Since they were first introduced over a decade ago, TVs with LED backlights have dominated the market. While they don't have the same perfect inky blacks as OLEDs do, they have a few advantages over them, including higher peak brightness and no risk of permanent burn-in. LED TVs are also sometimes called LCDs instead. LED refers to the technology used in the backlight, whereas LCD refers to the technology used to produce different colors and shades. As all LCD models currently on the market use LED backlights, the two terms are often used interchangeably. Check out this guide to learn more about LED TVs and how they work.
Below are our recommendations for the best LED televisions you can buy. See also our picks for the best Mini LED TVs, the best gaming TVs, and the best RGB Mini LED TVs, or vote on which ones you want us to buy and test. To learn more about the new models available for purchase later this year, check out our 2026 TV lineup page.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
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Best LED TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:120HzScreen Finish:MattePanel Type:LCDSub-Type:VADolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:65" 75" 85" 115"The Sony BRAVIA 9 II isn't only the best LED TV on the market, but it's also the best non-OLED TV you can buy. It offers stunning picture quality thanks to its RGB Mini LED backlight, which delivers incredibly bright, vibrant colors that stand out in any room. It looks incredible in a dark room thanks to its excellent local dimming feature, so blacks are deep and uniform with hardly any haloing around bright highlights or subtitles. It looks just as good in a bright room thanks to its matte anti-reflective coating, which effectively eliminates any glare from windows or lights facing the TV.
It also has a great selection of extra features. It ships with Google TV version 14, which has a massive selection of streaming apps and comes with the Gemini AI assistant built in. It also has a good selection of gaming features, including two HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports to help you get the most out of the latest consoles. PC gamers will likely want to look elsewhere, though, as it's limited to a 120Hz refresh rate, so it's not as well-suited for fast games and esports.
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Best Mid-Range LED TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:120HzScreen Finish:GlossyPanel Type:LCDSub-Type:VADolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:50" 55" 65" 75" 85" 98"If you like the performance and advanced processing of the Sony BRAVIA 9 II but want something cheaper, check out the Sony BRAVIA 7 II instead. It's a great TV that offers nearly identical performance to the higher-end model. It's not as bright, though, so small details in some scenes don't stand out quite as well. It also has a more reflective screen coating, so it's not quite as good for use in a bright room, as glare can still be distracting if you have a lot of windows.
Other than that, it has the exact same great processing and extra features as the higher-end model. It's very accurate out of the box, and it does a great job cleaning up low-quality content, which is great if you watch a lot of streaming services or cable TV. It also has a good selection of gaming features like VRR support to reduce screen tearing and a 120Hz refresh rate. It only supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on two of its inputs, though, which may be limiting if you have multiple recent gaming consoles.
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Best Lower Mid-Range LED TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:165HzScreen Finish:MattePanel Type:LCDSub-Type:VADolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:55" 65" 75" 85" 100"If you want to save a bit of money, you can step down to the Hisense U7SG for the best lower mid-range LED TV instead. While it's substantially cheaper, there are some trade-offs to going with a cheaper model. The local dimming isn't as good, so there's more noticeable haloing around bright details or subtitles on a dark background. There are also some unwanted intermediate transition artifacts that can be noticeable in some content.
Despite the difference in price, though, it's actually better than the Sony in a bright room. It has a fantastic matte anti-reflective coating, so direct reflections are barely noticeable, which is great if you have a lot of windows or overhead lights. It's not quite as bright, though, so bright content like sports doesn't quite stand out as well. It's also a very capable gaming TV, with features like VRR to reduce tearing and a high refresh rate. You can even double the refresh rate by dropping the resolution down to 1080p, which is great for esports gamers on a PC.
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Best Budget LED TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:144HzScreen Finish:MattePanel Type:LCDSub-Type:VADolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:55" 65" 75" 85" 100"If you want something cheaper than the Hisense U7SG, check out the Hisense U6SF Pro. It's not nearly as bright as the U7SG, so the brightest details in some scenes look a bit flat. It looks great in a dark room, though, as its full array local dimming feature and high contrast ratio deliver deep, uniform blacks. There's some noticeable haloing around bright details and subtitles on a dark background, but it's not too bad.
One key difference between these two models is their smart platforms. This TV is powered by Amazon's Fire TV smart platform instead of the Google TV interface used on the U7SG. Fire TV looks great, with a modern, premium design, but the streaming app selection just isn't quite as good as Google TV. So while you'll find all of the common streaming services, many regional providers and smaller global platforms aren't available. It also has a great selection of gaming features, including a high refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and VRR support to reduce screen tearing.
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Best Cheap LED TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:60HzScreen Finish:GlossyPanel Type:LCDSub-Type:IPSDolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"If you want something cheap and don't care as much about picture quality, the Vizio Mini LED Quantum 4K is the best cheap LED TV we've tested. It's a pretty basic TV with much worse picture quality than the higher-end models on this list, but one of its strengths is its high peak brightness. It's significantly brighter than competing models, making it a suitable choice for a moderately bright room. It has poor reflection handling, though, so dim scenes are hard to see during the day.
One other downside to this cheap model is its smart features. It runs the VIZIO OS smart platform, which looks modern but has a very limited selection of apps, with no way to add new ones. Depending on your needs, you may want to consider adding an external streaming stick instead of using the TV's built-in smart platform.
Notable Mentions
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TCL X11L:
The TCL X11L is a fantastic TV overall and a strong competitor to the Sony BRAVIA 9 II. However, its high peak brightness is largely lost, as there's almost no content that can actually use it, and it's significantly less accurate than the Sony. Since the Sony also has better image processing and motion handling, it's the best choice for most people.
See our review
Recent Updates
Sep 18, 2026:
We restructured the article, moving the Hisense U7SG down a spot to better match its market position and adding the Sony BRAVIA 7 II as the 'Best Mid-Range'. Finally, we replaced the TCL QM6K with the Hisense U6SF Pro as the 'Best Budget' pick, as it's more widely available and offers better overall performance, and added the Vizio Mini LED Quantum 4K as the 'Best Cheap' TV.
Jul 22, 2026:
We replaced the Sony BRAVIA 9 with the 2026 model, the Sony BRAVIA 9 II. The newer model is significantly better thanks to its RGB Mini LED backlight.
Jun 10, 2026:
We replaced the TCL QM8K with the Hisense U7SG because it's a newer model that offers better overall value. We checked the rest of the article for accuracy and refreshed the text.
Apr 10, 2026:
We added the TCL X11L to the Notable Mentions.
Feb 13, 2026:
We added a new 'Best Lower Mid-Range LED TV' category to give more options, and made the TCL QM7K our pick for that spot. We also added the Hisense U75QG to the Notable Mentions and revised some text throughout for accuracy.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best LCD TVs to buy for most people in each price range. We factor in the price (a cheaper TV wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no TVs that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's a list of all our recent LED TV reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no TV is perfect, most TVs are great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
