The humble refrigerator. It’s been a staple of modern life since the late 1920s, and it has continued to be a device that is important to nearly everyone. The Hisense HRM260N6TSE is the latest from global manufacturer Hisense, and it doesn’t stray far from the past year’s current trends in refrigerators. But it is the company’s first refrigerator with some smart features up its sleeve.
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Now, I will admit that some refrigerators from the 50s, and 60s might give some of these modern appliances a run for their money. But sadly, we no longer have those available to us. These days, it seems appliances are made not to last. I can’t say for certain how long this Hisense HRM260N6TSE will last, but it looks and seems robust and comes with a 2-year warranty. Let’s jump into the review of the Hisense HRM260N6TSE.
Table of Contents
Hisense HRM260N6TSE — The Quick Take
The main takeaway for the Hisense HRM260N6TSE is fairly simple. It does what a fridge should do, keep things cold and frozen.
But there are other features that are fantastic on this fridge. The previous Hisense refrigerator that I reviewed was great, but the center draw was integrated into the main unit. The Hisense HRM260N6TSE separates that center drawer and gives it a dedicated climate control feature. That is absolutely a great feature. Furthermore, having the center drawer stand-alone helps to minimize the opening of the main unit doors.
When we first unpacked the Hisense HRM260N6TSE, I thought that the storage was smaller than the model I reviewed last year. I was right and I was wrong. It seems the storage in the doors did get slightly smaller, but only by a little. But the interior of the fridge is much more ample than the previous French door fridge from Hisense.
The smart features are pretty basic, but I like that. I am glad that there isn’t a huge number of things that you can do with the app and that Hisense made things easy and convenient. Overall, the Hisense HRM260N6TSE does what a fridge should do, and it offers plenty of space, a great tri-level climate control, and an excellent warranty. I’d recommend this fridge to anyone, so long as it fits into your space.
Specifications
The Hisense HRM260N6TSE has the following features and specifications:
| Dimensions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Actual Width (Inches) | 36 | Height to Top of Case (Inches) | 69 |
| Common Width (Inches) | 36 | Height to Top of Door (Inches) | 70.3 |
| Depth (Excluding Handles) (Inches) | 33.7 | Height to Top of Door Hinge (Inches) | 70.3 |
| Depth (Including Handles) (Inches) | 33.7 | Overall Capacity (Cu. Feet) | 25.6 |
| Depth (Less Door) (Inches) | 29.3 | Popular Widths | 36-in |
| Depth Type | Standard-Depth | Refrigerator Capacity (Cu. Feet) | 18.67 |
| Depth with Door Open (Inches) | 48.6 | Refrigerator Size | Medium (33 – 36-in) |
| Freezer Capacity (Cu. Feet) | 6.97 | Weight (lbs.) | 320 |
| Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ADA Compliant | No | Hidden Hinge | Yes |
| Air Filtration | No | Hub Required | No |
| Appliance Type | French door refrigerator | Humidity-Controlled Crispers | 0 |
| Built-In | No | Ice and Water Dispensers | Both |
| Child Safety Locks | Yes | Ice Maker | Single |
| Customizable | No | Ice Type | Cubed/Crushed |
| Dispenser Light | Yes | Ice/Water Location | External dispenser |
| Door Alarm | Yes | LED Light | Yes |
| Door Shelves | 6 | Lowe’s Exclusive | Yes |
| Door Style | Flat | Matching Replacement Water Filter Model | HX2019F-A |
| Door Texture | Smooth | Model | HRM260N6TSE |
| Door within Door | No | Number of Doors | 4 |
| Dual Evaporator Cooling System | Yes | Panel Ready | No |
| Electronic Temperature Control | Yes | Pantry Drawer | No |
| Filtered Ice | Yes | Professional | Yes |
| Fingerprint-Resistant | Yes | Refrigerator Interior Lighting | LED |
| Freezer Baskets | 2 | Reversible Freezer Door | No |
| Freezer Door Bins | 0 | See-Thru Door | No |
| Freezer Door Style | Pull-out drawer | Shelf Options | Adjustable sliding glass shelves |
| Freezer Drawers | 2 | Snack/Deli Drawer | Yes |
| Freezer Light | Yes | Space-Saving In-Door Ice | No |
| Freezer Shelves | 0 | Temperature Controlled Drawer | Yes |
| Frost-Free | Yes | Voice Controlled | No |
| Gallon Door Storage | Yes | Water Filter Indicator | Yes |
| Garage Ready | No | Water Filtration | Yes |
| Handle Type | Integrated | ||
| Compatibility | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| App Compatibility | Yes | Works with Android | Yes |
| Bluetooth Compatibility | Yes | Works with Apple HomeKit | No |
| Custom Door Kit Compatible | No | Works with iOS | Yes |
| Matching Air Filter (Model #) | N/A | Works with SmartThings | No |
| Smart Compatible | Yes | Works with Sonos | No |
| Wi-Fi Compatibility | Yes | Works with the Google Assistant | No |
| Works with Amazon Alexa | No | ||
| Warranty | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Warranty | 2-year limited | ||
What’s In The Box
- Hisense HRM260N6TSE
- Shelves
- Drawers and dividers
- Water hose and coupling (not included, but should be purchased)
- Manuals and Documentation
Design
Before this Hisense HRM260N6TSE showed up, we were using the Hisense HRF254N6TSE and before that, a Samsung French door fridge. One thing we’ve learned, reviewing just about everything, is that there is always going to be something you wish was different about the appliance or device you purchased. Nothing can satisfy any one human 100% of the time.
