Holidays are often a good time to snag a deal on large appliances, and Labor Day is no exception. This year, many Labor Day sales extend through the following weekend.
Though you won't be seeing Black Friday-level discounts, you can find some great refrigerators marked down.
"The best time to buy is always in late November," says Min Kim Bryant, a Consumer Reports market analyst, "but if you need a refrigerator now, there are plenty of deals to be had."
To help you shop wisely and save time, we combed through dozens of refrigerators on sale at Best Buy, Lowe's, Home Depot, and Sears and highlighted models near the top of our refrigerator ratings. Most of the deals are on French-door refrigerators, but we also found a few top-freezer, bottom-freezer, and side-by-side models with decent markdowns.
Below you'll find some of the best Labor Day refrigerator deals available on models that rate well with Consumer Reports, from manufacturers including Frigidaire, Haier, Kenmore, LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool. We've organized our list by retailer. Most of these deals should hold through the weekend after the holiday. Some will last even longer—Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe's are running their sales well into the following week (through September 12).
Best Buy
Best Buy is offering up to 40 percent off most major appliances, but we found only two solid models with good discounts.
Samsung RF23M8070SR 4-door French door
Sale price: $2,100
Discount: 28 percent
CR's take: If you're looking for a four-door, French-door refrigerator, consider this highly rated Samsung. It offers plenty of features, including an external water/ice dispenser, dual evaporators (to prevent air and odors from migrating between fridge and freezer), adjustable shelving, and much more. It earns an Excellent rating for temperature uniformity, meaning it does a great job of mitigating warm and cold spots, but it isn't the most energy efficient model out there.
Whirlpool WRS588FIHZ side-by-side
Sale price: $1,200
Discount: 22 percent
CR's take: For just $1,200, this stainless steel Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator is a great deal. It features Whirlpool's measured water fill dispenser, which delivers water in precise amounts (great for cooking and baking), as well as spillproof shelving, an icemaker, and digital controls. In our tests, it earns solid ratings across the board, only falling a bit short in temperature uniformity, where it receives a rating of Good. Our annual member surveys also find that Whirlpool makes some of the most reliable side-by-sides, meaning this fridge should thrive for years.
Home Depot
Home Depot is advertising up to 40 percent off appliances with hundreds of refrigerator models to choose from. Using our ratings, we narrowed down their offerings to five great buys.
Samsung RF220NCTASR 3-door French door
Sale price: $998
Discount: 40 percent
CR's take: For just under $1,000, this Samsung French-door fridge is a worthy contender. It receives an Excellent rating for thermostat control (an important factor in fridge performance), while earning middle-of-the-road or better scores in our other tests. This model also features split shelving for flexible organization and an icemaker. It lacks an external water/ice dispenser, but if you're dreaming of a French-door fridge, this is a great option for the money.
Whirlpool WRB322DMBM bottom freezer
Sale price: $997
Discount: 33 percent
CR's take: With an icemaker, digital controls, and spillproof shelves, this stainless-steel Whirlpool offers terrific thermostat control and temperature uniformity—the two hallmarks of a good refrigerator. But it fell a bit short in our other tests, earning only a Fair rating for ease of use, meaning the layout and controls could be more intuitive than they are. Still, if you're searching for a bottom freezer, this looks like one of the better deals out there.
LG LFXS30766S 3-door French door
Sale price: $2,797
Discount: 30 percent
CR's take: This stainless steel LG is one of the best three-door, French-door models in our ratings. In our tests, it earns high marks across the board, but especially so when it comes to thermostat control, temperature uniformity, and energy efficiency. As for features, you'll see a temperature-controlled meat/deli bin, adjustable and spillproof shelving, digital controls, and an external water/ice dispenser.
Haier HRQ16N3BGS 4-door French door
Sale price: $999
Discount: 29 percent
CR's take: If you're interested in a 4-door French-door, but you're on a tight budget, consider this Haier model. Aside from the digital controls and stainless-steel finish, it's pretty basic, but it does offer solid performance, receiving an Excellent rating for thermostat control. You'll have to give up an external icemaker and water dispenser, but you'll get the four-door look without a typical four-door price.
Frigidaire FFTR1821TW top-freezer
Sale price: $498
Discount: 26 percent
CR's take: The lowest-priced fridge on this list, this Frigidaire is a great deal if you're in the market for a top-freezer. We tested the black stainless version, a CR Best Buy pick, and found it offers superb thermostat control, temperature uniformity, and energy efficiency. You might find it runs a bit on the noisy side—it earns only a Good rating on our noise test. And don't expect much in the way of bells and whistles; this model comes with only basic features such as humidity-controlled crisper drawers.
Lowe's
Just like Best Buy and Home Depot, Lowe's is offering up to 40 percent off appliances. We found four discounted fridges here that did sit at the top of our ratings.
