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The best bottom-mount fridges

Tips to help you find the best bottom-mount fridge for your needs, plus the top scorers from our lab tests.

which are the best fridges
Last updated: 06 February 2024

Sick of bending down every time you grab the milk? 

A bottom-mount fridge bends the rules of traditional fridge design and turns the 'freezer on top, fridge on the bottom' form factor on its head, quite literally, elevating commonly-reached-for cold stuffs to more convenient heights.

If you're still not sold on flipping the script fridge-wise, our resident refrigeration expert talks top features of bottom mounts, and more importantly, which ones to avoid.

Plus, for CHOICE members only, we'll reveal the four best bottom-mount fridges from our rigorous lab testing. If you want to find out which bottom-mount fridge comes out on top, join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.

Why buy a bottom-mount fridge?

It's probably important to acknowledge upfront that the term "bottom-mount fridge" may be a bit confusing. It really means a fridge with a bottom-mounted freezer – so the fridge on top, freezer on the bottom – but for better or worse, that's been shortened to "bottom-mount fridge".

Now, if you grew up with the old-fashioned freezer-on-top fridges, you might be wondering what the point is of a fridge with a freezer on the bottom. We asked CHOICE whitegoods expert Ashley Iredale

"Why would you want a bottom-mount fridge? It's all about convenience – a bottom-mount fridge means you don't need to bend down to get the milk, or any fresh food for that matter, and I can guarantee you do that far more often than diving into your freezer," he says. 

Why would you want a bottom-mount fridge? It's all about convenience

Ashley Iredale, CHOICE whitegoods expert

In a bottom-mount fridge, the things you're likely to be reaching for most are much closer to eye level, making it easier to find what you're looking for. 

"Purchase price and running costs tend to be slightly higher for bottom-mount fridges than their top-mount counterparts, but it's a small price to pay for the improved utility and convenience," says Ashley.

The freezer capacity tends to be around the same in both types. But freezers on the bottom are generally built with sliding drawers, whereas freezers up the top generally have shelves, and these can make it harder to access frozen goods buried deep at the back of the freezer. 

Ultimately, which one is best comes down to personal preference. 

ash with smeg fridge

The Smeg FAB38 and FAB32 get a thumbs down from Ashley.

The worst bottom-mount fridge

Smeg FAB38RCRAU

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 22%
  • Keeping food fresh longer: 26%
  • RRP: $3990

Don't be fooled by the cult brand and glitzy marketing: this Smeg shocker received much worse than just a frosty reception when it was reviewed by our expert fridge fanatics. 

They were so appalled at this appliance's poor performance, they gave it the lowest score they have ever given a fridge in CHOICE's long history. Ever. 

Why is it so bad? As well as using a ton of energy and being expensive to run, our testers uncovered wild fluctuations in the temperature of the appliance, which means your food is likely to go off far more quickly than it should. 

Add to that an eye-watering price tag, and this is definitely one to avoid. 

Read the full Smeg FAB38RCRAU review.

smeg fab32rpb5au

This $4000 Smeg fridge may have appeal if you love the retro look, but not if you also like your food kept fresh.

Still have your heart set on a retro-style fridge? Here's another one to avoid, also from Smeg: the FAB32RPB5AU.

For a cool $3990, you'll get a fridge that's marginally better than its predecessor – but not by much. 

It rated 43% overall, but was once again roasted by our experts, scoring 0% for temperature stability due to its tendency to fluctuate by a huge 8.4°C in the fresh food compartment. 

And with a total capacity of just 331L, that's a heck of a lot to pay for a small fridge that won't keep your food fresh. 

If you're looking for a similarly-sized fridge that'll actually do the job, check our list of expert-recommended models below. 

What are the best bottom-mount fridges?

The sheer range of fridges on the market can make it hard to pick the right one – but that's where we come in.

Only members can access our detailed fridge testing data. If you're not yet a member, join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews. 

Or log in to unlock this article and find out which three fridges we rate as the pick of the bunch.

We independently test and review dozens of new fridges each year in our onsite labs, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.

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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.

lg-gb-335wl

LG GB-335WL

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 82%
  • Temperature stability score: 85%
  • Total volume: 335L (small)
  • Price*: $999 

This kitchen white knight is not only the best bottom-mount fridge we tested recently, it's also the cheapest. 

Our experts rated it as 'very good' across a number of tested areas, noting that its temperature stability is particularly impressive (which means you get even temperatures throughout to make your food last longer). 

The only downsides are that it lacks a chiller and humidity control on the crisper, but for performance this good at a price that low, we think it can be forgiven for these tiny details.

Read the full LG GB-335WL review.

* Price paid by CHOICE at time of testing.

lg gb 455wl

LG GB-455WL

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 81%
  • Temperature stability score: 90%
  • Total volume: 454L (medium)
  • Price: $1439

If excellent temperature stability is what you're after, this fridge delivers the goods: it scored 90% on our temperature stability test, which means it'll keep your ice cream frozen and your fresh food fresh. 

It also performed well in terms of its noise level, temperature range and ability to keep food fresh for longer. 

The only downside our testers could find is that it doesn't have a chiller — but aside from that, it's a winner.

Read the full LG GB-455WL review.

fisher paykel rf522brpw6

Fisher & Paykel RF522BRPW6

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 79%
  • Keeping food fresh longer: 76%
  • Total volume: 519L
  • RRP: $2299

Coming in just two percentage points behind the top performers, this Fisher & Paykel offers very good temperature stability and temperature range. When external temperatures change (due to seasons, for example), it responds well, and has very small fluctuations in temperature as the compressor turns on and off. In short: it'll do a great job of keeping your food fresh. 

It does have a quite high 10-year running cost ($1401) compared to the top two performers, but it is a fair bit bigger than they are, which would account for the increased costs. 

All in all, this is a great purchase from a fridge brand that has a reliability score of 88%, and we recommend it. 

Read the full Fisher & Paykel RF522BRPW6 review

fisher paykel rf442brpw6

Fisher & Paykel RF442BRPW6

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 77%
  • Temperature stability score: 75%
  • Total volume: 442L (medium)
  • Price: $1799

A petite version of the Fisher & Paykel above, this medium-sized fridge performed similarly well across all of our tests, lagging just a couple of percentage points behind its big brother in a few areas, but still performing solidly. 

As you'd expect, it's a little narrower than its 522L counterpart, so if you're tight on space this fridge will save you 11cm in width while still delivering great performance.

Read the full Fisher & Paykel RF442BRPW6 review

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.