6 Best Freezers, According to Testing
Upright freezers and chest freezers are great ways to store bulk purchases and preserve excess food.
Tested by Eva Bleyer and Raena Loper
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If your refrigerator’s freezer is constantly packed to the brim—or if you like to buy in bulk to save money—a standalone freezer can be a game changer. After testing dozens of models, we narrowed it down to our top picks that excel in performance, reliability, and ease of use.
When choosing a freezer, ask yourself whether you want an upright or a chest freezer. Upright freezers take up less floor space and are easier to organize. However, our lab tests have shown they warm up faster during outages and sometimes struggle to maintain even cooling across shelves. Chest freezers generally offer more usable space thanks to their wide, open design. They’re also more energy-efficient and can keep food frozen longer during a power outage, since cold air stays trapped inside when the lid is closed. The trade-off? They can be trickier to organize. The best freezer pick for you comes down to how (and where) you plan to use it.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've tested over 50 refrigerators in the past 10 years. When making our picks, we also consider useful features like automatic defrost, flash-freeze, and included organization solutions.
Best Deal
Pros
- Multi-vent technology for even cooling
- Optimal organization
- Freezer is convertible into a refrigerator
Cons
- The door can be slightly hard to open
While most freezers have a few baskets or bins for organization, Samsung's 11-Cubic-Foot Convertible Upright Freezer provides superior organization. It houses three adjustable shelves, four removable drawers and three adjustable door bins to keep your proteins and frozen veggies in sight.
Samsung’s multi-vent technology evenly circulates air throughout the cavity, maintaining even cooling from top to bottom. It’s also whisper-quiet, and the drawers glide smoothly, even when packed full, making it a pleasure to use daily.
Need more fridge space for entertaining or meal prep? Flip a switch, and it transforms from a freezer to a refrigerator. The bright LED interior lighting makes it easy to see everything at a glance, and the sleek stainless steel finish adds polish to your space. Our tester loved that the reversible door offers flexibility in placement, and the ergonomic handle rotates with your hand as you open it. However, the door requires a tug to open due to the tight seal.
| Type | Upright |
| Dimensions | 73 x 23.4 x 27.4 inches |
| Capacity | 11 cubic feet |
Pros
- Compact but roomy
- Easy to defrost
- Lightweight and portable
Cons
- No interior light
Compact, capable, and surprisingly spacious, this Frigidaire chest freezer proves you don’t need a massive appliance to make a serious storage upgrade.
Its 5-cubic-foot capacity hits the sweet spot for smaller homes, apartments, or garages—enough room for frozen meats, meal-prepped casseroles, and a few pints of ice cream, without overwhelming your space. One tester summed it up perfectly: “It doesn’t take up much space but holds a lot of food.”
Despite its modest footprint, it’s built for convenience. The freezer is light enough to move with a helper, and routine maintenance is refreshingly simple. Our testers found the manual defrost process quick and painless—ice melted evenly, drained cleanly, and didn’t create a mess. For first-time chest freezer owners, it’s an approachable, low-hassle option.
While you may notice some ice buildup over time and the lack of an interior light can make late-night rummaging tricky, those trade-offs feel minor given its strong performance, quiet operation, and efficient use of space.
Features at a Glance
| Type | Chest |
| Dimensions | 25.1" x 21.9" x 33.3" |
| Capacity | 5 cubic feet |
Pros
- Spacious interior
- Reliable performance
- Simple design
Cons
- Limited organization
This GE chest freezer is the kind of dependable, no-drama appliance that quietly earns its keep. With 10.7 cubic feet of storage, it’s spacious enough to hold a season’s worth of soups, stews, and frozen pizzas—or enough bulk buys from Costco to make future you very grateful.
One tester described it as “reassuringly reliable,” especially compared to their past freezers that constantly frosted over. This model stays consistent and frost-free longer, thanks to its simple, well-insulated design that performs smoothly even in garage conditions. It doesn’t have smart features or fancy displays, but what you do get is a sturdy, steady workhorse built for years of service.
The interior is mostly open space, save for two small baskets up top for quick-grab items like frozen fruit or ice packs. While it lacks a robust organization system, that trade-off allows you to maximize usable space and customize storage with your own bins or dividers.
Features at a Glance
| Type | Chest |
| Dimensions | 43.75" x 24" x 33.37" |
| Capacity | 10.74 cubic feet |
Pros
- Small but efficient footprint
- Easy to move and set up
- Door is reversible
Cons
- Temperature dial is not easy to access
Not everyone needs a massive freezer. For small apartments, dorms, bar areas, or as a secondary unit for snacks, this Whynter 3-cubic-feet freezer offers a small footprint, decent features, and good flexibility. A reversible-swing stainless steel door, mechanical temperature control, and a slide-out wire basket add to its convenience.
