Only a few years ago, the most popular TV size was the 55-inch TV, but larger TVs, like 65-inch and 75-inch models, are becoming more common. Still, a 55-inch TV is good if you need something for a smaller room, and finding the best 55-inch 4k TV for your needs depends on your usage, viewing conditions, and budget. High-end TVs tend to be great for a variety of uses, while budget TVs are better suited if you want something simple and don't need premium performance. If you want something bigger, check out the best 65-inch TVs instead.
We've bought and tested more than 425 TVs, and below are our recommendations for the best 55-inch televisions you can buy. You can also see our picks for the best TVs and the best smart TVs, or you can vote on which ones you want us to buy and test. To learn more about the 2024 models, check out our 2024 TV lineup page.
The Samsung QN55S90CAFXZA, also known as the Samsung S90C OLED, is the best 55-inch television we've tested. It's a premium TV with fantastic overall picture quality and a huge selection of smart features. It has great peak brightness and perfect, inky blacks for some of the most vibrant HDR viewing experiences. It doesn't have Sony's top-tier processing capabilities, but it's no slouch in that department and is certainly good enough for anyone except for movie enthusiasts. Unfortunately, unlike the Sony A95L OLED listed below, the Samsung TV doesn't support any DTS audio formats, and the TV is limited to the less commonly used HDR10+ format rather than Dolby Vision HDR. However, for most buyers, this is the best-looking 55-inch TV they can get for the price, as it's significantly cheaper than the Sony.
Thankfully, it's a standout performer for gaming, with full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth support on all four HDMI 2.1 ports, all of which support up to 4k @ 144Hz, which is amazing for high-end PC gamers. You could also go for the Samsung S95C OLED instead, which is one of the brightest and most vibrant TVs on the market. It's basically a slightly brighter S90C, but it comes with a significant price hike and isn't worth it for most people.
The Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED is the follow-up to this TV and is now available to purchase. It's available in more sizes and has a new gaming feature called Auto AI Mode, which is supposed to automatically adjust the picture settings depending on the game genre. Samsung's 2024 OLED lineup is confusing, as they're releasing the same-sized models with both WOLED and QD-OLED panels, and there isn't a simple way to determine what panel type you're getting.
If you want the best home theater experience, the Sony XR-55A95L is the best 55-inch smart TV for movie enthusiasts. It has a QD-OLED panel similar to the one found on the Samsung S90C OLED but has some of the best image processing on the market, which ensures you'll get the best possible home theater experience from almost any source, regardless of its quality. The TV also supports advanced DTS audio formats and the popular Dolby Vision HDR format, which makes it a standout performer for those watching high-quality streams or physical media. Unfortunately, it's significantly more expensive than the Samsung TV and is a bit worse for gaming due to its higher input lag. It's also less versatile because it only has two full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports, although it supports Dolby Vision gaming at 120Hz.
There's no real alternative to this TV; Sony stands alone with its processing capabilities, and this model is their current highest-end option. If you want a Sony OLED for its processing but don't care about high peak brightness or vibrant colors, consider the Sony A80L/A80CL OLED. It has a WOLED panel instead of the QD-OLED panel found in the A95L, so it resembles a dimmer TV like the LG C3 OLED but with Sony's excellent image processing.
If you're not in a completely dark room, a brighter 55-inch LED TV like the Hisense 55U8K is better than the Samsung S90C OLED or the Sony A95L OLED. Although higher-tier OLEDs can now output impressive peak brightness levels, LED TVs like this can reach even higher peak brightness levels in HDR and SDR and maintain these peaks for longer. Besides brightness, this TV delivers excellent picture quality, with very deep blacks, thanks to its Mini LED local dimming feature, which improves the appearance of dark scenes and further brings out bright highlights. The Hisense supports both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+ and passes through advanced DTS audio formats through eARC. It also has very good image processing overall, making it a great home entertainment option.
Of course, Mini LED isn't as good as OLED technology for a dark room, as there's some distracting blooming around bright highlights in dark scenes, but it's still very good and is sure to please most people. Overall, it's a great TV for almost any use. It has a great selection of gaming features, including variable refresh rate (VRR), Dolby Vision HDR at 120Hz, and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on two HDMI inputs, both supporting up to 4k @ 144Hz gaming, making it fully compatible with the Xbox Series X, the PS5, or a recent PC graphics card. Unfortunately, its viewing angle is sub-par, which is one of the major losses with this TV compared to the OLEDs. If you have deep pockets, Hisense has a limited-release super high-end product, the Hisense UX. It's a bit better than the U8K for a massive price increase. Also, it's only available in a 55-inch format in Europe.
