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LG / Whirlpool / Reviewed
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LG / Whirlpool / Reviewed
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LG’s latest French-door fridge dazzles with InstaView lighting and dual craft ice makers. Great features, but pricey and untested in our labs. Read More
A reliable French-door refrigerator that delivers steady cooling, practical features, and strong everyday performance without unnecessary extras. Read More
LG and Whirlpool are two of the biggest names in home appliances with extensive refrigerator offerings. But the two brands differ in several ways. LG’s technology-driven approach emphasizes smart home integration, high-tech features, and sleek designs. Whirlpool is far more conservative in its approach to design, centering on practicality and a more traditional feature set. To help you decide on the best refrigerator for you, we’ll compare LG and Whirlpool refrigerators in overall brand philosophy, reliability, fridge styles, warranty coverage, and more.
See our top-rated refrigerators
LG has embraced the idea of pushing at the edges of what is expected in appliances. The result has been innovative, sometimes delightfully weird ideas. The InstaView glass doors that alternate between opaque and transparent and round ice cube makers are just a few. And behind the occasional “wow factor” element lies a consistent core of tech-forward, smart home-oriented appliances.
Whirlpool focuses on basic functionality and durability. Several of their fridges have a premium feel, but they’re rarely as innovative as LG is. In general, Whirlpool models also tend to be more affordable than comparable LG models, and because they’re simpler designs, they’re also generally easier to service.
When it comes to reliability, LG has a strong reputation today, but it has not always been so. Between 2014 and 2017, the company sold refrigerators with faulty linear compressors that eventually led to a class action lawsuit. Since then, the statistics suggest that LG has regained its reputation for low service call rates.
That said, there are two inherent factors in LG refrigerators that call long-term reliability into question—at least compared to Whirlpool. First, they have more features and more technology. There are simply more things that could break or become obsolete over time.
Secondly, Whirlpool Corporation—with a family of brands that includes Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana, and Jenn-Air—sells more appliances than LG. More units sold equate to more availability of replacement parts and more technicians who understand how to service the machines. That likely accounts for the “I heard from a repair guy that you should never buy [X], only [Y]” stories you might find on Reddit and other forums. It’s not that LG is less reliable, but they are probably more complicated to repair and replacement parts may take longer to arrive.
A selection of top-freezer, bottom-freezer, side-by-side, and French door refrigerators from Whirlpool and LG.
Refrigerators come in a variety of shapes and styles. Today, there are more than ever, due to the rising trend in multi-door variations like quad-door and 4-door French drawer. Often, a style you like may come in a counter-depth variant, meaning the front of the doors is flush with your countertops.
The table below outlines the number of options LG and Whirlpool offer for refrigerators. Be aware that “models” may vary in color, features, size, or other factors. What counts as a distinct “model” can differ from one brand to another.
On the whole, it’s clear that LG offers far more variety to choose exactly the fridge + feature package that works for your kitchen. Even simpler designs, like top-freezer, have an option for an internal water dispenser. The brand is especially strong in French door, which is the most popular style for premium customers and remodelers. LG also offers many more counter-depth options, which speaks to their pursuit of the designer market.
Whirlpool has options in fridge styles across the board, but fewer than LG in all types except top-freezer, which is typically the least expensive.
Neither brand offers built-in integrated refrigerators, but both companies have a luxury sister brand that does. SKS (Signature Kitchen Suites) is an LG label, and Jenn-Air is part of Whirlpool Corp. You can check out the offerings on their websites.
| Refrigerator Style | LG | Whirlpool |
|---|---|---|
| Top-Freezer | Yes – Around 11 models | Yes – Around 24 models |
| Bottom-Freezer | Yes – Around 5 models | Yes – Around 4 models |
| Side-by-Side | Yes – Around 13 models | Yes – Around 18 models |
| French Door | Yes – Around 94 models | Yes – Around 22 models |
| 4-Door (Quad-door or 4-door FD) | Yes – Around 10 models | Yes – Around 6 models |
| Counter-Depth | Yes – Around 38 models | Yes – Around 4 models |
| Built-In (Integrated) | No | No |
Multiple ice options
Convertible middle drawer
Unique MyColor LED panel
Large capacity with door-in-door storage
Premium price
Complex dual ice system is new and unproven long-term
Through-door ice dispenser can be a bit messy
Cold, steady temperatures
Ice/water dispenser
Exterior drawer
Low storage capacity
InstaView Door: An in-door glass panel that illuminates with a knock, allowing you to see inside the fridge without opening the door. Ostensibly, it reduces the number of times you have to open the door for a peek. In reality, it’s an eye-catching gimmick. No shame in that—just sayin’.
Door-in-Door Compartment: A bit like a magician’s cabinet, this splits the depth of the door in half, turning half of the door into a shallow compartment for drinks and snacks without exposing the entire fridge interior. A genuine energy saver and a convenient place to set aside as the “kids’ snack zone”.
Craft Ice Maker: A premium ice maker that produces large, spherical ice balls. You can buy silicone ice molds for ten bucks that do the same thing, but they won’t wow your cocktail party guests half as much as a fridge that spits them out on demand.
ThinQ Smart Connectivity: ThinQ is LG’s smart home platform, and most of their $1,200+ refrigerators have WiFi to connect. When paired, you can monitor and adjust temperatures, get open door alerts, and use Smart Diagnosis for troubleshooting and remote software updates.
Accu-Chill™ Cooling: A branded term for the sensors that monitor and adjust internal temperatures.
FreshFlow Air Filter: A built-in charcoal air filter to reduce food odors. When combined with Whirlpool’s humidity-controlled crisper drawers, the FreshFlow system can help fruits and veggies stay fresh longer by absorbing ethylene gas—a natural gas emitted by produce which encourages further ripening.
Platter Pocket: Retractable, pull-out shelving in the fridge for easy access to items. This is limited to the middle shelf, intended for wide and low items like bakeware, where access can be tough, but the overall weight isn’t so enormous that the shelving brackets would snap.
LG stands behind its refrigerators with relatively robust warranty coverage. New LG fridges include a 1-year full warranty covering parts and labor on all parts. Beyond that, LG provides extended protection of 5 years on the Sealed System (Condenser, Dryer, Connecting Tube, and Evaporator). Notably, the compressor gets a full 10 years on parts and 5 years on labor. Given their past history with some faulty compressor troubles, this is a gesture of goodwill meant to inspire confidence in the latest line of LG fridges.
Whirlpool Warranty: Whirlpool’s warranty is solid but slightly more limited compared to LG’s. Whirlpool also offers a standard 1-year parts-and-labor warranty on the whole refrigerator. There’s an additional 5 years sealed system (compressor, evaporator, condenser, dryer, and tubing).
Both LG and Whirlpool make excellent refrigerators; that much is clear. LG has a wider variety of models, spanning every shape and color you can imagine. They also lean into the interaction of technology and premium design. As a result, they tend to cost more. LG has an excellent reputation for reliability.
Whirlpool aims for the entry-level to mid-premium market. Their products are less flashy and focus on core functionality. Any extra features are focused on making the fridge a little easier to use or better at temperature control, rather than any “wow” factor. They also have a strong reputation for reliability, and as they’re inherently simpler devices, they’re likely to be serviced faster and more easily when there’s a problem.
In summary, choose LG for innovation and a high-end experience, or Whirlpool for dependability and value.
David Kender oversees content at Reviewed as the Editor in Chief. He served as managing editor and editor in chief of Reviewed's ancestor, CamcorderInfo.com, helping to grow the company from a tiny staff to one of the most influential online review resources. In his time at Reviewed, David has helped to launch over 100 product categories and written too many articles to count.
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