It checks the boxes for ease of setup, good design, and efficient freezing in a small footprint. Our tester says the freezer was very easy to move without help since it's quite light. It was also very easy to unbox and set up.
The temperature dial is in the back exterior, which might make adjustments less convenient if placed flush against a wall.
Features at a Glance
| Type | Compact |
| Dimensions | 21" x 19.5" x 33.5" |
| Capacity | 3 cubic feet |
Pros
- Garage-ready
- Easy to organize
- Can fit a lot of food
Cons
- Requires additional space
If you’re feeding a large family, doing serious bulk-freezing (garden produce, hunting game, large cuts of meat), or want one freezer to cover everything, this pick from GE has an oversized capacity at 21.3 cubic feet. Like other GE models on this list, this model is garage-ready, meaning it has been tested by GE to perform in ambient temperatures from 0°F to 110°F.
Our tester was able to store quite a bit of extra food, such as ground turkey, which helped their household save money. It was also easy to operate and organize, thanks to the freezer's interior LED lighting, shelving, and clear slide-out freezer bins. We appreciate that the freezer has a built-in lock and external thermometer, too.
While it can fit a lot of frozen goods, make note of your space because this freezer requires more room for the door to swing open. We also noticed that the door is harder to open during warmer weather, but this is a common occurrence with freezers placed in garages.
| Type | Upright |
| Dimensions | 76" x 31" x 32" |
| Capacity | 21.3 cubic feet |
Pros
- Converts from freezer to fridge and back
- Equipped with an interior light
- Adjustable glass shelves and crisper drawer
Cons
- Ice can form underneath the bottom drawer
Depending on the time of year, you may need more freezer space to store meats or other favorite foods, or more refrigerator space for fresh produce. That's why the Galanz convertible freezer and refrigerator caught our eye: With just the flip of a switch, you can turn the upright freezer into a refrigerator.
The adjustable thermostat ranges from 33℉ to 45℉ in refrigerator mode and -8℉ to 5℉ in freezer mode. The single-door unit features slide-out, adjustable glass shelves and a transparent crisper drawer to keep fruits and veggies fresh. The LED light is helpful when grabbing items, and the narrow shape is great for smaller kitchens.
One tester noted, "It's easy to load, organize, and access what's inside, and it's a great size for the garage. It's also nice to be able to keep ice cream frozen outside in the winter!" Our tester noted that they got some ice formation under the bottom drawer, which caused it to stick. They had to pull hard to get the drawer out and clean away the built-up ice before it was back to normal.
| Type | Upright |
| Dimensions | 27.7" x 64.7" x 23.6" |
| Capacity | 11 cubic feet |
How we test freezers
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've been testing large kitchen appliances like refrigerators and ranges for decades. We've tested over 50 refrigerators in the past 10 years alone.
Through our in-Lab and at-home consumer testing, as well as our product experts' extensive research and industry experience, we're able to recommend specific models that tested well for us and recognize models with the details that stand out most.
When we test a standalone freezer or a freezer attached to a refrigerator, we test for performance by scoring the following factors:
✔️ Ease of use: We examine the control panel for clarity and responsiveness, the readability of the owner's manual, and the ergonomics of handles.
✔️ Organization: Adjustable baskets and flexible storage options make a big difference when accommodating frozen foods, from large cuts of meat to smaller packages.
✔️ Real-world use: Testers use the freezers at home to see how easy they are to set up, defrost, and how they hold up over time.
What to consider when shopping for a freezer
When shopping for a freezer, it’s not just about cubic feet—you’ll want to think about your space, freezing habits, energy costs, and the type of unit that best suits your lifestyle.
✔️ Type: The two main types of freezers are upright freezers and chest freezers
- Chest freezers open from the top and often give more usable space per cubic foot, usually cost less, and are energy-efficient. But they require bending down to access items and may require more floor space.
- Upright freezers open like a fridge, make for easier access to items at eye level, and allow for shelving and door storage.
✔️ Placement: If the unit will be in a garage, basement, or unconditioned space, look for “garage-ready” rated models. These are designed to operate in wide ambient temperature ranges without performance degradation. Measure your space carefully—width, depth, height, lid clearance (for chest) or door swing (for upright), doorways the unit must pass through, and clearance for air‐ventilation behind the unit.
✔️ Capacity: Buying space doesn’t matter if you never use it—a half-empty large freezer uses nearly as much energy as a fuller one. Manufacturers recommend 2.5 cubic feet per person. For example, a 10-cubic-foot freezer is ideal for a family of four.
