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Back-to-school essentials: The best mini fridges for dorm rooms in 2023 - CBS News

Updated on: July 31, 2023 / 2:39 PM / Essentials

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Back-to-school essentials: The best mini fridges for dorm rooms in 2023 - CBS News

Hey, college freshmen and dorm-bound students! Don't forget to add a mini fridge to your back-to-school shopping list. The dorm room essential takes up minimal space and helps keep drinks and snacks nice and cold. 

The shopping experts at CBS Essentials have found customer-loved mini fridges with freezers, mini refrigerators with eraser board doors so you and your roommate can write notes, skincare refrigerators with mirrors, quiet mini fridges that won't disrupt your sleep and so much more. All of these top-rated mini fridges have a four-star rating or higher and include tons of positive reviews. 

Sticking to a dorm room budget? Many of these mini fridge picks are on sale now. We've even found quite a few under $50! 

Top mini fridges in this article:

Galanz one door mini fridge, $118 (regularly $198)

Upstreman mini fridge with freezer, $133 (regularly $200)

Shop our selection of the best mini refrigerators for dorm rooms below. All of these cool fridge finds have a four-star rating or higher. 

Amazon's No. 1 mini fridge has a 4.5-star rating and it's on sale now. The Upstreman mini fridge has a 3.2-cubic-foot capacity and features a reversible door, an adjustable thermostat, a crisper drawer, removable shelves, a freezer and an ice tray. 

"This mini refrigerator exceed my expectations," says an Amazon customer. "Lots of room and it gets very cold without putting it to the maximum. I'm very happy with this purchase. I highly recommend this item!"

Upstreman mini fridge with freezer, $133 (regularly $200)

We love that this 3.2-cubic-foot Frigidaire mini fridge has an eraser board door. Claim your fridge with your name, write your roommate notes or draw pictures on the exterior of this appliance using a dry erase marker. This 4.3-star-rated fridge includes a reversible door, two adjustable shelves, a 2L bottle storage area and a door can rack. 

Frigidaire eraser board mini compact dorm fridge, $143 (regularly $250)

Add a pop of color to your dorm room with this Frigidaire beverage and snack refrigerator. This 4.3-star-rated mini fridge can hold up to nine beverage cans, skincare and snacks. Choose from four colors.

"Bought this for my daughter for her room. She loves it. Keeps her beauty rollers and drinks/snacks cold," says an Amazon customer who called the appliance a "nice fridge."

This 3.3-cubic-foot refrigerator features a full-width chiller compartment, two adjustable leveling legs and a convenient reversible door. 

"I really do think it's worth the price, not even starting with the fact you get a 1 year warranty so if anything goes wrong you can get a replacement," says a Walmart reviewer. "It does just what I need to for a great price ... it's pretty big and very quiet." 

Galanz one door mini fridge, $118 (regularly $198)

If you're looking for a refrigerator that will keep your serums, moisturizers and face masks nice and cool, consider this mini skincare fridge. This Werseon refrigerator features a lighted makeup mirror door with a button to adjust the brightness. Standard refrigerators operate between 32db to 47dB. This tiny fridge operates quietly, reaching only 28 decibels! 

This 2.4-cubic-foot fridge has a 4.5-star rating. 

"If you're looking for a low-cost fridge perfect for your room or a mini-bar, then this is going to be perfect for you," says an Amazon reviewer. "This fridge is great, because it is lightweight (for a mini-fridge, of course), surprisingly durable, and small enough to keep in a room while still holding plenty inside."

Lily Rose is a senior writer for CBS Essentials and the site's expert in home appliances such as washers, dryers, refrigerators and ranges. When she's not writing about how you can upgrade your laundry room, she's writing about home and kitchen essentials that will transform your space. Her favorite appliance is her air fryer. She firmly believes that it can make the crispiest sweet potato fries.

First published on July 17, 2023 / 4:07 PM

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Back-to-school essentials: The best mini fridges for dorm rooms in 2023 - CBS News

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