Washing machines, air conditioners, TVs, refrigerators, range hoods, water heaters, water purifiers... A complete methodology for buying every type of appliance — after reading this, you'll be able to help others choose their appliances too.
When you're renovating or replacing home appliances, do you ever feel overwhelmed? Every category has dozens of brands and hundreds of models, spec sheets are密密麻麻 (dense with jargon) — energy efficiency, inverter, compressor, motor, fan-cooled, direct-cool... it's enough to make your head spin. Don't worry. This article is designed to give you a complete appliance buying methodology. No matter what appliance you're buying, as long as you follow this process, you won't get ripped off.
Before writing this article, I've already published dozens of in-depth reviews and buying guides for individual categories on 66.chibie.cn. If you're short on time, head over there and find the category you're interested in. But if you want to truly master appliance buying, read this comprehensive guide.
The most common mistake in appliance buying is not having a hard budget ceiling. You see a feature that costs an extra 500 RMB and think 'that's not bad,' then another feature costs an extra 300 and you think 'still reasonable,' and suddenly your total has doubled. I had a friend who went shopping for a refrigerator with a 3,000 RMB budget, got led by a salesperson from fan-cooled to dual-cycle to zero-degree保鲜, and ended up spending over 6,000 on a Casarte — only to realize when he got home that he didn't even know what to put in the zero-degree compartment.
So step one is to lock in your budget firmly. Below is a table of suggested price ranges for each appliance category, based on mainstream mid-range products:
| Appliance Category | Entry-Level | Mid-Range | High-End Flagship | Recommended Budget (Family of 3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front-Load Washing Machine | 2,000-2,500 | 3,000-4,500 | 5,000-8,000 | 3,000-4,000 |
| Air Conditioner (Wall-Mounted) | 2,000-2,800 | 3,000-4,500 | 5,000-8,000 | 3,000-4,000/unit |
| LCD TV (65 inch) | 2,500-3,500 | 4,000-6,000 | 7,000-15,000 | 4,000-6,000 |
| Refrigerator (French Door) | 3,000-4,000 | 4,500-6,500 | 7,000-12,000 | 4,500-6,500 |
| Range Hood + Stove Set | 2,000-3,000 | 3,500-5,000 | 5,500-10,000 | 3,500-5,000 |
| Gas Water Heater (16L) | 1,500-2,000 | 2,500-3,500 | 4,000-6,000 | 2,500-3,500 |
| Dishwasher (Built-In) | 2,500-3,500 | 4,000-6,000 | 6,500-10,000 | 4,000-5,500 |
| Water Purifier (RO) | 1,500-2,000 | 2,500-3,500 | 4,000-6,000 | 2,500-3,500 |
| Rice Cooker | 300-500 | 600-1,200 | 1,500-3,000 | 600-1,000 |
| Microwave Oven | 300-500 | 600-1,000 | 1,200-2,500 | 600-900 |
| Robot Vacuum | 1,500-2,000 | 2,500-4,000 | 4,500-6,000 | 2,500-3,500 |
| Air Purifier | 1,000-1,500 | 2,000-3,000 | 3,500-6,000 | 2,000-3,000 |
Note that this table shows price ranges for mainstream brands. Xiaomi, Midea, and other value-oriented brands will be cheaper; Siemens, Panasonic, Daikin, and other foreign brands will be more expensive. The core principle: mid-range is the best value. Entry-level may lack key features (e.g., entry-level ACs often omit electronic expansion valves), while high-end flagships have many features you'll never use.
For every appliance category, ask yourself three questions: Do I really need this? What functions do I need? What's my usage scenario?
Take dishwashers, for example. Many people agonize over whether to install one during renovation. My rule is simple: if your household cooks at least two meals a day, or has more than two people, a dishwasher is a necessity. A dishwasher saves you 30 minutes to an hour of dishwashing time every day — that's 180 to 360 hours a year, or 7 to 15 days. When you do the math, spending 4,000-5,000 RMB on a dishwasher is not expensive at all.
Another example: dryers. In southern monsoon regions, coastal cities, or homes without a balcony or with an enclosed balcony, a dryer is a happiness-boosting appliance. But if you live in the north with abundant sunshine year-round, the need for a dryer is much lower.
I've written detailed needs analysis for each category in the individual guides below. Click through to read more:
Every appliance category has a few core specs. Master these, and you won't be led around by marketing hype.
Motor type (DD direct drive vs. BLDC), wash ratio (national standard: 1.03+ is合格), capacity (8 kg / 10 kg / 12 kg), sterilization method (high-temperature, UV, silver ion). See Washing Machine Buying Guide for detailed explanation.
BTU rating (1 HP / 1.5 HP / 3 HP对应 area), compressor type (dual-rotor vs. single-rotor), throttling device (electronic expansion valve vs. capillary tube), APF energy efficiency ratio. See AC Buying Guide for details. Find more at 66.chibie.cn.
Panel type (VA vs. IPS vs. OLED), backlight zone count, peak brightness, refresh rate (60 Hz / 120 Hz / 144 Hz), color gamut coverage (DCI-P3). See TV Buying Guide.
