An outdoor fridge has to cope with things a kitchen fridge never sees: rain splash, direct sun, and air temperatures that swing from near freezing to the high twenties. The fridges in this collection are rated by their manufacturers for outdoor use, so you can keep drinks by the barbecue, in an outdoor kitchen or on a covered patio rather than running back to the house.
Outdoor fridges in this range
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CASO Design 700 (stainless steel) and 702 (black): 63-litre, 28-bottle drinks coolers with compressor cooling from around -1°C to 10°C, cold enough for beer, soft drinks, white wine and fizz. The 700 carries an IPX4 splash rating, uses triple-layer tinted UV glass and can be fitted built-in or freestanding.
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Subcold Apex70: an 85-can beer fridge that chills from -6°C to 18°C, so it can serve drinks at sub-zero. It is IPX4 rated for outdoor use and runs at 39dB.
What makes a fridge suitable for outdoor use?
Look for three things. First, an ingress protection (IP) rating such as IPX4, which means the unit is protected against water splashing from any direction. Second, a climate class that covers the temperatures your garden actually reaches. Third, a cabinet and glass door that stand up to sunlight. A standard indoor wine fridge has none of these, and using one outside will usually void the warranty.
IPX4 is splash protection, not waterproofing. Install an outdoor fridge under cover, such as a pergola, gazebo or outdoor kitchen roof, on a solid, level base, and run it from an outdoor-rated socket protected by an RCD.
Can I put a wine or beer fridge in a garage?
Garages are tricky because they get both cold and hot. Every fridge has a climate class that shows the room temperatures it is designed to work in: SN covers 10°C to 32°C, N covers 16°C to 32°C, ST covers 16°C to 38°C and T covers 16°C to 43°C. An unheated UK garage regularly drops below 10°C in winter, which is outside the range of most indoor fridges, so check the climate class on the product page before you buy. If your garage gets close to freezing, an outdoor-rated model is the safer choice.
Outdoor drinks cooler or wine fridge?
Outdoor coolers are designed to chill drinks for serving, not to store wine for months or years. If you are building a collection, keep it indoors in a dedicated wine fridge and use an outdoor cooler for the bottles you are about to open. For more can and bottle fridges, see our beer and drinks fridges.
Outdoor fridge FAQs
Can an outdoor fridge stay outside all year?
Check the manufacturer's minimum operating temperature in the manual. If your outdoor space regularly drops below it in winter, switch the fridge off, empty it and cover it or bring it in until spring.
Do outdoor fridges cost more to run?
They work harder in hot weather, so running costs rise in summer. Siting the fridge in shade and keeping the door seal clean makes the biggest difference. As a guide, the Subcold Apex70 is rated at 81kWh a year.
Is delivery free?
Yes. Every outdoor fridge includes free UK mainland delivery.
