Hisense Fridges & Freezers - Are They Any Good? Here's What Owners Say

Founded in 1969 in Qingdao, China, Hisense gradually evolved from a small-time radio manufacturer to a prominent global player in the TV market. Today, Hisense has 30 research and development bases and 64 offices around the world, with manufacturing plants in Mexico, South Africa, Slovenia, and China, where products such as Hisense televisions are built.

Hisense has also made its mark on the home appliance market, releasing microwave ovens, dishwashers, ranges, beverage coolers, and, yes, refrigerators and freezers. Seen as affordable for their size and quality, Hisense kitchen appliances have driven the company's growth in recent years. In the first half of 2024, Hisense Home Appliance's profit rose 34.6%. The Americas saw the best performance, with 40% revenue growth and refrigerator sales surging by 97.3%.

If these trends continue, it's safe to assume that Hisense will become more competitive in the United States market, challenging giants such as Samsung, Whirlpool, LG, and Panasonic. With this rise in popularity, owners have begun to weigh in on the quality of Hisense refrigerators and freezers. To save our readers the trouble of combing through countless online reviews, we researched feedback from across the web — including retailers, consumer forums, and platforms like Reddit — to capture a balanced look at Hisense refrigerators and freezers. 

A quick glance at Lowe's website reveals that Hisense refrigerators and freezers are highly regarded by a large number of customers. Take the Hisense HRB171N6ASE bottom-freezer refrigerator, for example. It has a rating of 4.3 stars — and that's after well over 5,000 reviews, which is a good sample size. What owners seem to appreciate the most about this fridge is primarily the value for money it provides. 

This sentiment holds true across the board for Hisense freezers and refrigerators, with many customers noting that they offer solid performance and quality features at an affordable price compared to major refrigerator brands.

In a Reddit thread discussing Hisense refrigerators, one person wrote that they own two, praising their reliability. "They are both a little larger than a college frig and both are in uninsulated garages. One is 6 years old and the other is 4 years old. Never a minute's trouble," they said. Another Reddit user in a different thread expressed similar sentiments, sharing their positive experience with the Hisense HRB171N6ASE model. They said that it offered plenty of storage and was easy to clean thanks to removable shelves.

It's the same with Hisense freezers, many of which have ratings of 4.0 stars or higher on Lowe's website. On Walmart's website, the consensus among owners seems to be that they provide great value for money, delivering solid and reliable performance while running quietly.

If there's one thing Hisense customers criticize online, it's the company's customer service. Across Reddit, retailer websites, social media, and forums, Hisense refrigerator and freezer owners share frustrations about slow and unresponsive support.

"The fridges are lemons, the warranty is a scam, the customer service is atrocious," is how one Redditor titled their thread, detailing their experience with a Hisense refrigerator. After just over two years of use, their fridge stopped cooling, and despite spending hours on the phone, they struggled to find a technician willing to work on it. "Wish I would have seen this prior to my purchase," another Reddit user wrote in the same thread, cautioning others about Hisense refrigerators. A third Redditor concurred, claiming that their fridge broke down after a month and blasting the company's support as "completely unhelpful." Other reviews on Reddit suggest that Hisense refrigerators and freezers are largely hit-or-miss, with customers experiencing significant reliability and performance issues.

Customer support aside, Hisense refrigerator owners across the web report subpar performance. "My parents have a cheaper one and it's not that great, never stays consistently cold... the back of the fridge is icy while the front isn't cold enough," one individual wrote on a popular consumer forum — concerning, given that reduced cooling is a sign your refrigerator is about to break down. On Amazon, products like the RS17B5 free-standing compact refrigerator have mixed reviews, with several owners saying their units broke down in under a year.

If you're in the market for a new refrigerator or freezer, is Hisense a brand worth considering? It's impossible to answer this question with a simple "yes" or "no." Hisense refrigerators and freezers have what can be described as mixed reviews online, at best. According to our research, the most common complaints online have to do with customer support, reliability, and durability. Positive reviews, on the other hand, often emphasize their affordability, design, and quiet yet dependable performance.

For those who need to stick to a tight budget for one reason or another, Hisense refrigerators and freezers may be a solid option. But if you're willing to spend a nice chunk of change and looking for a high-tech refrigerator that offers more advanced features and superior durability, you may want to look elsewhere. Either way, investing a bit more upfront can often save you from potential headaches down the road.