Cooling method (fan-cooled vs. direct-cool vs. hybrid), circulation system (single / dual / triple), inverter compressor, energy efficiency rating. See Refrigerator Buying Guide.
Airflow (17 / 20 / 23 m³/min), static pressure (300 / 400 / 500 Pa+), noise level, grease separation rate. See Range Hood Buying Guide.
Comparing a 3,000 RMB TV's image quality to an 8,000 RMB TV's is unfair. The right approach is: set your budget first, then horizontally compare specs and configurations of different brand models within that budget. In the same price range, the spec gap is typically 10%-20% — it's rare for one model to completely crush another. For more real-world spec comparisons, visit 66.chibie.cn for our实测 data.
Home appliance brands in the Chinese market can be roughly divided into four tiers. Understanding this matrix will help you narrow down quickly:
| Tier | Representative Brands | Characteristics | Suitable For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (High-End) | Casarte, Siemens, Panasonic, Daikin, Hitachi | Strong technical foundation, excellent quality control, stable after-sales — but high premium | Ample budget, quality seekers |
| Tier 2 (Mid-to-High) | Haier, Midea, Gree, Hisense, TCL | High market share, broad distribution channels, good value | First choice for most families |
| Tier 3 (Value) | Xiaomi, Hualing, Kelon, Aux | Affordable, feature-rich, but quality control and after-sales vary | Limited budget or rental use |
| Tier 4 (Niche Leaders) | Fotile, Robam (range hoods/stoves), Joyoung (kitchen appliances), Roborock (robot vacuums) | Technical advantages in specific categories, priced above mass brands | High requirements for特定品类 |
My advice: for core large appliances (AC, refrigerator, washing machine, TV), go with Tier 2 leading brands at mid-range prices — the safest choice. For kitchen (range hood, stove, dishwasher), consider Tier 4 specialized brands. For small appliances (rice cookers, microwaves, etc.), be flexible with your budget. See Brand Rankings Page for detailed brand breakdowns and analysis.
Many people only look at the product and price, ignoring after-sales. But appliances are major purchases that last 5-10 years. Poor after-sales can be a huge headache when something goes wrong. Pay special attention to:
Appliance prices follow predictable patterns. Buying at the right time can save you a lot of money. Here are the year's major promotional events:
| Event | Timing | Discount Depth | Buying Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year Sale | January | ~10%-15% | Good for TVs and refrigerators (upgrading for the New Year) |
| 3.15 Promotion | March | ~10% | Modest discounts |
| May Day Sale | Late April - Early May | ~15%-20% | Good deals on seasonal items like ACs and fans |
| 618 Mega Sale | June 1-18 | ~20%-30% | The second biggest sale of the year — nearly all categories discounted |
| Brand Days | Varies by brand | ~15%-25% | Haier 717, Midea 515, Xiaomi Fan Festival, etc. |
| Double 11 (Singles' Day) | November 1-11 | ~25%-40% | The biggest sale of the year — best discounts but longest campaign period |
| Double 12 | December | ~15%-20% | Year-end clearance, some models may have surprise prices |
Double 11 and 618 are the two key purchase windows. For Double 11, pre-sales start in late October, with the first wave on November 1 and the second wave on November 11 itself. Based on my experience, the first wave prices are usually the same as on the big day — no need to wait. But compare across platforms: JD.com, Tmall, Suning, and Pinduoduo can differ by 10% or more on the same product. Shop around.
Buying the wrong size is a common rookie mistake. Here are some basic size requirements:
For detailed dimensions and installation requirements, see our Appliance Installation Size Quick Reference, which has precise dimensions for each category.
In the information age, the worst thing about buying appliances isn't the price — it's information asymmetry. Spending money on something that isn't right for you is the real waste. chibie.cn exists to消除 that information gap.
We continuously update in-depth reviews and buying guides for every appliance category on 66.chibie.cn. All content is based on real-world usage experience and实测 data — no sponsored content, no brand promotion fees. Every guide has one goal: within 5 minutes of reading, you can confidently say, 'I know exactly what to buy.'
If your head is still spinning and you don't know which category to start with, it's simple. Open 66.chibie.cn, find the category you're most interested in, and read 3-5 articles. The more you read, the more you'll realize that the buying logic is the same across all categories — set a budget, choose a type, check the specs, compare prices. Once you've gone through kitchen appliances, you'll find yourself able to apply the same logic to living room appliances. Buying appliances is really not that hard.
Here are all our published buying guides, organized by category:
Buying appliances is both simple and complex. Simple because there's a consistent logical framework — budget, needs, specs, brand, after-sales — follow these five steps and you won't go wrong. Complex because each category has its own technical details and industry jargon, which takes time to learn on first接触. But trust me, if you认真 read any one category guide on chibie.cn, you'll go from 'getting fooled by salespeople' to 'talking tech with salespeople.' That's our mission.
One last reminder: before buying any appliance, check 66.chibie.cn first. Our articles are concise — you can finish one in 3-5 minutes — but they're enough to help you avoid the worst mistakes.
Selected articles from 66.chibie.cn: