The Best Upright Freezers of 2024
Updated: Apr. 15, 2024
On a budget? Short on space? No matter your needs, we found the best upright freezer for you!
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An upright freezer can be a total lifestyle game changer. Imagine being able to lounge around on weeknights, thanks to a freezer stuffed with make-ahead dinners. Think of the money you can save by purchasing meat and other groceries in bulk. And don’t forget about all the ice cream you can keep on hand!
Adding an extra freezer to your home is a smart investment, but just like purchasing any other major appliance, there are things to consider to ensure you buy the best upright freezer for your needs. Maybe you require a ton of storage, but have a very tiny kitchen. Perhaps feeding a large family tops your concerns, and need as much space as possible. Whatever your reasons for buying one, we found the best upright freezer to fit your lifestyle. (Don’t forget to check out our best chest freezer recommendations, too!)
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Best Overall Upright Freezer
Frigidaire Frost-Free Upright Freezer
This Frigidaire Frost-Free unit earns our spot as the best upright freezer for a few reasons. First, even though this freezer offers an impressive amount of space (15.5-cubic-feet), it manages to keep every corner ice-cold, thanks to its EvenTemp cooling system. The cooling unit runs vertically across the back wall of the freezer. It uses sensors to monitor temperatures throughout the freezer, and adjusts airflow as needed to prevent warm spots.
This is also the best upright freezer if you live in an area with frequent power outages. An extra-tight seal around the door locks cold air in, keeping the inside ice-cold for up to two days. To ensure the freezer stays cold while the power is on, an alarm notifies you if the door is accidentally left open, or if the freezer temperature inside starts rising.
Keeping your frozen food organized is a breeze thanks to its deep bottom basket, five large door bins and four wire shelves that are adjustable to different heights. A bright interior LED light makes digging through your grub easier, so you can grab what you need quickly without letting too much cold air escape.
Pros
- Easy to organize
- Keeps every corner ice-cold
- Frost-free design eliminates the need to manually defrost
Cons
- Changing the direction of the door hinges may loosen the door’s seal
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Best Budget Upright Freezer
Midea Upright Freezer
This freezer may be small, but it certainly is mighty. With two fixed shelves and a removable pull-out basket, the Midea upright freezer makes the most of its 3-cubic-feet of interior space, and at a wallet-friendly price. Barely 20-inches wide, this compact freezer holds up to 105 pounds of frozen food.
“I was shocked at how much we could fit in here,” says verified Amazon purchaser Marisa Fox. “We store a few big bags of chicken, ground meat and frozen veggie bags. It allows us to stock up while keeping the freezer in the house.”
If your floor is slightly uneven, this budget upright freezer has adjustable front feet to help it stay level, and keep all your frozen food from tumbling out when the door opens. Speaking of doors, a reversible hinge allows you to change the way it opens, so you can easily fit it into your space without worrying about obstructions.
Pros
- Affordable
- Ideal for small spaces
- Easy to clean and maintain
Cons
- Manual defrost
- No interior light
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Best Splurge Upright Freezer
Whirlpool SideKick Frost-Free Upright Freezer
Splurging on an upright freezer might help you save money in the long run, especially when it’s as big as the Whirlpool Sidekick. With almost 18-cubic-feet of interior space, you can pack this freezer to the gills with large cuts of meat, bulk-purchased foods and easy frozen meals to keep you from ordering too much takeout on busy weeknights.
Considering the massive size, you may be concerned about keeping the freezer organized. Not a problem here. Place containers and boxes upright and visible on four large shelves. Store bags of frozen foods and vacuum-sealed meats in one of the pull-out wire drawers, and small items—like pints of ice cream—nestled in one of the five door bins.
Bright LED lighting helps to see where everything is, so you can quickly grab what you need. The freezer’s frost-free design means you’ll never have to manually defrost it, and its sleek stainless steel exterior is a breeze to clean.
Pros
- Lots of freezer space
- Alarm notifies you when the temperature rises so food doesn’t spoil
- No need to defrost
- Easy to organize
Cons
- Door hinge is not reversible
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Best Upright Freezer for Small Spaces
Frigidaire Upright Freezer Platinum Design Series
If you have a small space, you may worry about an upright freezer sticking out like a sore thumb. The Frigidaire Platinum Design Series puts those worries to rest—it’s the best upright freezer for compact spaces, but it’s also so gorgeous, you won’t mind staring at it! Standing at under five feet tall, the slender stainless steel design sports a recessed door handle with a sleek look and a retro, futuristic vibe.
