4 Refrigerator Brands With Better Ratings Than Whirlpool

When your old refrigerator loses its cool – permanently — you may be tempted to buy a Whirlpool. After all, the company with more than 100 years of experience in appliances benefits from name recognition, and it is one of the last U.S.-based major appliance brands. There's a lot more to consider than just the brand when you're shopping for a new refrigerator, too: You need to measure your space, decide on your preferred type, and consider features like ice makers and water dispensers. If you decide to check out your local Home Depot or other big-box retailer, you'll likely find a variety of Whirlpool refrigerators on display, from basic budget options to more premium appliances.

Brand ratings matter, especially when it comes to reliability and real-world usage. While Consumer Reports (CR) does include Whirlpool as one of the more reliable options in several categories, including top-freezer and bottom-freezer, the brand sits lower on CR's rankings for French door and side-by-side refrigerators. In addition, Whirlpool is also not very well-rated on consumer review platforms like Trustpilot and Yelp. When looking at overall Best Brands, Consumer Reports does not include Whirlpool as a top choice in any refrigerator category, and neither does JDPower, which examines brands based customer satisfaction. So if you're curious about better-rated alternatives, here are four brands that tend to receive higher ratings than Whirlpool.

LG is just as famous for its kitchen appliances as it is for the television you have in your living room. It offers a wide range of dishwashers, ranges, microwaves, refrigerators, and more. Buyers have their choice of traditional top-freezer, side-by-side, French door, bottom freezer, and even smart refrigerators, but it's not a budget choice. Retailers like Best Buy have a few LG refrigerators priced under $1,000, but most options cost $1,500 or more.

Reviewers agree, however, that an LG refrigerator is typically worth the price. The brand is Consumer Reports' highest choice for top-freezer fridges when it comes to reliability, and it ranks well in the side-by-side and French door categories as well. The consumer resource named this French door model, which retails for $2,299, as a top choice in this category. In 2026, Good Housekeeping named an LG Smart French Door Refrigerator with a dual ice maker as its highest pick, citing its built-in water filter, great organization, and clear bins that make it easy to see your fridge contents. This standard-depth refrigerator has an MSRP of $3,699 but is on sale on LG's website for $2,099. JDPower also recognized LG as second in both the French door and side-by-side refrigerator categories.

In a recent report of the best refrigerator options, Wirecutter, an independent product recommendation and review website owned by The New York Times, recognized several LG refrigerators. The brand was its top choice for French door refrigerators, bottom-freezer refrigerators, and top-freezer refrigerators.

French door refrigerators are a popular choice for consumers in the U.S. They typically have two side-by-side doors on the top and a pull-out freezer drawer on the bottom. This design not only looks polished and modern, but it also keeps the most frequently used items at eye level, offers a wide space inside, and usually has good efficiency ratings. Consumer Reports recently named premium brand Bosch as its pick on its list for French door refrigerators. If you're interested in another type of refrigerator, however, you may want to explore other brands, as Bosch is lower on the list for all other stand-alone refrigerators on Consumer Reports' 2026 list.

Bosch currently lists 16 French door refrigerators on its website, with prices ranging from about $3,650 to $4,050 for in-stock models. The company offers stainless steel, black stainless steel, and white or black glass options, and some offer high-end features such as device connectivity, special storage for wine bottles, and layered freezer drawers. Several models have a Good Housekeeping Limited Warranty, which is a special guarantee backed by Good Housekeeping magazine. Any product bearing this seal has a two-year warranty from the magazine that will either refund the purchase price or $2,000, whichever is less.

Good Housekeeping also named the Bosch 800 Series French Door Bottom Mount Refrigerator as the best high-end option. This premium pick has an MSRP of $5,199, but it is currently sold out on Bosch's website.

If Bosch is out of your price range, GE offers a more affordable baseline and mid-tier options, along with high-end selections under the GE Profile name. Full-size refrigerators start at about $700 and swing to more than $10,000 for built-in options, but the majority of options are under $2,000.

Wirecutter recently named a GE French door refrigerator as its runner-up for best French door option. It's currently on sale from GE for $1,699 and is available in black, white, slate, and stainless steel. Wirecutter cited its spacious design and quiet operation. Forbes named a similar model as its top overall pick for French door fridges, praising the bright interior and good climate control.

GE also stands out in side-by-side selections. In this category, Consumer Reports awarded the brand the highest predicted reliability score in the category, and Wirecutter named a GE model as its choice. It's currently available for $1,889 from GE, and it has an adjustable interior and a freezer that actually feels functional, which can be a challenge in side-by-side models. If you're still on the fence about the brand, Good Housekeeping also recognized GE on its list of the best refrigerators. Another French-door model, this one also priced at $1,699, was named the Best Value option.

Consumer Reports places Samsung behind only LG, when it comes to basic top-freezer refrigerators, but while it isn't recognized with a top spot in any category, both Forbes and Good Housekeeping offer their own opinions of the brand. Forbes named the Samsung Bespoke AI 4-Door Flex as its top overall choice. This high-tech refrigerator, available in stainless steel or white glass, has a built-in 32-inch screen that Samsung has dubbed the Family Hub. You can connect it to your Wi-Fi and stream music and videos, share pictures, and more. You can use the touchscreen to display your Google calendar, control fridge and freezer preferences, and even manage security cameras. You can also monitor and manage this fridge's power usage from the app, and an AI Food Manager will track contents and even expiration dates.

The two top doors have an auto-open function, and the freezer has a split-door design and an integrated ice maker with two trays offering different sizes of ice. Good Housekeeping also recognized this model, naming it the Best Smart Refrigerator of 2026. The Bespoke AI 4-Door Flex has an MSRP of $4,999, but it's currently on sale from Samsung for $3,699.

JDPower also recognizes Samsung as offering the highest customer satisfaction French door, side-by-side, and top-freezer refrigerator options. The AI refrigerator is very cool, but it may not be for everyone. Buyers should also be aware that Samsung is ranked fairly low by Consumer Reports in other categories, including button-freezer refrigerators and French door refrigerators. You may want to consider other brands if you prefer one of those layouts.