The Best Mini Fridges in 2022

Mini fridges aren't just a good buy for college students—they're also great for busy parents and remote workers with a home office. Extra fridge space is never a bad thing, and it can actually be a lifesaver if anything were to go wrong with your main household fridge. It's only when a fridge breaks that you realize how much you depend on it daily.

A mini fridge is also a good gift idea for working moms and twenty-somethings who have just moved into a new living space. Having some room in the fridge is always appreciated, even if it's just for cold drinks—or breastmilk storage for nursing moms. That said, looking for a new mini fridge may be difficult, especially if you haven't given much thought to refrigerators in the past.

​Size:​ Not all mini fridges are "mini" by design. Some are just smaller than a standard kitchen fridge, while others are best used to hold a few cans of soda. A standard-sized mini fridge should be somewhere around 17 inches long, 19 inches wide, and 20 inches high. Larger units are often expected to have more freezer room, but this feature is dependent on your needs. When buying a mini fridge, you'll want to measure beforehand and keep the size of your room in mind.

​Capacity:​ Based on the diversity of sizes, it makes sense that mini fridge capacity varies pretty widely. However, you can expect your mini fridge to range anywhere between 1.5 and 7.5 cubic feet. Some mini fridges have an equal amount of freezer and fridge space. Others include more drawers. Some are designed mostly for sodas. Figuring out what capacity you require is a good step in finding your perfect mini fridge.

​Cleaning Routine:​ Refrigerators are notoriously tough to clean, but later models are making it easier to pop out shelves to clean them individually. When buying a mini fridge for a student, it's important to keep in mind that they may not have access to a sink in their room. Being able to simply wipe down the insides of a mini fridge on a monthly basis should be good enough.

​Wattage:​ Most mini fridges run between 50 and 100 watts of power. In comparison, a kitchen fridge usually runs on 350 to 780 watts. It's good to check the wattage of a fridge—while it's true that higher wattage models will be stronger in nature, they also eat up a lot of power.

​Price:​ A compact mini fridge (under 2 cubic feet) will typically set you back $150, while a more spacious model (over 3 cubic feet) costs closer to $200. A personal cooler, which holds up to six soda cans or a smattering of skincare products, only costs about $40.

With these considerations in mind, here are some of the best mini fridges you can buy on the market today.

$109.99 at Best Buy

This sleek mini fridge features an adjustable thermostat that ranges from 32° Fahrenheit to 39° Fahrenheit and a reversible door to accommodate small spaces. It has a 1.7-cubic-foot capacity and includes a full-width wire shelf to keep bottles and cans organized. With an estimated yearly electricity use of 245 kilowatt-hours (kWh), running this model would increase the cost of your electric bill by about $29 per year. While the ultra-quiet fridge may lack a freezer compartment, it's a wonderful buy if you're only looking to keep some basic products cold.

​​At a Glance:​

• Dimensions: 19.03" x 17.03" x 18.9"
• Capacity: 1.7 cu. ft.
• Reversible door hinge
• Mechanical controls
• No freezer compartment

$189.99 at Amazon

If you'd like to be able to monitor your supply of beverages without having to open the door, you'll want to check out this glass-front mini fridge that can hold up to 60 cans or 17 bottles of wine. The swing door can be installed on the right or left side and the wire shelf is removable and adjustable. This freezer-less unit can be set to a wide range of temperatures, from 39° Fahrenheit to 61° Fahrenheit. The internal LED light improves visibility and can be kept on even while the door is shut.

​​At a Glance:​

• Dimensions: 17.5" x 18.5" x 19.6"
• Capacity: 1.6 cu. ft.
• Can hold up to 60 cans
• Quiet cooling system
• Has tight door seal
• No freezer compartment

$159.00 at Walmart

Why have a boring fridge when something like this exists? With a glossy finish on the outside and a 0.25-cubic-foot freezer compartment on the inside, this fridge is bound to get compliments at your next gathering. It even comes with a built-in bottle opener and a compact ice cube tray. If you've got a lot of taller bottles, you'll be happy to know that this model includes two door compartment shelves as well as two removable glass shelves that'll help flawlessly store what you need. It also touts a one-year warranty for peace of mind.

