Consumer Reports Names The Best Garage-Ready Refrigerators For 2026

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A garage refrigerator is a standard in many suburban American homes. Where else are you keeping those bottles of sauv blanc for when the girls come over, extra condiments for your next barbeque, and those huge bags of Costco frozen fish sticks? Consumer Reports (CR) recently ranked the best garage-ready fridges of 2026, and a few models rose to the top. Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, and Hotpoint all had simple, top-freezer design models in CR's top six.

When choosing a garage fridge, simple is best. You don't need all the bells and whistles on a secondary fridge, like ice makers and water dispensers and fancy smart refrigerator tech (although some of CR's picks come with those options). And, most importantly, not every fridge is fit for the harsh environment of a garage. Manufacturers will actually label a fridge as "garage-ready", which means it can withstand big temperature swings in an uninsulated space. That's the case with Samsung's RT70F18LRSR, which held up to CR's "hot garage" lab test, where the fridge was left to run at its coldest setting for 4 days in a 110-degree Fahrenheit space. Selling for around $750 at major appliance retailers like Home Depot, this narrower, 28-inch fridge tucks well into a narrow space in a garage, and online reviewers gave it good marks for its practical design and energy efficiency. One reviewer called it "the perfect garage fridge." Other models not necessarily marketed for garage use are also recommended by CR, which not only put them through the temperature test, but also looked at reliability, design, and energy efficiency.

Whirlpool's WRT313CZLZ is one example that isn't sold specifically for garages, but CR likes it as a second fridge. Selling for under $800, it is smaller than the Samsung at a compact 24 inches wide. It also has adjustable shelves handy for bulk items and tall bottles. However, some Home Depot reviewers question its reliability, encountering problems after a few months. Another 24-inch-wide model that made CR's top pick list, the Whirlpool WRT112CZJZ retails for a less expensive $700 (even cheaper if you get it in white), and earns better overall reviews from Home Depot purchasers. 

LG is CR's number one pick overall in top-freezer fridges, with two models that CR likes for your garage. If you need a larger fridge, CR recommends the 33-inch-wide LG LRTLS2403S for its reliability and energy efficiency. At only 24 inches wide, the smaller LG LT11C2000V also did well in CR testing, and Home Depot purchasers give this compact unit high marks for overall design, performance, and energy efficiency.

Rounding out CR's top six garage-ready fridges is Hotpoint's HPS16BTNRWW, the cheapest fridge on the list at around $600 from Lowe's. This super-basic fridge only comes in white, but has plenty of storage room for all your extra drinks and snacks, and boasts the largest freezer capacity of all CR- recommended models. Even if you've had a trusty garage fridge for years, you may want to consider replacing an older fridge with one of these upgrades. Energy efficiency has improved dramatically in refrigerators over the last 50 years, and modern fridges hardy enough for your hot garage will cost you far less to run today than your old standby.