There is a lot of variance when it comes to refrigerator sizes. Get the wrong one and you risk not being able to fit it in your front door, let alone in your kitchen. For that reason, it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting in to when you pick out a fridge, both in terms of what you need in terms of food storage and what will be the right fit and style for your home.
Refrigerators aren’t something that most of us buy very often. They’re also not something that you can really buy on the fly and return until you find the right fit. Do your research ahead of time so that you can make a smart pick the first time around, both in terms of refrigerator dimensions and style.
You’ll need to consider both refrigerator sizes and refrigerator types when appliance shopping. Here are the four main types of refrigerators, with their average dimensions. Because these sizes are just averages, you’ll still need to look at measurements for the specific refrigerator(s) you are interested in when making your decision.
These are what you might think of “traditional” fridges, with the main compartment starting at the bottom and taking up about two-thirds of the space, and the freezer taking up about one-third of space at the top. They have wide shelves and tend to be the most compact of all the types of refrigerators.
Average size of top freezer fridges: Width: 28 ¾” – 32 ¾ / Height: 61 ¾” – 66 ¼”
This fridge swaps the design of the top freezer, sticking the main compartment on the top two-thirds and the freezer on the bottom third. They’re good for people who would rather have the main compartment at eye level, and they’re also more energy efficient since the main compartment helps the freezer maintain its ice-cold temperatures with less energy usage.
Average sizes of bottom freezer fridges: Width: 29 ½” – 32 ¾” / Height: 67” – 70”
Side-by-side fridges feature the main compartment and freezer right next to each other, one on the left and one on the right. The upper shelves for both compartments are at eye level, which many consider an advantage, though you’ll still have to stoop to retrieve items at the bottom. Note that the shelves are quite narrow, since the width of the fridge is accommodating both compartments. That being said, they make up for it a little bit by being wider at the start than both top and bottom freezer fridges.
Average sizes of side-by-side refrigerators: Width: 32 ¾” – 39 ¾” / Height: 65 7/8” – 71 ¼”
French door refrigerators are sort of a combination of the different refrigerator types listed above. There’s a wide bottom freezer, plus a main compartment above with side-by-side doors. They’re a little narrower than side-by-side fridges, but the shelves are wider because both the main compartment and the freezer take up the entire width.
Average sizes of French door refrigerators: Width: 29 ½” – 36” / Height: 68 ½” – 70 1/8”
Width and height aren’t the only two size factors that you will need to consider when shopping for refrigerators. Depth is another major one, with standard refrigerators offering two different options: counter depth or standard depth.
Counter depth refrigerators are designed to sit flush with your counter tops, while standard depth refrigerators extend past them. You get more storage space with standard depth fridges since they are deeper than counter depth ones, but the look is a little bit less streamlined.
The deciding variables between going with a counter depth vs. standard depth refrigerator are typically going to be aesthetic and storage based. You’ll definitely get a more integrated look with a counter depth fridge, but again, you’ll have to sacrifice on storage capacity.
As a rule of thumb, you want about 4-6 cubic feet of storage per person in your household. Most fridges for sale will list their cubic foot capacity, but if you’re not sure, use a cubic foot calculator to figure it out based on the refrigerator’s width, depth, and height. Of course, you’ll still be limited by what can fit in your space.
Now that you know a bit about refrigerator sizes and types, how do you go about figuring out which one is the right fit for your home? For that, you’ll need to measure. So get a measuring tape, some paper, and a pencil, and get to work.
Step one: Measure the width of the space. Find out how much space you have to spare from counter top to counter top, or counter top to wall, depending on where your fridge is going to go. (It’s important to measure at the counter top, not the cabinet base, since the tops tend to extend out a little bit further.) If your refrigerator is going to have a wall on one side, make sure to leave 2″ to 2 ½” of free space so you have room to swing the door open.
Step two: Measure the height of the space. Chances are your ceilings are tall enough to accommodate any size of refrigerator, but if you have cabinets above the area where the fridge is going to go then you’ll need to measure, starting at the floor and going to the base of the cabinets.
Step three: Measure the depth of your counter tops. Whether you’re going to go with a counter depth refrigerator or a standard depth refrigerator, you’ll still want to measure the depth of your counters to ensure that the fridge will line up correctly.
Other factors to consider:
Before your refrigerator fits in your kitchen it has to fit in the door—and in all the spaces in between. So after choosing your favorite refrigerator and prior to making your purchase, take some additional measurements so that you know you’ll be able to make it happen.
Start by measuring the width of the doorway you intend to bring the refrigerator in through. If your front door is too narrow, check your back door; if it’s a sliding door it may be a little bit wider. If it’s not quite there size-wise, you could consider removing the door from its hinges to allow for a bit more wiggle room.
Once you have confirmed you will be able to get the fridge inside your home, you need to measure the width of all of the hallways and other areas you will need to navigate through to get your fridge to its final resting spot. This serves two purposes: one, you’ll know that you can for sure get the refrigerator where it needs to go, and two, you’ll be able to sort out a plan ahead of time for how you intend to get it there.
For additional advice on moving a refrigerator, including how to move one from your old home to your new one, check out our article on how to move a refrigerator safely.