​​At a Glance:​

• Dimensions: ‎21.5" x 19" x 33"
• Capacity: 3.2 cu. ft.
• Has three shelves
• Two-liter bottle storage on door
• Ice cube tray
• Has freezer compartment

$194.00 at Walmart

As far as freezer space goes, this mini fridge by Galanz offers more room than many other brands. That means it'll be perfect for a late-night pint of ice cream, or even a few extra ice trays. Both the freezer door and refrigerator door offer built-in organizers, including storage for 2-liter bottles and a 4-can dispenser. The fridge compartment features two slide-out glass shelves and a vegetable crisper. There's also a manual temperature control and an interior light that allows you to easily find what you're looking for.​​​

​At a Glance:​

• Dimensions: 19.13" x 21.10" x 32.80"
• Capacity: 3.1 cu. ft.
  
• Two-door design
• Energy-saving efficiency
• Two slide-out glass shelves
• Has freezer compartment

$279.99 at Amazon

Looking for an environmentally-friendly mini fridge? This 65-watt mini fridge has a motor that keeps the Earth in mind. The two-door model contains a 0.95-cubic-foot freezer compartment, a removable glass shelf, and a crisper drawer to help you store anything from veggies to soft drinks. This unit utilizes its space well and would be good in a dorm room or small shared office space. The door can be installed on the right or left side and the feet are adjustable for level placement. Expect an interior light and an adjustable thermostat with seven settings that range from 32° Fahrenheit to 50° Fahrenheit.

​​At a Glance:​

• Dimensions: 34'' x 19'' x 17.5''
• Capacity: 2.2 cu. ft.
• Two-door design
• Adjustable glass shelf
• Has freezer compartment

$219.00 at Lowe's

You can hold plenty of different frozen foods with room to spare in this spacious two-door mini fridge. The freezer compartment measures 1-cubic-foot and has a retainer bar on the door for extra storage. Meantime, the fridge door is equipped with organizers for canned beverages and 2-liter bottles. There are two removable glass shelves and a sliding crisper drawer that will keep your veggies as fresh as possible. This is a mini fridge you can feel good about using since it's Energy Star-certified and consumes about 322 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, which equates to approximately $39. But, one of the coolest aspects of this mini fridge is that it has a reversible door along with adjustable feet. That means it's suitable for any type of living space, and you can customize it to make it work best for you.

​At a Glance:​

• Dimensions: 21.5" x 18.7" x 33.7"
• Capacity: 3.3 cu. ft.
• Two-door design
• Sliding crisper drawer
• Energy Star-certified
• Has freezer compartment

$279.99 at The Home Depot

This is yet another solid retro pick, but it's perfect for college dorms for a couple of reasons. For one, it's a great way for students to stand out and set a theme for their room. Secondly, it's practical. The Magic Chef Retro comes in four eye-catching colors and contains plenty of freezer space (0.93-cubic-foot) for nighttime microwave pizza. The two glass shelves are removable and easy to clean, even in shared common areas, and the clear crisper drawer holds plenty of fruits and veggies. There's a bright interior light and an adjustable thermostat that ranges from 34.7° Fahrenheit to 42.8° Fahrenheit. It's Energy Star-qualified and comes with a one-year warranty on parts and labor and a five-year warranty on the compressor.

​​At a Glance:​

• Dimensions: 20.1" x 19.1" x 33.5"
• Capacity: 3.2 cu. ft.
  
• Two-door design
• Interior lighting
• Soda can holder on door
• Has freezer compartment

$154.99 at Amazon

One of the most important things about fridges that often gets overlooked is space. You want something that can hold a lot but won't take up too much room. This fridge gets high marks for its ability to hold so much without being bulky—which is excellent if you're using it mostly as a place to access cold, caffeinated drinks throughout the day. It boasts a removable glass shelf and built-in organizers on the door for a 2-liter bottle and a few canned beverages. There's a small freezer compartment (8 inches tall and two inches wide) for storing the included ice tray and a frozen dinner. It's Energy Star-certified and consumes only 201 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, bumping up your electric bill by about $24. It doesn't make a lot of noise, making it even more appealing to people who might want to prop it close to a work desk.

​​At a Glance:​

• Dimensions: 17.48" x 19.09" x 19.49"
• Capacity: 1.7 cu. ft.
• Reversible door that can open from either the left or right
• High-efficiency, low-energy consumption compressor
• Leveling front legs
• Small freezer compartment