A smart refrigerator can tell you when you’ve forgotten to shut the door, are running low on milk and even alert you when you need to get more eggs!
However these clever features do come at a pricey premium, so are they worth it?
What exactly is a smart refrigerator?
A smart refrigerator is connected to the cloud and your smartphone; depending on the brand and model, the fridge allows you to perform a variety of functions that a normal fridge doesn’t allow you to do.
For example, the features start at alerting you when ice is running low or a door is left open and work up from there! The smartest of fridges allow you to look in the fridge when you’re not there, send and receive alerts that will also appear on the fridge screen as well as play music, view recipes and even watch TV!
How much do smart refrigerators cost and are they worth it?
As there are so few on the market right now (currently there are only a few models on the market with these smart features, offered by Samsung, LG and GE), the premium for the smart features will set you back around an additional $1000 compared to the same brands non-smart model of the same capacity.
Are the additional smart features nice to have? Sure! But are these features worth the price tag? Probably not at their current price premium, considering the main function of the fridge is to keep your food fresh and they do that job fantastically without the smart features.
As smart devices become the norm, it is likely that these smart features will become more available across more models and the price tag may come down a little, but in the meantime we’d suggest choosing your refrigerator based on your other household needs and not the smart features.