Samsung RF263TEAESG 3-door French door
Sale price: $1,499
Discount: 43 percent
CR's take: Want a premium French-door refrigerator without the premium price? This Samsung gives you that and more, including a black stainless steel finish, external water/ice dispenser, dual evaporators to prevent air and odors from mixing between cavities, and two icemakers. It earns a rating of Excellent for thermostat control and strong marks in other CR tests as well.
Samsung RF28JBEDBSR 4-door French door
Sale price: $2,299
Discount: 36 percent
CR's take: This model earns an Excellent rating for thermostat control and runs very quietly. It features a black stainless-steel finish, digital controls, a door-in-door design (which makes your most-used items easy to grab), a temperature-adjustable middle drawer, and an external water/ice dispenser. That's a lot of features for the price.
Samsung RF23M8570SG 4-door French door
Sale price: $3,099
Discount: 34 percent
CR's take: Have you had your eye on the Samsung Family Hub smart fridge, with its expansive touch screen? Then you might want to look into this model from Samsung's smart fridge line. Along with the touch screen—the family hub—you get dual evaporators, an external water/ice dispenser, and adjustable shelves. In our tests, this Samsung earns an Excellent rating for temperature uniformity, but its energy efficiency isn't quite as good as comparable models.
LG LDCS24223S bottom freezer
Sale price: $1,149
Discount: 28 percent
CR's take: One of the best bottom-freezers in our ratings, this stainless-steel LG has an icemaker, spillproof and split shelving, and digital controls. It receives superb ratings across the board in our tests. In our member surveys, LG bottom-freezers earn a Very Good rating for predicted reliability, as well as strong marks for owner satisfaction. Simply put, if you're looking for a bottom-freezer, this is the one to buy.
Sears
Sears is advertising discounts up to 40 percent (one refrigerator we highlight here has there with an even deeper discount). Here are five models worth checking out.
Kenmore Elite 79043 bottom freezer
Sale price: $1,150
Discount: 45 percent
CR's take: This stainless steel Kenmore is one of the standout bottom-freezers in our ratings. It earns high marks across the board (including a rating of Excellent for energy efficiency) and falls short only in terms of usability, meaning the controls and layout could be better. While it includes an icemaker, digital controls, and spillproof shelves, it doesn't offer much else in the way of features. If you're looking to spend a bit less, consider the similar Kenmore 69313, also on sale at Sears. This model skips the spillproof shelves. At $900, it offers a savings of 31 percent.
Kenmore Elite 73153 3-door French door
Sale price: $2,206
Discount: 40 percent
CR's take: This Kenmore earns top-notch scores for thermostat control and temperature uniformity, the most important measures of a refrigerator's performance. It's one of the best French-door refrigerators in our ratings. And it's quiet, with a rating of Excellent for noise. It features a stainless steel finish, an external water/ice dispenser, adjustable and spillproof shelves, and digital controls.
Kenmore Elite 72483 4-door French door
Sale price: $2,521
Discount: 40 percent
CR's take: Though it appears almost identical to the three-door above, this model—for $315 more—has a temperature-adjustable middle drawer inside. Features include an external water/ice dispenser, digital controls, adjustable and spill-proof shelving, and dual evaporators. In our tests, this Kenmore Elite earns high ratings all around, including a rating of Excellent for thermostat control.
Kenmore 51783 side by side
Sale price: $1,261
Discount: 26 percent
CR's take: Thanks to its affordable price and great performance, this side-by-side is a CR Best Buy pick. It has an external water/ice dispenser, digital controls, spillproof shelves, and dual evaporators. It also has a stainless-steel finish, and it offers superb thermostat control, as well as great temperature uniformity. This Kenmore earns a rating of Very Good for ease of use, with a sensible layout and controls that are easy to adjust.
Samsung RT21M6213SG top freezer
Sale price: $900
Discount: 25 percent
CR's take: One of the few good top-freezer deals we found, this black stainless-steel Samsung comes with a flexible freezer compartment that can be converted into additional fresh-food space when needed. It was a strong performer in our tests, offering superb energy efficiency and earning a rating of Very Good for thermostat control. However, it doesn't have the best temperature uniformity (the ability of a fridge to mitigate hot and cold spots) and ease of use when compared to the competition.
Best Labor Day deals on vaccums
During Labor Day weekend you can also find great deals if you're in the market for a new vacuum cleaner. And if you're already getting into holiday shopping mode, it's also a good time to get on retailer e-mailing lists to stay abreast of deals throughout the season.
"If you don't mind sharing your email address, sign up for newsletters with your favorite retailers," says CR market analyst Kelly Moomey. "You will receive advance notice of sales, sales circulars, and special one-day promotions."
If you'd like to read more about how we test vacuums, take a look at our guide, which details exactly how our expert engineers spend hours assesing each model.
Below we've selected CR-rated models on sale during Labor Day weekend at retailers such as Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, and Target—though some of these vacuums may get deeper discounts during Black Friday. We'll update this list with more models as other retailer deals roll out during the next week.