Our old Samsung fridge had many frustrations that were solved with the Hisense HRF254N6TSE. But after having the fridge for a period of time, we found things we wished were different. Not that they were bad, but we just wished they were different. Now, the Hisense HRM260N6TSE is here and some of those things have been addressed. But there are some minor frustrations here too. So you have to go into these reviews, understanding that my frustrations and high points, may not be yours.
Let’s move on because I am getting long-winded. I love that Hisense kept that handle free look, it really helps slim the Hisense HRM260N6TSE down, and it just looks better in the space we have. However, my kids have complained about the handle placement. The handles for the main doors are on top and under. To me, this isn’t a big deal, it’s just a matter of retraining your brain. But for my wife and kids, it’s been a sore point, which they will eventually get over.
I love that the Hisense HRM260N6TSE has a center drawer (VerseTemp) that is separate from the main unit. The drawer in the previous model was inside the main unit. This is much nicer and keeps us from having to open the main unit so much.
The exterior stainless-steel front is beautiful, although, like all stainless, it picks up fingerprints (even if Hisense says it doesn’t… I have kids). The sides are a steel grey color, instead of black. I like this, our old fridge was stainless steel with black sides, and I like this aesthetic better.
The front of the Hisense HRM260N6TSE French Door Refrigerator also has an ice and water dispenser. This dispenser is the same as the previous unit and we love it. Hisense made it big enough to fit larger tumblers in it, our old Samsung had a smaller opening, and you could not accommodate large glasses or tumblers. Moreover, the ice maker has not frozen over and has been working perfectly fine since we first received it.
Open the Hisense HRM260N6TSE French Door Refrigerator up, and you’re greeted with a typical white fridge interior. The shelves are adjustable and made of glass, and the side pockets are a thick clear plastic. All the materials feel nice and are well-made. I don’t feel anything is cheap, by today’s appliance standards, and you are getting your money’s worth.
- Recap:
- There are three main glass shelves that are adjustable.
- There are three humidified drawers.
- There is a middle deli drawer that has its own climate control called “VersaTemp.”
- The bottom freezer drawer is giant and has two drawers inside with dividers.
- There is an ice maker and the ice maker/water opening is ample enough for large cups.
Overall, the design is about the same as the Hisense we used before. Modern, sleek, clean looking, nice amount of room, and this build quality is even better than the last Hisense fridge.
Setup
Setup is nearly non-existent if you order this from Lowe’s and have them deliver it. Lowe’s will bring your new fridge inside and hook up your ice and water dispenser. There may be an extra cost for delivery and setup, but it is worth it.
The only setup we had to do was to get the shelves and drawers how we wanted them. Otherwise, there is minimal setup if you have Lowe’s do it all. Expect to haul this home and lug it into your kitchen if you don’t. You may need to remove the doors to get through your front door. Lowe’s had to remove the fridge doors and our front door to get it into the house.
Overall, having Lowe’s deliver and setup is worth any extra costs. Lowe’s sent two excellent delivery people who were professional, fast, and courteous.
Smartphone App
The Connect Life app used with the Hisense HRM260N6TSE is simple. It gives you a few options and metrics, but nothing complicated. The feature I like most is the ability to turn the ice maker on and off, as well as the ability to change the temps. You don’t need to use the app for the fridge to work properly, but I thought the app offered nice and simple features. My kids thought it was funny that the notification that the ice maker was full said, “Ice Is Enough.” LOL.
Performance
As for the Hisense HRM260N6TSE French Door Refrigerator performance, we’ve had this for more than a few weeks now, and it seems to be working perfectly fine. I noticed that the temperature of the freezer and the fridge are about two to three degrees higher than our old Samsung and inline with the previous Hisense. I like this; our old Samsung fridge sometimes would be so cold that food would get frost.
Of course, you can adjust the temp, but the default temps are better managed on the Hisense than our old Samsung fridge, and they are about the same as the old Hisense fridge.
I also love that I can control the temps of all three sections from the app. The buttons on the door work fine, but it is nice to have this option and it works great.
The humidity-controlled drawers also seem to function very nicely. Our old Samsung fridge often had issues with humidity, causing veggies and fruits to go bad. We have not had any problems with the Hisense, so far. The capacity is also really amazing. At first, I thought it was smaller than the previous Hisense but it seems Hisense made the door shelves slightly smaller in favor of increasing the interior capacity. I think this was a great choice.
Overall, the performance was as expected and we liked it a lot. I especially love that the ice maker on this Hisense and the older Hisense have never frozen over like our Samsung did. Perhaps that might become an issue in the future, but it has yet to happen.
Price/Value
Priced at $2,899, this is a pricey venture. That said, Lowe’s currently has the Hisense HRM260N6TSE priced at $1,699 (as of publishing). I think at the sale price, the Hisense HRM260N6TSE is well worth the money. At the full MSRP, that might be an issue for some.
Wrap Up
At the $1,699 sale price, this Hisense fridge is a great competitor and well worth considering. You will have to do more soul-searching if you find it at the full MSRP. Either way, the features, and everything else it offers, are fantastic.
Hisense HRM260N6TSE
$2,899
Nailed it
- Nice and clean modern design
- Excellent build quality
- Recessed handles make it look clean
- Very large ice/water dispenser fits even big cups
- Plenty of space with three climate controlled sections
- Lots of ways to set up the inside
- Smartphone app is simple and easy to use
- Lowe's delivery is excellent
Needs work
- Fridge recessed handles can take some time to get used to because they are on top and bottom of the door. My kids preferred having them on the front
- The stainless steel does get fingerprints, kids fingerprints anyway
- It is pricey, some might not like the price
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