Midea 1.6 Cu.ft Mini Fridge, Energy Star Certified, Low Noise for Bedroom

Why it's worth it

The Midea WHS-65LB1 is a 1.6-cubic-foot Energy Star fridge with a mechanical thermostat, a reversible door, and a single removable glass shelf. It's the smallest and least expensive option here, and it gets genuinely cold — colder than most people expect.

This is the fridge to buy when the space is tiny and the budget is tight. At 1.6 cubic feet it fits in the gap between a desk and a wall. Owners consistently report it cools hard and fast, with a thermostat range that runs down near freezing on the coldest setting — cold enough that people store breast milk and medication in it.

The interior is an upside-down L shape, because the compressor housing eats into the lower back. That's the compromise for the small footprint. You get one removable glass shelf, a chiller box, and a 2-liter bottle rack in the door, and once you learn the shape you can fit more than the number on the box suggests.

From our review of 7 dorm room mini fridges

What we like

• +This is the fridge to buy when the space is tiny and the budget is tight
• +The interior is an upside-down L shape, because the compressor housing eats into the lower back
• +Here's a fit detail worth knowing before you shove it into a cubby: the back panel is open by design, with coils exposed, and it…
• +It's Energy Star certified with R600a refrigerant and low stated annual consumption, which matters if you're paying for…

What to know

• –Noise is the real trade-off
• –The single shelf limits how you organize things, and there's no real freezer