Upright Freezers vs. Chest Freezers

Freezers that are attached to refrigerators can provide sufficient storage space for an individual, but a large family may need more room. Standalone freezers – available either as chest or upright models – provide a large, dedicated spot to store your family's frozen goods. If you are deciding which type of standalone freezer you should get for your home, read the pros and cons of both styles below.

Upright Freezers

• Easily accessible and organized. When opened up, upright freezers often resemble the inside of refrigerators. Because they come equipped with shelves and drawers, food items can easily be organized, seen, and reached by users.
• Less floor space. Upright freezers are a good choice for anyone with space limitations. Their tall, skinny build offers plenty of storage for the limited floor space they use.
• Less energy-efficient. By design, upright freezers are less energy-efficient than chest freezers. However, they still consume significantly less energy than the average top-freezer refrigerator.
• Less storage space. Upright freezers have the advantage of using less floor space than chest freezers, but they also have less storage space – about 15% less than chest freezers of the same size.

Chest Freezers

• More storage space. The biggest benefit offered by chest freezers is their large storage capacity. Because they do not come equipped with shelves, all of their internal space is usable for storing food. Their shape also makes it possible to store long and irregularly shaped items that may not fit in an upright freezer.
• More energy efficiency. Chest freezers use almost 50% less energy than their upright counterparts. A big part of this is because gravity pulls down on the top door of the chest freezer, making its seal tighter and allowing less cold air to escape.
• Difficult to organize and access. Chest freezers typically do not have shelves, baskets, drawers, or any other tools to make organizing and finding your food easy. A lot of bending and reaching is required to get food out and it can be difficult for shorter people to reach items on the very bottom of the freezer.
• More floor space. Another downside of chest freezers is the amount of floor space they take up. Their long shape also makes it difficult to move into some houses, especially if you have to go around corners. If you are confined by tight spaces in your home, it may be in your best interest to choose an upright freezer instead.

Speedy Sub Zero is a refrigerator repair service located in Long Island, New York. Our technicians have more than 50 years of experience repairing refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, and wine coolers in the Metro New York area, so if yours breaks down, call 866-782-9376 for same-day service.