The 7 Best Smart Refrigerators That Impressed Experts and Real Consumers

This year's best overall smart refrigerator is packed with features that make it stand out — some incredibly useful, others more for fun — but overall, it offers the best balance of smart technology, organization and design.

The large, responsive touchscreen is a standout, offering weather updates, calendar reminders and easy access to music and video streaming. Our testers really liked that they could follow recipes on YouTube or listen to music on Spotify while cooking — and yes, the speakers can get loud! It also doubles as a digital photo frame and has a fun drawing app for kids and adults.

One of the most impressive features we’ve tested is the AI-powered camera inside the fridge, which automatically tracks what you add and remove. You can check what’s inside remotely and even get recipe suggestions based on what you have — though our testers noted that the tracking isn’t always perfect. Wi-Fi setup was seamless, quickly pairing with our phones so we could manage settings and receive alerts.

Our tests found that the hidden water dispenser keeps the design sleek while still being easy to access, and the auto-refilling pitcher is a great perk for families who go through a lot of water. It also makes two types of ice, standard cubes and smaller nugget-style pieces, but the ice scoop placement could be improved, as cubes sometimes spill out. Our testers liked the adjustable sliding shelves and deep door bins, which offer plenty of storage and help keep everything organized.

If you’re looking for a fridge that does more than just keep food cold, this one has smart features that actually add convenience, along with a well-thought-out design that makes daily life easier.

This budget-friendly model (and Good Housekeeping Home Renovation Award winner) from Hisense delivers smart design at a lower price than most competitors. It features French doors on top, a middle convertible drawer and a bottom freezer, offering a claimed 25.6-cubic-foot capacity with plenty of adjustable storage features that make it feel even bigger.

One of the highlights that stands out for a fridge in this price bracket is the middle drawer, which can be adjusted between 27°F and 41°F, letting you customize it as a fridge, beverage chiller or soft freezer — a feature our testers found especially useful for families. The adjustable shelves offer great flexibility, with one that slides back to make room for taller items. Gallon door bins provide additional storage for drinks and condiments.

The app allows remote temperature adjustments and sends maintenance alerts, such as when the water filter needs replacing. One home tester noted that the controls were so intuitive that even her 10-year-old figured them out quickly.

While the fridge performed well in independent testing and months of in-home use, we did note some drawbacks. The exterior is more prone to dents and scratches compared to other models, and odors tend to linger longer than expected — our test fridge held onto a garlic scent for a long time and smelled like chocolate when we stored chocolate bark in it.

LG has consistently performed well in our tests, and this model features thoughtful design upgrades, advanced cooling technology and smart functionality focused on maintenance and troubleshooting. While it doesn’t integrate with other smart home systems, it includes unique hands-free features that set it apart from other luxury models.

One of LG’s signature features, InstaView, is a standout — we like that you can knock twice on the panel to see inside without opening the door, helping to reduce cold air loss, leading to better efficiency. The door-in-door feature is also great for quick access to frequently used items like drinks and snacks, keeping the rest of the fridge better insulated.

The slim ice maker is built into the refrigerator door, maximizing storage without taking up valuable shelf space. Another standout design element is the stainless steel back panel, which not only gives the interior a sleek, premium look but also helps maintain consistent temperatures. The freezer is well-organized, with multiple pull-out shelves and clear bins on the doors, making it easy to store and find frozen items.

Where this fridge really stands out is in its hands-free convenience. It features a smart sensor at the base that automatically opens the door when it detects movement nearby, which is especially useful when your hands are full of groceries. You can also use simple voice commands — just say, “Hi, LG” to open the door or adjust the water and ice dispenser settings.

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Café is a luxury appliance brand from GE that focuses on style and customizable design features. Our testers noted that opening the doors of this refrigerator gives you that chic, high-end kitchen feel, making it a standout choice if style is as important to you as function.

Beyond aesthetics, the Café smart refrigerator is intuitive and convenient, allowing you to connect multiple GE appliances in one place, from this fridge to your washer and dryer. It sends alerts when the temperature changes, if the door is left open too long and when the water filter or ice maker needs maintenance. These features ensure that your fridge is running smoothly and efficiently, without requiring constant manual checks.

Like the Hisense this fridge features a middle drawer with adjustable temperature settings that let you customize it based on the type of food you are storing. The Café does lack some of the smart features that these other fridges include, so compare carefully.

This LG model tops our list of best refrigerators for performance and ease of use, but let's not sleep on its smart capabilities: It's Wi-Fi enabled and connects to LG's ThinQ app. This feature allows you to monitor and control the fridge remotely, making it easy to adjust the temperature, receive maintenance alerts and troubleshoot issues before they become bigger problems. This is particularly useful for when the water filter needs replacing or if the door has been left open too long.

From a performance point of view, one of the biggest advantages of this fridge is its bright, open interior. The stainless steel back panel helps regulate temperature, and the adjustable shelving and wide door bins make it easy to store and see all your ingredients at a glance. The large 30.7 cubic feet of internal capacity will hold meals for families of all sizes.

The dual ice maker is another standout feature. The built-in ice and water dispenser on the left door keeps the design streamlined, though it does make the bins on that side shallower than the ones on the right. Meanwhile, the freezer offers LG’s signature round cocktail ice balls, perfect for entertaining.

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This smart fridge from GE comes packed with features that impressed our experts, including IFTTT (If This Then That), a tool that lets you create custom automations between different devices. For example, you can set it up so that if your fridge door is left open for too long, your smart lights flash or you get a phone notification. It helps your appliances and apps work together in ways they normally wouldn’t on their own, making your kitchen even smarter.

The fridge is also compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa, and it includes a useful door-in-door configuration, which allows you to access ingredients in the door without opening the entire fridge. It’s a useful feature when you want to quickly grab items like condiments or a water bottle. The door handles are a bit dated as most brands have moved away from the arched designs for their premium models.

We were also pleased with the AutoFill water dispenser that lets you set your glass down and walk away while it fills up without having to worry about it overflowing, as well as the bright LED lighting inside the fridge. The temperature-controlled middle compartment felt spacious for storing frozen foods, cheese platers, champagne and more, and we appreciated that the bins and dividers inside are removable so you can easily store a larger item like a frozen pizza if needed.

This refrigerator stands out not only for its futuristic design and high-quality construction but also for its customizable interior setup. Our experts liked the adjustable FlexBar on the back wall, which makes use of space you typically wouldn’t use and lets you organize small items such as eggs or condiments. We were also impressed by the glass display refreshment center compartment, which can hold up to 35 cans or 17 wine bottles and features touch-control settings that can adjust humidity and temperature levels.

The water dispenser and ice maker are located on the inside of the fridge and freezer, making for a sleeker design. Some may find this to be a nuisance, but we like being able to scoop the ice (with the included scoop) quickly and efficiently. And it wouldn’t be a smart fridge without the capability to connect your smartphone to the Bosch Home Connect app, where you can control the fridge’s temperature, adjust lighting or run diagnostics. We do wish it had Alexa and Google Assistant capabilities.

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