Robotic vacuum deals
iRobot Roomba 690
Sale price: $280
Discount: 25 percent
Retailers: Best Buy, Target
CR's take: Both Target and Best Buy have the robotic iRobot Roomba 690 listed for 25 percent off the MSRP for Labor Day. That's a good deal for those looking to buy a robotic vacuum that is superb at surface cleaning on both carpet and bare floors and isn't too noisy. At 3.5 inches tall, this robotic vac can slide easily under most furniture, and it can also successfully find its way back to its dock, which contributes to its rating of Excellent in our navigation test. If you own a dog or a cat, take note: The Roomba isn't so great at picking up pet hair.
Shark Ion 720
Sale price: $300
Discount: 14 percent
Retailer: Best Buy, Target
CR's take: Shark's first robot vacuum receives an Excellent rating in our bare floors tests, leaving little visible debris after its cleaning cycle. It does have some trouble getting debris in corners and perimeters, though. CR technicians note that this Shark model can easily roll under low furniture with its height of 3.6 inches.
Samsung Powerbot R7065
Sale price: $500
Discount: 17 percent
Retailer: Best Buy
CR's Take: Samsung's Powerbot R7065 is a great all-around robotic vacuum that performs impressively on our carpet, bare floors, and edge-cleaning tests. As for navigation, it earns an Excellent navigation score, thanks to its ability to maneuver around objects in the simulated living room in our test labs. CR technicians note that it doesn't scatter debris like some other robotic vacuums, probably because it lacks side brushes. Also, this connected bot has an app that lets you program its schedule from your mobile device.
Bobsweep Pethair
Sale price: $232
Discount: 60 percent
Retailer: Amazon, Best Buy
CR's Take: The Bobsweep Pethair does a wonderful job at cleaning bare floors. It's so powerful that in our labs it pushed a piece of simulated furniture weighed down with a 25-pound weight several feet, which means it might mow down lamps or other fragile fixtures. True to its name, it is terrific at picking up pet hair, though you might struggle to get the hair out of the brushroll when it's finished running a cycle on your floors. It rates Excellent for noise, meaning it's very quiet.
Stick vacuum deals
Shark SharkFlex DuoClean Ultra-Light Corded HV391
Sale price: $209
Discount: 30 percent
Retailer: Amazon, Best Buy
CR's take: This Shark model is similar to the Shark IonFlex, but it's corded—if you don't want to have to worry about charging and maintaining a battery, this is a good stick to have. (On the other hand, if you don't want to worry about getting a cord tangled up during what should be an easy cleaning experience, steer clear.) The SharkFlex DuoClean earns an Excellent rating for edges and bare floors. It also has a bendable "elbow" so that you can vacuum under appliances and furniture. It's on the heavier side for stick vacuums, at 9.8 pounds.
Dyson Cyclone V10 Motorhead
Sale price: $450
Discount: 10 percent
Retailer: Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Target
CR's take: Dyson's having a manufacturer sales event where many of its models are on discount through September 15. The recently CR-tested Cylone V10 Motorhead comes with a 25.2-volt, lithium-ion battery which runs for nealry an hour on low power. It earns an Excellent rating for bare floors cleaning, so if you have a house with little carpet, this could be a good option, though there are cheaper stick vacuums that perform similarly. It weighs 5.5 pounds.
Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute
Sale price: $500
Discount: 14 percent
Retailer: Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Target
CR's take: If you're curious about the Cyclone V10 Absolute, we've got a full write-up on how it performs. It's at the top of Dyson's newest line, and it's unusual that Dyson is discounting it given that it's only been out for half a year. It earns an Excellent rating in both our carpet and bare floors tests. However, it's noticably louder than its predecessor, the Dyson V8 Absolute, and it's very expenisve for a stick vac, which is typically a secondary machine to a full-size vacuum. You can buy a better cordless stick vacuum, such as the Shark Rocket Complete with DuoClean HV380, which, even when it's not on sale, still costs less than what the Cyclone V10 Absolute. The V10 weighs 5.5 pounds.
Upright vacuum deals
Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away NV586
Sale price: $200
Discount: 30 percent
Retailer: Target
CR's take: A Target exclusive, this Shark Navigator has a 26-foot cord and weighs roughly 16 pounds. It receives an Excellent rating for both our pet hair and bare floors tests, though it doesn't fare as well on carpet. It's also very noisy compared to other upright vacuums. Still, if you're in the market for an upright and don't have much carpet, this is a good deal.
Dyson Ball Multifloor 2
Sale price: $300
Discount: 25 percent
Retailer: Best Buy, Target
CR's take: The upright Dyson Ball Multifloor 2 vacuum is on sale for $100 off its full price. The Ball Multifloor 2 is great at sucking up embedded dirt from carpets as well as bare floors. It's also great at capturing dust, earning a rating of Excellent on our clean emissions test. That's a boon if you have dust or pet allergies. It doesn't do well at all in our noise test, though, so beware if that's a concern of yours.