A reversible door allows effortless integration in to any space, giving you the extra cold storage you need without obstructing drawers or cabinets. Six wire shelves lets you maximize every inch of its 6.5 cubic feet of storage, and bright LED lighting makes finding things easy.
“It’s been so nice having this type of freezer—digging through a chest freezer had gotten real old real fast,” says verified Amazon reviewer BrownT. “I like that we’re able to open it right on up, pull out a basket, get what we need and go about our business.”
Pros
- Compact and stylish
- Adjustable wire shelves
- Adjustable temperature control
- Reversible door
Cons
- Not frost-free
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Best Large-Capacity Upright Freezer
GE Garage Ready Frost-Free Upright Freezer
The GE frost-free upright freezer is an icy cold behemoth, measuring in at an impressive 6-feet and 3-inches tall, with a whopping 21.3 cubic feet of space. If you need a ton of freezer space but fear this beast might not fit in your kitchen, you’ll be happy to know it performs well in temperatures from 0 to 110 degrees, so you can safely lug this big boy into a garage.
Four door shelves keep frequently used items—like smoothie ingredients—close at hand, and easy to find. Four adjustable wire shelves and a large bottom wire bin offer plenty of ways to stay organized (especially if you use these products to help freeze food). If the interior temperature rises, a Turbo Freeze feature blasts cold air to quickly bring it down, and an audible temperature alarm sounds to remind you to close the door.
The best upright freezer banishes freezer burn. Once you pack this one, you’ll never need to fully empty it again—it’s frost-free, and never needs to be manually defrosted.
Pros
- Huge capacity
- Sliding storage baskets
- Safety lock and pop-out key
- Tight door seal
Cons
- Only one wire basket
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Best Upright Freezer for Garages
Frigidaire Garage Ready Frost-Free Upright Freezer
This Frigidaire freezer is built for the (kinda) outdoors, and is designed to deliver top-notch performance in all types of climates. Whether you live in the icy North or the scorching Southwest, this garage freezer is guaranteed to keep things cold.
If you live in a place that experiences the occasional power outage, you’ll be happy to know this upright freezer’s ultra-tight seal keeps food frozen for at least 48 hours. A temperature alarm will tip you off if things start to get too warm. Plus, an external power light lets you know your upright freezer is operating just as you expect it to.
A flexible storage system of wire shelves and baskets allows you to pack food away in a configuration that works for you, without having to worry about uneven freezing. This upright freezer’s cooling system uses sensors to ensure even temperatures throughout, and circulates blasts of ultra-cold air as needed.
Pros
- Stays cold in every climate
- Exterior temperature controls
- Frost-free
Cons
- Shallow shelves
What to Look for When Buying an Upright Freezer
It’s important to keep in mind the following criteria when looking for the best upright freezer:
- Size: Before buying any big appliance or furniture item, measure the area to ensure it’s going to fit your kitchen, basement or garage.
- Storage: Does the upright freezer have door storage? What about pull-out freezer baskets or ample shelving? Keep in mind what you’ll be storing in it and consider whether these features are important for your lifestyle.
- Special features: Does the freezer have a light that turns on when opened? Is it safe to store in humid areas? Better yet, is it frost-free? These special features could determine which one you go with.
How We Found the Best Upright Freezers
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
FAQs
What is the difference between an upright freezer and a deep freezer?
An upright freezer offers vertical storage space whereas a deep freezer is more horizontal. Upright freezers open just like refrigerators, making them easier to access. Plus, they have door storage.
What are the pros and cons of an upright freezer?
There’s a lot of benefits to an upright freezer, the biggest being that food is easier to access. Instead of bending over to reach goods in a deep freezer, you can simply open an upright freezer’s door and grab what you need. They’re also easier to clean and typically have an auto-defrost feature. One downside, however, is they take up more vertical space (but less floor space!).
What’s the difference between a garage ready freezer and a regular freezer?
Garage ready freezers can handle a large change in temperatures, ranging from 0-110 degrees. Regular freezers on the other hand are only designed to operate in areas of the home with small changes in temperature, like the kitchen or well-insulated basement.
Originally Published: December 07, 2022
