Side-by-side refrigerators elicit strong feelings: Some owners love them, others dislike them intensely. A French-door refrigerator is more versatile for most households, but we’ve found some situations where the long, lean layout of a side-by-side really shines.
Side-by-sides are great for narrow kitchens or tight nooks where it’s harder to open a full-size fridge door. These models also have particularly well-organized freezer compartments that run the entire length of the fridge—ideal for frozen-food fans who buy (or cook) in bulk, and especially handy if you have trouble reaching high or stooping low. (Side-by-sides tend to be a little less expensive than French-door fridges, too.)
We recommend the GE GSE25G. It has an especially flexible interior layout and a sturdy build, plus years of solid owner feedback.
Our pick
This spacious, sturdy fridge has an especially adjustable interior layout and a user-friendly freezer. In our surveys, GE Appliances ranks near the top for customer satisfaction.
The GE GSE25G is impressively flexible and adjustable, with plenty of storage space (25.3 cubic feet). You can adjust both the refrigerator shelves and the large door pockets to 10 levels (most fridges allow for only two or three). It is noticeably sturdy, with thick built-in shelf supports that seem less likely to break—a common issue with side-by-sides.
This GE model is Energy Star certified. It doesn’t have Wi-Fi–enabled smart features, but you can monitor and adjust both the fridge and freezer temperatures without opening the door by using the digital controls displayed on its through-the-door dispenser for ice and water. The fridge has a protective air-venting system that should help keep cold air circulating and prevent food from freezing in the fridge compartment.
The GSE25G has a timeless design, though it isn’t quite as sleek as some of our other picks. (GE Appliances also sells a 33-inch version with a smaller freezer.) The GSE25G has a standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty. GE Appliances has high marks for owner satisfaction in our surveys.
This refrigerator is available in three finishes.
Runner-up
This streamlined smart fridge has the same layout as our top pick, with a bit more capacity, a slightly smaller footprint, and extras such as a door-in-door feature. But its interior storage isn’t as user-friendly.
If our top pick is unavailable or if you prefer a different brand, the crisply designed LG LRSDS2706S looks great and features a few compelling extras. It packs 27.3 cubic feet of capacity into a unit with a slightly smaller footprint than that of our pick. But its layout is significantly less flexible: Only one fridge shelf is adjustable (by just a couple of inches), it offers four door pockets instead of five, and the crisper drawer handles are inconveniently set at almost a floor-level position.
The LRSDS2706S has a door-in-door compartment, which allows you to access snacks and drinks without fully opening the fridge. This model also has an in-door water and ice dispenser, as well as a second ice maker in the freezer that makes spheres.
This fridge is Energy Star certified. It has Wi-Fi–enabled smart features, so you can monitor or adjust it remotely. LG consistently ranks at the top for customer satisfaction in our owner surveys. Its warranty covers the refrigerator for one year. It covers the compressor and cooling system for five years, and it adds an extra five years for parts (but not labor) on those components.
The LRSDS2706S is available in three finishes.
Upgrade pick
This model offers everything we like about our top pick, plus higher-end features, design, and functionality. But it isn’t smart, and it comes in just one finish.
The 25.3-cubic-foot GE Profile PSE25KYH has all the qualities we like about our top pick and adds higher-end features, functionality, and aesthetics. Its shelves are as adjustable and sturdy as those of our pick, but with thick edges that catch spills. A partially retractable sliding shelf lets you easily fit tall items upright. A third refrigerator drawer—uncommon on most side-by-sides—is designed to keep items like snacks and cold cuts within easy reach. The freezer has drawers instead of wire baskets.
This model has a sleeker, more stylish look than most, and its flush-mounted interior LED lighting makes everything inside easier to see.
The Energy Star–certified PSE25KYH is slightly more energy-efficient than our top pick. Though it lacks Wi-Fi–enabled smart features, it offers a few elevated tech settings, such as the ability to rapidly cool the fridge after you load it with hot leftovers, as well as to ramp up ice production with the touch of a button.
This model comes with a standard one-year warranty for the refrigerator and a five-year warranty for parts and labor for the compressor and cooling system. It is available in just one finish.
Also great
This model omits both an ice maker and a through-the-door water dispenser, which makes it more spacious, efficient, and affordable. But it isn’t as user-friendly as our other picks.
If you don’t want a fridge with a through-the-door dispenser for ice and water, consider the affordable Whirlpool WRS315SNHM. This model has 25 cubic feet of capacity. Only one fridge shelf is adjustable (by just a couple of inches), and the temperature control is limited to a handful of settings.
Because it lacks an ice maker and a through-the-door dispenser, the WRS315SNHM has the most freezer space (10 cubic feet) of all our picks.
This model is not Energy Star certified, but it uses the least energy of our picks by far because it doesn’t have many extra features. It’s likely to be quieter, too. This fridge comes with a one-year warranty for parts and labor; Whirlpool also covers parts and labor for up to five years for any manufacturer defects in the compressor and cooling system.
The WRS315SNHM comes in three finishes.
