Insignia freezers are quite a familiar name in the household market in the USA. For the price, the Insignia freezer offers a stellar performance And that raises some questions in people’s minds: who makes Insignia Freezers? Where are Insignia freezers manufactured?
Well, we got you covered here! In this article, we will focus on who makes Insignia Freezers, and give feedback to help you decide whether you should choose an Insignia Freezer or not.
They are from Best Buy!
Best Buy, heard of it? We are pretty sure that you have already. Best Buy is one of the largest retailers in North America. They are renowned for their quality collection of products at a relatively cheap price. The headquarters of Best Buy is in Richfield, Minnesota.
Best buy offers a diverse and widespread range of electronic devices. They sell products from different manufacturers, from big companies like Apple or Samsung to smaller homegrown manufacturers as well.
Insignia, however, is the value-oriented house brand of Best Buy which means they own the brand. Insignia sells not only freezers but also other electronic devices like TV’s, washers & dryers, microwaves, and so on. Ok, so now you know who owns the Insignia brand but not actually who makes insignia freezers.
Best Buy Doesn’t Make Them Though!
Now, things get a bit tricky when it comes to the question, of where insignia freezers are manufactured. Best Buy sells Insignia Freezers as their house brand but they don’t manufacture them themselves. They are made by a company based in China, Haier!
Haier is one of the companies on the list of the top 100 valuable Chinese brands. They started their journey in 1986; they now sell various electronic products such as – Freezers, Air conditioners and TVs all over the world. They have established themselves as a top global electronic brand.
So, who makes the insignia freezer for Best Buy then, it’s all getting a little confusing! Let’s discuss it in simple terms! Insignia refrigerators are manufactured by Haier at Haiers factory under the requirements, specifications and guidelines of Best Buy.
Quite similar to how iPhones are made. Apple doesn’t manufacture them, a manufacturing plant in China does (well several plants make parts for them). However, Apple has more control over product design than Best Buy does but the general concept is exactly the same.
Now you may ask why do that? Well, in simple terms, the answer is cost-efficiency. Best Buy wanted to position Insignia as a value-oriented affordable brand to get the market share from brands like Samsung, Lg, etc. by offering good quality products at a lesser price.
And to do that, they had to look at China. China is renowned for the easy availability of manufacturing technology, raw materials and less expensive labor, which cuts the cost down significantly. So it is a win-win for both Haier and Best Buy.
Who Are Haier then?
Haier is the company that purchased GE appliances back when GE decided to sell that side of its business. The agreement between GE and Haier was announced on 15th Jan 2016 and the deal was finalized on 6th June 2016.
So that adds So when you go and buy a Hotpoint or GE appliance today, they aren’t actually made by General Electric. Haier is the manufacturer. In theory, GE and Hotpoint appliances will share design similarities, functionalities and parts with Insignia appliances that you will find at Bestbuy although what is shared will depend on the price point of the appliance in question. If it is priced like a Hotpoint, it will be more Hotpoint than GE! So next time you’re asked who makes insignia appliances for best buy, you have all the answers!
Different kinds of insignia Freezers
Two types of Insignia Freezers are currently on the market. They are –
- Chest Freezer
- Upright Freezer
Insignia Chest Freezers
Chest freezers are among the most economical types of freezers. As they are shaped like a large box that opens upward, the chest freezers allow a good amount of space inside without demanding crazy amounts of floor space, especially the mini 7.0 cu ft which is very compact. However, they do of course need vertical space to open up the lid.
Some of the popular sizes of the Insignia Chest Freezers are –
- Insignia – 7.0 Cu.Ft. Chest Freezer – white
- Insignia – 5.0 Cu.Ft. Chest Freezer – white
- Insignia – 3.5 Cu.Ft. Chest Freezer – white
- Insignia – 10.2 Cu.Ft. Chest Freezer – white
Insignia Upright Freezers
Upright Freezers are the most convenient and popular among modern households. As the items are stored vertically, it is easy to access the items in upright freezers and they fit in Kitchens nicely. Though they cost more than the chest freezers, their ease of placement and use make up for it.
Some of the popular sizes of the Insignia Upright Freezers are –
- Insignia – 17.0 Cu.Ft. Frost-Free Upright Convertible Freezer /Refrigerator
- Insignia – 21.0 Cu.Ft. Upright Convertible Freezer /Refrigerator
- Insignia – 13.8 Cu.Ft. Upright Convertible Freezer /Refrigerator
Insignia Freezers Reviews
The Insignia 18cu ft gets a 4.4 star average rating over 3600 reviews on the website. The overwhelming majority of reviews are positive including comments like “love it, I was skeptical but now Im converted!”, “These are perfect for an apartment”, “fast delivery and no problems with this product”.
The small amount of 1-2 star reviews (total of approx 250 from the 3600) include “I purchased the fridge on July 22 and it failed”, “I was disappointed in how fragile the plastic trays are” and “they dropped it off and it was fine but when I unpacked it the freezer had two big dents”.
One thing the whomakehub.com team has noted is that BestBuy replies to all of their negative reviews offering assistance which is a brilliant show of customer service in our opinion.
Should you buy an Insignia Freezer then?
Often a good product belongs to a well-established brand, though of course, new products can be good too. It’s the same story for Insignia. They are backed up by Best buy’s lineup of products and that lends credence to them being good quality. After all BestBuy doesn’t want the hassle of a bad homegrown product line, that’s bad for business!
We can say they don’t disappoint either! Insignia freezers are well built and quite affordable when you look at comparisons such as Insignia vs Lg, or Insignia vs Frigidaire Freezer. To add to that you’re not buying from a small company that is working out its product range!
You’re buying products indirectly from a global brand, Haier. That makes it equal or closely matched with the top brands despite costing you less. So, if you want to buy an Insignia Freezer, we suggest you go for it!
FAQ’s
How well does the freezer handle temperature?
According to the manual, the freezer is require to be in a place where the ambient temperature is below 109F (43C).
How does it handle voltage? Any requirements for an additional voltage outlet?
In general conditions, No. It can be easily plugged into a regular household outlet.
How easily can we set it up? Does it require the delivery guys to set it up?
As per the user reviews, the lighter ones can be moved easily. However, the freezers on the heavier side may need some additional help. This goes for any large white goods appliance though.
Does it create any extra noise? Or any other unexpected noise issues over a longer period of use?
As per the user reviews, there is no noise from the freezer. However, if not maintained properly or used unwisely, potential issues can occur as with any other white goods.
What about the lid? Does it get loose after a few years of use?
As per the user reviews, This has not been noted as happening on Insignia freezers.
Is it energy efficient?
Yes. The freezer is Energy Star certified.
Is Insignia and Frigidaire the same?
No, Insignia are made by Haier and Frigidaire is made by Electrolux.
Final Words
So, there you go. Now you know everything and we hope that you got the answer to the questions you had asked – who makes the insignia freezer, and a whole lot of other information as well!
Our Verdict: Insignia freezers are a good purchase at a competitive price. Recommended!
1 Comment
Really good article guys, I have owned Haier stuff before and it was really decent quality. Could you do an article on who makes criterion freezers? Im looking at those too thankyou