Best fridges of 2026

A fridge runs 24 hours a day, every day, so choosing the right one can save you money, keep your food fresher and make life easier for years to come.

Our expert test results takes the guesswork out of buying. We assess how well fridges maintain stable temperatures, how energy efficient they are and how easy they are to use. We also factor in reliability and repairability data, so you know which brands are likely to go the distance.

Our buying guide can help you choose the right size and style for your home. Find out how much fridge space your household actually needs, whether a French-door, top-mount, or bottom-mount fridge is best and whether ice and water dispensers are worth the extra cost.

Read on for our top fridge picks, including the best performers, the best-value models and the fridges we'd happily have in our own kitchens.

Best fridges and fridge-freezers of 2026 in NZ

Best cheap fridge-freezer

Best small bottom-mount fridge-freezer

Best large bottom-mount fridge-freezer

Best cheap French door fridge-freezer

Best extra-large French-door fridge-freezer

Best side-by-side fridge-freezer

Best fridge (with no freezer)

Best mini fridge

Which fridge brands are best?

We asked thousands of Consumer members about their experience with products they've used to find out which brands are most reliable and satisfying to own. The results are available to members and Digital Pass holders.

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How Consumer NZ tests fridges

We test fridges in our lab to find out how well they keep food fresh and safe to eat. Our testing measures temperature stability, temperature evenness, how well a fridge copes with changing room temperatures, and how efficiently it cools down warm food placed inside.

We also assess how suitable each fridge is for New Zealand conditions using the manufacturer's recommended settings and measure how much energy it uses during testing.

These results are combined with predicted reliability and brand satisfaction scores from our member surveys to help identify the fridges that perform well, keep temperatures consistently safe and are more likely to provide years of trouble-free service.

Find out more about our testing.