The best 55-inch upper mid-range TV is the LG OLED55C3PUA. Like the top two options on this list, it's a premium TV with an OLED panel that delivers stunning picture quality, especially in dark rooms. Like other OLEDs, it has a wide viewing angle that keeps the image consistent from the sides, which is ideal if you have a wide seating area as everyone can enjoy a pleasing image. Its fantastic reflection handling and good SDR peak brightness make it a good choice if you want to use it in a well-lit room. Plus, it's no slouch in HDR, and its decent HDR peak brightness makes small highlights stand out. Unfortunately, like other TVs with LG's WOLED panel, it isn't as bright or colorful as TVs equipped with a QD-OLED panel, like the Samsung S90C OLED or the Sony A95L OLED, but it still looks good.
It's an outstanding gaming TV with full VRR support, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports, all capable of up to 4k @ 120Hz gaming, and very low input lag. Price-wise, it's in an interesting position. It's about the same price as the slightly better S90C; however, the LG is a much better home entertainment option due to its better image processing, Dolby Vision HDR support, and passthrough of advanced DTS audio formats. Thus, if you want an OLED for a home entertainment setup but are unwilling to pay for the A95L, the LG is a tremendous choice. You could also opt for the much brighter LG G3 OLED, but it still isn't as colorful as the Sony or Samsung and isn't worth the price difference over the C3 for most people.
The LG C4 OLED is now available to purchase. It features a new processor, can do up to 4k @ 144Hz, and is supposed to be brighter than its predecessor.
If you want high-end performance but don't want to spend high-end prices, check out the 55-inch Hisense 55U7K. It's cheaper than anything recommended up to this point but delivers picture quality that is almost as good as the more expensive choices. It has a great Mini LED backlight, letting it simultaneously provide incredibly bright highlights and deep blacks, with barely any blooming around bright objects in dark scenes. HDR content looks great, and it supports both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+ for the best HDR experience possible, as well as advanced audio formats, like DTS:X over eARC, for the best sound when watching content on physical media. The U7K also has very good image processing overall, making it a cheaper standout for a home entertainment setup.
Unfortunately, like the other Hisense TVs, its viewing angle is sub-par, making it a bad choice for a wide seating arrangement. It runs the Google TV interface, which is fast and easy to use, and it has a great selection of streaming features, so you're sure to find your favorite shows. It's great for gaming thanks to its Dolby Vision HDR 120Hz support and two HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports, both capable of up to 4k @ 144Hz gaming with VRR. This makes the TV a standout choice for PC gamers with powerful rigs and fully compatible with recent consoles.
The Hisense 55U6K is a great choice if you want something on a budget in a 55-inch size. It's a great TV for the price, with surprisingly good picture quality. It looks great in a dark room thanks to its excellent contrast and functional full array local dimming feature, so dark scenes look great, with very little blooming around bright areas of the screen. It's also decent in a bright room, thanks to its good peak brightness in SDR and satisfactory reflection handling. This means you don't have to worry about glare. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the same great image processing as the more expensive Hisense TVs on this list, but it still supports advanced Dolby and DTS audio formats and both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+.
It's a great TV for gaming, as it has superb low input lag and VRR support, so the action on-screen is in sync with your movements on the controller, and there's very little screen tearing. Unlike more expensive models on the list, it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, which is disappointing for gamers wanting to take advantage of the capabilities of recent consoles and PC GPUs. However, it's still great for visually intensive games on consoles that target 4k @ 60Hz in their 'Graphics' mode.
Apr 04, 2024: Mentioned the newly available LG C4 OLED and Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED in the 'Best Upper Mid-Range 55-Inch TV' and the 'Best 55-Inch TV' categories, respectively. We also refreshed the text in the introduction and some text throughout for clarity.
Mar 06, 2024: We eliminated the 'Best Cheap 55-Inch TV' and the 'Best Mid-Range 55-Inch TV' picks to make the article more focused and moved the LG B3 OLED and Roku Select Series into the Notable Mentions section. We also refreshed the text in the Notable Mentions section to compare those TVs better with our current picks.
Feb 07, 2024: Confirmed picks are accurate and available, and specified that the TCL Q5/Q550G QLED is a Best Buy exclusive.
Jan 12, 2024: Added the Sony A75L OLED in the Notable Mentions and also replaced the TCL Q6/Q650G QLED with the TCL Q5/Q550G QLED due to the Q5's better overall value. Added a link to our 2024 TV lineup page in the introduction.
Dec 07, 2023: The recently reviewed Roku Select Series replaces the TCL S4 as the 'Best Cheap 55-Inch TV', as it's much better than the S4. The LG B3 OLED is now our 'Best Mid-Range 55-Inch TV', as it's a bit better than the Hisense U8K and a better value than the Sony A75L OLED.
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best 55-inch 4k TVs currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people, in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you would prefer the make your own decision, here is the list of all of our 55-inch TV reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most TVs are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault TVs on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.