The Hisense RL170D4BCE is a freestanding 84.5cm larder fridge finished in stainless steel, designed for homes that want a compact fridge without compromising too much on usable space. With 133 litres of capacity, it’s well suited to couples, singles or as a secondary fridge.
Hisense has built a strong reputation for good value appliances, and this model fits that mould: simple, practical and sensibly priced rather than packed with flashy extras. The stainless steel look helps it blend into modern kitchens, while the low height means it can tuck neatly under worktops.
A user rating of 4.8 out of 5 from well over 600 reviews suggests owners are very happy with it day to day, especially given the straightforward design and no‑nonsense feature set.
The Hisense RL170D4BCE is ideal for smaller households – singles, couples or students – who need a reliable fridge that doesn’t dominate the kitchen. With 133 litres of space, it’s comfortable for a weekly shop of everyday essentials without feeling cramped, but it’s not designed for large family food hauls.
It’s a strong choice if you’re working to a modest budget and want something that looks smarter than basic white, thanks to the stainless steel finish and clean design. The reversible door makes it particularly useful for flats or tight galley kitchens where you need the hinge side to work around existing cabinets.
If you like to meal prep or batch cook, the adjustable shelves give you flexibility to store taller containers, jugs or large leftovers tubs. The separate salad crisper keeps fruit and veg together and easier to find, which suits anyone trying to keep fresh produce in better shape for the week.
It’s also a good option as a second fridge in a utility room or garage (within the stated operating temperature range), for drinks, overflow groceries or extra salad space when you’re entertaining.
The 133‑litre capacity is generous for an under‑counter fridge, offering enough space for around seven bags of shopping without feeling oversized in a smaller kitchen. Three shelves plus a salad crisper give a sensible, practical layout.
Adjustable shelves mean you can easily reconfigure the interior to fit tall bottles, large storage boxes or party platters, rather than being stuck with a fixed setup. That makes it more versatile than some cheaper compact fridges.
The dedicated salad crisper helps keep fruit and vegetables organised and away from raw items, making it simpler to see what you’ve got and reduce food waste.
LED interior lighting provides a bright, even view of the contents while using less energy and generating less heat than old‑style bulbs.
A reversible door and adjustable feet make it much easier to fit this fridge into awkward or existing kitchen layouts without major changes to your units.
The E energy rating (equivalent to a strong A++ under the older system) and quoted 90 kWh annual consumption are reasonable for a compact fridge and help keep running costs down over time.
A solid 2‑year manufacturer warranty and an excellent 4.8/5 owner rating give added confidence in reliability for the price.
There’s no freezer compartment at all, so this model only suits homes that already have a separate freezer or tall fridge freezer elsewhere.
The feature set is quite basic: there’s no digital display, no open‑door alarm, no super‑cool function and no fancy airflow systems. If you like more advanced temperature controls or extras, this may feel a little stripped back.
At 40 dB, the noise level is acceptable but not ultra‑quiet. Most people will find it fine in an open‑plan space, but if you’re very sensitive to background hum, there are quieter fridges on the market.
Being a compact larder fridge, the 133‑litre capacity won’t be enough as a main fridge for larger families or heavy weekly shops; you may outgrow it if your household size increases.
Living with the Hisense RL170D4BCE is largely about straightforward simplicity. Open the door and you get a clear, uncluttered interior layout with three main shelves, a full‑width salad crisper and door balconies for bottles and jars. The LED light gives good visibility across the whole space, so you’re not rummaging in the dark corners.
The adjustable shelves are one of the most useful touches in day‑to‑day use. If you’ve picked up a tall birthday cake box, a large casserole dish or big bottles, you can quickly move shelves up or down to suit, instead of juggling items awkwardly. For smaller households doing a standard weekly shop, you can keep a fairly fixed arrangement that just works.
Because it’s a larder fridge and not a fridge freezer, the interior doesn’t have to compromise to make room for an ice box, so access is better and you’re not dealing with a tiny frozen compartment that ices up. Cleaning is straightforward too: the flat interior walls and glass shelves wipe down easily.
Installation is also user‑friendly. Its compact height means it slides neatly under most standard worktops, and the reversible door plus adjustable feet make it simple to level and align with neighbouring cabinets. Once in place, you just set the thermostat using the simple control inside and you’re ready to go.
As a larder fridge, the Hisense RL170D4BCE focuses on chilled food storage rather than fancy extras, and it performs that core job well. The 133‑litre capacity is sensible for its size, and with three shelves you can create clear zones for dairy, cooked meats and leftovers, while the lower drawer keeps salad items in one place.
Temperature performance is supported by its climate classification of SN–T, meaning it’s designed to work correctly in a fairly wide range of room temperatures (16 to 43°C). That’s reassuring if your kitchen or utility room gets warm in summer. There’s no multi‑airflow system, so air circulation is more traditional, but for a fridge of this size that’s rarely an issue if you don’t overpack it.
Energy performance is decent: an E rating under the newer, tougher scale and an estimated 90 kWh per year mean running costs should be modest. For an under‑counter fridge that’s in constant use, that efficiency helps keep long‑term bills under control while still offering good cooling performance.
On the features front, it sticks to the essentials. You get LED lighting, a larder‑style layout, salad crisper and reversible door. There’s no fast‑cool mode, open‑door alarm, display or Wi‑Fi smarts, but that simplicity also means fewer things to go wrong. For many buyers, a reliable mechanical thermostat and unfussy interior will be more appealing than complicated controls.
Noise is rated at 40 dB, which is typical for a compact fridge. You will occasionally hear the compressor cut in and out, but it shouldn’t be intrusive in most kitchens. With a 2‑year manufacturer warranty included, Hisense also offers a bit more peace of mind than the bare minimum one‑year cover found on some entry‑level models.
At its current price, the Hisense RL170D4BCE represents strong value for a stainless steel under‑counter larder fridge. You’re paying for a neat, modern finish and practical interior rather than advanced tech, which makes sense for most smaller households.
The efficient E energy rating (old A++) and low annual energy consumption help keep running costs down, which adds to the long‑term value. The inclusion of a 2‑year warranty is a welcome extra at this price point and suggests the brand is reasonably confident in its build quality.
Perhaps the strongest argument for its value is the user feedback: a 4.8/5 score from more than 600 reviews indicates that real owners feel they’ve got their money’s worth. If you need freezer space or smart features you’ll be looking at different categories and higher budgets, but as a simple, compact fridge for everyday use, it hits a very sweet spot between cost and quality.
The Hisense RL170D4BCE is a well‑judged larder fridge for smaller homes or as a handy second appliance. It combines a compact under‑counter footprint with a surprisingly usable 133‑litre interior, adjustable shelves and a neat stainless steel finish that looks at home in modern kitchens.
You don’t get advanced features like digital displays, alarms or multi‑airflow cooling, and there’s no freezer compartment, so it won’t suit everyone. But if what you really want is a reliable, efficient and easy‑to‑live‑with fridge that doesn’t cost the earth, it delivers exactly that – and the excellent owner ratings back it up.
For singles, couples and small households who already have separate freezer space, this Hisense is an easy model to recommend. If you’re a larger family or want more bells and whistles, it’s worth looking at taller or more feature‑rich alternatives, but as a straightforward compact fridge, it’s one of the better options around.
