The fridge doors get opened more often, so the French door layout is our preference, although what we have is a conventional freezer on top, for now.

It all depends on personal preference. We have a side--by-side. We once had a small chest (not upright) type freezer for several years. What I learned from that experience is that I will not dig around while bent over, leaning down into something, to find what I am looking for. Especially lifting stuff out to find something at the bottom.

It is easier on my back to have the freezer section vertically configured. Therefore, a french door with freezer drawer on bottom style refrigerator won't work for me. I prefer SxS.

Meanwhile, our son loves their French door fridge and that is the only style he will buy. He is on his second.

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We’ve always had side by side, but in our current rental, it’s a French door. Things get buried in the freezer - just one thing dumped on top of another - always having to dig for what we’re looking for. Much prefer a side by side.

It's really a personal preference. I have had 2 French door fridges and I love them. It's been almost 20 years since I lived in a house with a side-by-side, so I'm rusty there. However, what the others have noted about the freezer is totally true. If you are an organized person who takes a moment to think before loading, then you'll be fine. But for those who just dump stuff in the freezer carelessly, or someone with back issues, I would not recommend a FD since stuff would get buried.

French door. Shelves in side by sides are too narrow for me. I keep just my frozen veggies and fruits along with odds and ends like dollops of tomato paste and pesto in the main freezer. I have a second upright freezer in the laundry for meats and made-aheads.