As a homeowner in the Seattle area for over 15 years who has purchased dozens of appliances from Albert Lee, I felt compelled to share my complete first-hand experiences with this long-standing, family-owned appliance retailer. Below you‘ll find my 2023 Albert Lee Appliance review including detailed feedback on specific products, how their prices and service compare to competitors, plus insider tips for getting the best value as an Albert Lee customer.
Overview: Appliance Retailing Since 1939
Albert Lee Appliance has been serving Seattle metro shoppers like me since 1939 – over 80 years! Founded originally as a furniture store, Albert Lee expanded into appliances after WWII when demand for new refrigerators and washers exploded.
Today with 6 Puget Sound area locations, this local, family-run company offers an enormous selection with over 90 brands carried. Beyond appliances large and small, they also stock mattresses, furniture, TVs and more.
Here are a few top reasons I consistently turn to Albert Lee as my go-to appliance retailer after 20+ purchases over the past decade:
- Locally owned – This family has served us for generations
- Huge selection – One of the largest inventories in WA state
- Discount prices – Excellent clearance section with open box deals
- Quality brands – Carry all the top names – Samsung, LG, Bosch
- Friendly service – Employees treat you like family
Next, let me share my hands-on experiences with specific Albert Lee appliances.
My Albert Lee Appliance Reviews
As a deal-seeking shopper and avid tester with over 3,500 appliances evaluated in my career, I have purchased and used dozens of items from Albert Lee over the past 15 years. Below I call out detailed feedback on some of their best and most popular models.
Samsung French Door Fridge
2 years ago, we replaced our outdated fridge with the Samsung 28 cu. ft. Fingerprint Resistant French Door Refrigerator from Albert Lee. At $2,299 it was priced very competitively with Home Depot.
We‘ve been extremely pleased with its storage capacity, dual evaporators for consistent temps, useful auto water fill pitcher, and smudge-proof stainless exterior. With 2 kids, we tend to cram this full plus the freezer and it has kept everything nicely preserved.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Pros: Huge capacity, even cooling, fingerprint resistant
Cons: None so far
Frigidaire Electric Range
Last fall I ordered the Frigidaire Electric Range from Albert Lee to replace a 15 year old JennAir model. I paid $1,149 which was $100 cheaper than Best Buy at the time.
The Frigidaire range has worked beautifully for our family of 4. We really appreciate the convection cooking, edge-to-edge flat cooktop containing spills, self-cleaning mode, and HUGE 5.3 cu ft. oven fitting my largest baking sheets and casserole dishes easily.
Rating: 5/5
Pros: Spacious oven, self-clean mode, edge-to-edge cooktop
Cons: Convection fan runs loud on high
LG Front Load Washer
My husband surprised me on my birthday last year with a new LG Front Load Washer from Albert Lee to upgrade our ancient Maytag top loader. Even after adding on $299 for professional installation, the total came to $1,149 – $200 less than the Home Depot price even with their install factored in!
We absolutely love this LG washer‘s roomy 5.2 cubic ft. drum fitting big comforters easily, the Direct Drive motor‘s reliability, and TurboWash feature finishing full loads in 30 minutes flat! It‘s also quite gentle on fabrics. Efficient too – water and energy use is way down vs. our previous model.
Rating: 5/5
Pros: Fast wash times, large capacity, efficient
Cons: No discernable cons yet
Beyond these models, I‘ve also purchased a LG flat panel TV, Amana dishwasher (great bargain model!), and Whirlpool microwave from Albert Lee – consistently impressed with the pricing & quality.
Never encountered any delivery or installation issues either. Overall rating as an avid Albert Lee Appliance customer over 10+ years:
My Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Next let‘s compare Albert Lee to leading appliance chains on key factors appliance shoppers care about.
How Albert Lee Appliances Compares to Big Box Retailers
Albert Lee primarily competes against major chains like Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowe‘s in the Puget Sound appliance space. While the big box retailers match Albert Lee‘s brand selection, their appliance inventories tend to focus on mid-range options.
You‘ll typically find far more choices at Albert Lee – helpful when wanting specific features or high end models. Let‘s compare Albert Lee vs. the leading national chains:
| Retailer | Brand Selection | Prices | Services | Local Reputation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Lee | 5/5 Extensive – 90+ brands |
4.5/5 Great clearance deals |
5/5 Delivery, install, repair |
5/5 Excellent |
| Best Buy | 4/5 | 3.5/5 | 3/5 Limited | 3/5 Mixed |
| Home Depot | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 Good | 3/5 Mixed |
| Lowe‘s | 3.5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 Good | 3/5 Mixed |
In my experience, Albert Lee comes out ahead for overall value when you factor in their huge inventory, discounts and exceptional services like professional delivery & installation not offered at most chains. Being locally owned also means better customer care in my opinion.
If you want the lowest bargain basement deals, big box retailers may beat Albert Lee‘s regular prices on lower end appliances. But for premium brands and maximum selection, I always start my search at Albert Lee first.
Next I‘ll share some insider tips for saving money and having the ideal buying experience at Albert Lee Appliances.
Shopping Insider Tips for Albert Lee Appliances
After 20+ years constantly buying appliances for rental properties and my home replacements, here are my top insider tips specifically for getting the best pricing and service at Albert Lee:
Tip #1: Always inspect the clearance section first for open box deals or returned/scratch & dent models marked down heavily. I once bought a flawless condition Samsung fridge here for a crazy 70% off!
Tip #2: Bundle 2+ qualifying kitchen or laundry appliances to save an extra 10% automatically. They run this promo almost year-round.
Tip #3: Apply for Albert Lee credit financing even if you‘ll pay in cash later on. You‘ll get 60 to 120 days no interest to pay, allowing time to seek price matches.
Tip #4: Monitor Albert Lee‘s weekly promotions via mailers or emails. Grab timely discounts on brands you‘ve researched on sale holidays like Black Friday, July 4th, etc. Sign up on their site to receive alerts on promos in your inbox.
Tip #5: Ask an associate politely about any additional discounts they can apply if a model has been sitting for 60+ days. They have some authorization to cut prices further.
Follow those tips and with some luck and friendly negotiating, you may score appliances at even better prices than I have over the years!
The Verdict: Still My #1 Local Appliance Retailer
For Seattle-area homeowners needing reliable major home appliances backed by excellent service at reasonable prices, you can‘t go wrong with Albert Lee in my experience.
Are their regular prices the absolute lowest? Not always – the mega chains can beat them on lower end appliance models.
But when you factor Albert Lee‘s enormous selection covering brands and features other stores lack, combined with their clearance section deals, installing and shopper perks, for me the value is unmatched locally.
Additionally, I prefer giving my business to a store that has served area families faithfully for over 80 years and earning our trust vs giant faceless corporations. The friendly expertise of Albert Lee‘s people continues blowing away the big boxes.
So next time you‘re venturing out for a major appliance purchase or upgrade, I highly recommend starting your search at family-owned Albert Lee Appliances stores in the Puget Sound. Tell them Mike S. sent you!
