; the glass shelves lift out, so a sticky soda spill washes off at the sink.
- Built-in bottle opener
- Can dispenser
- Retro pull handle
- Lift-out glass shelves
- Stands close to a wall
Best for: A den or home bar
- Capacity
- 3.2 cu ft
- Temperature
- 32–50°F
- Freezer
- Chiller, ice tray
- Energy use
- 200 kWh/yr
- Size (W x D x H)
- 18 x 16.8 x 33.3 in
- Reversible door
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Midea WHS-65LB1 | #2Upstreman BR321 | #3Igloo IRF32BK6A | #4Cooluli Classic 4L | #5Frigidaire Retro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for a desk | Best retro design | |||
| Picked Rating | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.2 |
| Price | $100–$150 | $100–$150 | $100–$150 | $50–$75 | $100–$150 |
| Capacity | 1.6 cu ft | 3.2 cu ft | 3.2 cu ft | 0.14 cu ft (6 cans) | 3.2 cu ft |
| Temperature | 6-step dial | 5 steps, 32–50°F | 32–50°F dial | 40–45°F below room | 32–50°F |
| Freezer | Small compartment | 0.3 cu ft (not for ice cream) | 0.2 cu ft compartment | None (also warms) | Chiller, ice tray |
| Energy use | 207 kWh/yr | 206 kWh/yr | 304 kWh/yr | 315 kWh/yr | 200 kWh/yr |
| Size (W x D x H) | 18.7 x 17.6 x 19.3 in | 18.7 x 17.4 x 33.1 in | 18.5 x 17.3 x 32.7 in | 7.3 x 10.3 x 10.8 in | 18 x 16.8 x 33.3 in |
| Reversible door | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Best for | Dorms and under a desk | A bedroom, where quiet matters | Stocking up without losing floor space | Skincare, cans and car trips | A den or home bar |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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