✔️ Energy efficiency: Look for Energy Star-rated models when available; they generally use less electricity and cost less over time. Check the kWh/year figure or estimated annual electricity cost. Multiply by your utility rate to estimate yearly cost. Remember: opening the door, ambient heat, and fullness (lots of air gaps = more work) all affect energy usage.
✔️ Maintenance: "Frost free" and auto-defrost models are more convenient and require less maintenance, but come with higher upfront cost and may use more energy (though some premium units compensate). Manual defrost models are generally more efficient, cost less, but require you to clear ice periodically. Check for features like a drain for water (in chest models), defrost ease, and smooth interior walls for cleaning.
✔️ Organization: Look for removable baskets, sliding drawers, adjustable shelves, door bins (in uprights)—these make a big difference in daily usability. For chest freezers, baskets help prevent items from being buried at the bottom.
✔️ Ease of use:
- Lighting (interior LED) is important, especially if the freezer goes in a garage or dim room.
- Ease of access: Do you have to bend down? Is the door heavy/hard to open? Are the controls easy to reach?
- Build quality: Good insulation, thick walls, solid lid/door hinges and a tight gasket all improve performance and durability.
- Features and extras: Reversible door or handle options help with placement flexibility (especially in tight garages). Nice extras include external temperature controls, fast-freeze or turbo-freeze functions, door locks (if in shared spaces or if kids are around), audible alarms if temperature rises, and garage-ready certification.
What is the difference between an upright freezer and a chest freezer?
✔️ Upright freezers look a lot like conventional single-door refrigerators with shelves, drawers and extra storage space on the door. They usually come with an automatic defrost function which makes them better for short-term storage. Even if you open the door multiple times a day, the automatic defrost function will help prevent ice from accumulating.
Pros:
- Easy to organize and find items
- Takes up less floor space
- Narrow enough to fit through doorways easily
- Available in many finishes
Cons:
- Higher incidence of freezer burn because more air circulates around food and cold air can escape from the bottom of the freezer
- Storage on door tends to be warmer
- Less usable space than chest freezer because of shelves and drawers
- Pricier than chest freezers
✔️ Chest freezers are low-profile box-shaped freezers with a hinged lid that opens from the top. They have a wide open space with removable baskets and dividers, offering more usable space than an upright freezer. During power outages, chest freezers will stay colder for longer. They usually need to be manually defrosted to clean out built-up frost. When assessing your space, add a few inches to the depth of the chest freezer to account for the space the lid needs to open all the way.
Pros:
- Easy to fit large and oddly shaped items
- Lower profile allows it to fit under windows
- They are known for being more energy efficient, have more consistent temperatures and less prone to freezer burn because they're designed with a tighter seal and cold air stays at the bottom compared to upright freezers where it can escape at the bottom
Cons:
- More difficult to organize, find and reach items at the bottom
- Takes up more floor space than upright freezer
Both types of freezers come in a range of prices, dimensions and energy efficiency levels, and they both can include features like automatic defrost, drain plugs, temperature controls and a flash-freeze function.
How long do freezers last?
Most good quality freezers last 10 to 15 years or more, depending on usage, maintenance, and ambient conditions. Properly defrosted, with clean coils and good gasket seals, they can last even longer.
Can I put a freezer in my garage?
Yes, but only if the freezer is rated for the garage's ambient temperature range. Extreme heat or cold can affect compressor performance. Look for “garage-ready” certifications or check the manufacturer’s “ambient operating temperature” range (e.g. 0°F to 110°F or similar).
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Perry Santanachote is a contributing writer for Good Housekeeping. She has been testing and writing about the best kitchen appliances—from toaster ovens to refrigerators—for over a decade.
Eva Bleyer is the reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab. She has tested a wide variety of kitchen appliances and gear, from gas ranges to microwaves and more.
Raena Loper is a contributing analyst for the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab and has helped test freezers, air fryers, toaster ovens, food processors, and more.
Perry Santanachote (she/her) has more than 15 years of experience in service journalism, specializing in food and consumer goods. She tests and reports on kitchen appliances and cooking tools. She also evaluates food products and cleaning supplies. She’s an experienced writer, product tester and recipe developer who has worked in labs, test kitchens and media organizations, including Thrillist and Consumer Reports.
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.
Raena Loper (she/her) is a fashion journalist and product analyst based in New Jersey whose work has appeared in Forbes, Good Housekeeping and O, The Oprah Magazine. Raena is a graduate from Montclair State University where she earned a degree in fashion studies as well as gender, sexuality and women's studies. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, cooking BBQ and spending time with family.
