If you like to spend a lot of time in your backyard or other outdoor spaces, you might be tempted to buy a TV so you can watch the game outside on a nice sunny day or enjoy a movie night with friends and family on a warm night. While there are TVs designed specifically for outdoor use, we only cover one true outdoor TV: the Samsung The Terrace. Otherwise, this article focuses on an alternative to buying a very expensive outdoor model: buying an indoor TV and installing it in an enclosure designed to protect it from the elements so it doesn't get ruined. Most TVs in this article aren't designed for outdoor use, so ensure they're protected.
When evaluating how good a TV is for outside use, there are several main criteria to consider. An outdoor TV needs to be as bright as possible and have the reflection handling needed to counteract glare from the sun. Simply put, if a TV is too dim and has poor reflection handling, you're going to be distracted by reflections on your screen. Although most TVs don't come with the best speakers, you likely still want a TV with good enough sound quality so that you can leave your soundbar inside. By testing a TV's frequency response, we determine which TVs are loud enough and sound good enough for outdoor use. Another very important aspect for outdoor use is a TV's viewing angle, since it's unlikely that you will always sit directly in front of the screen. A display with a narrow viewing angle has degraded image quality when viewed from the sides of the screen, which isn't ideal if you have a wide patio and are hosting friends for a BBQ.
Through our in-depth testing process, we can see what TVs best fit the above criteria, and below are our recommendations for the best TVs for outdoor use. Also, see our picks for the best smart TVs and the best budget TVs. If you'd prefer to shop for a projector you can use outdoors, look up the best outdoor projectors instead. You can also vote on which TVs you want us to buy and test. To learn more about the current TV landscape, check out our 2025 TV lineup page.
Quick Look
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 are done with 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.
-
Best Outdoor TV
Mixed Usage8.1HDR Movies8.1Sports7.9Video Games8.3SDR Brightness9.4See all our test resultsFrequency Response6.7The Samsung The Terrace is the best outdoor TV we've tested. Unlike most TVs on this list, it's designed for outdoor use with protection from the elements. It's very well-built, with a unique design and IP55 dust and water resistance to protect it from rain or other outdoor elements. It's exceptionally bright, so it has no issues overcoming direct sunlight, and, combined with its outstanding reflection handling, it can easily combat glare outdoors, even in the middle of the day. Blacks look pretty deep on this model, so you get an even better picture quality when the sun goes down.
This TV has the same Tizen OS smart interface found on most other Samsung TVs. It's easy to use and has a huge selection of streaming apps available, so you're sure to find your favorite content, and you won't need to connect any extra streaming boxes. You can also cast content from your phone or another mobile device, which is great for sharing pictures with family and friends. It's one of the loudest TVs we've tested, so you won't have any trouble hearing it if you don't want to connect a sound system, and there's a lot of outdoor noise while watching TV.
-
Best Upper Mid-Range Outdoor TV
Mixed Usage8.2Home Theater8.1Bright Room8.7Sports8.5Gaming7.8Brightness9.0Black Level8.3Color7.7Processing (In Development)7.7Game Mode Responsiveness7.8SDR Brightness9.3See all our test resultsFrequency Response6.7The Samsung The Terrace is an excellent dedicated outdoor TV, but it's costly, so it's only worth it if you don't have a proper enclosed space to protect your TV. If you can protect your display from the elements and want to spend less, one of the best TVs for outdoor use we've tested is the Samsung QN90F. It's pretty much just as bright as The Terrace is, and it has a matte screen coating that does an amazing job handling glare from the sun. It even has superior contrast, so blacks are deeper when you're enjoying a movie night outside.
The TV has a decent viewing angle, good enough that the image remains mostly consistent if you're watching from a bit of an angle. This makes it a good choice for semi-wide seating areas, as everyone sees a similar image. It also uses the user-friendly Tizen OS smart interface, and its speakers are decent enough to use on their own in an outdoor setup, so you can leave your soundbar and streaming device inside.
-
Best Mid-Range Outdoor TV
Mixed Usage8.4Home Theater8.6Bright Room8.4Sports8.3Gaming8.4Brightness9.1Black Level9.2Color8.0Processing (In Development)7.8Game Mode Responsiveness8.0SDR Brightness9.1See all our test resultsFrequency Response6.7If you want to save money, but still want a TV with high-end picture quality, the TCL QM8K fits that bill. It's not quite as bright as the Samsung QN90F, but it's still a very bright TV that easily overcomes indirect reflections. However, it doesn't do as well handling glare from direct reflections, so it's best to avoid placing the TV screen directly opposite the sun. Its viewing angle is narrower than the Samsung, so it's best to avoid watching the TV from aggressive angles if you want the best image quality. One of the standout aspects of this TV is its excellent black levels; you get even deeper blacks than the QN90F if you're watching in a shaded area or after the sun goes down.
Like any TV, it supports eARC if you want to pair it with a soundbar, but the built-in speakers are decent on this model, so dialogue is easy to understand. It uses the Google TV interface, which has a ton of apps you can download, and the built-in Chromecast lets you cast content from your phone. Just keep in mind you'll need to put it in a proper enclosure to protect it, as it doesn't have any weather protection features.
-
Best Lower Mid-Range Outdoor TV
Mixed Usage8.0Home Theater8.0Bright Room8.4Sports8.0Gaming7.8Brightness8.9Black Level8.1Color7.9Processing (In Development)7.0Game Mode Responsiveness7.3SDR Brightness9.2See all our test resultsFrequency Response7.0If you want high-end outdoor performance but don't want to spend high-end prices, check out the Hisense U75QG. It's cheaper than anything recommended up to this point, but it's still very suitable for a deck or patio. It's actually a bit brighter than the TCL QM8K, so it easily cuts through glare on a sunny day. However, like the TCL model above, it's best to try and avoid placing it directly in front of the sun or other light sources like patio lanterns. Although it doesn't match the QM8K's black levels, blacks are still deep on this model, so you can enjoy a cinematic movie night in your backyard.
The TV's viewing angle is the narrowest so far, so sitting centered to the screen is crucial with this model if you want to see the best possible image. It has decent speakers built in that actually produce a solid amount of bass for TV speakers, so action movies and music sound immersive. Finding movies and shows to watch is easy thanks to its Google TV OS, which also has features like voice control and allows you to cast content from your phone.
-
Best Budget Outdoor TV
Mixed Usage7.2Home Theater7.2Bright Room7.6Sports7.6Gaming7.4Brightness7.3Black Level7.1Color7.5Processing (In Development)6.8Game Mode Responsiveness7.7SDR Brightness8.3See all our test resultsFrequency Response6.5Although most budget TVs typically aren't bright enough to use outdoors on a sunny day, the Hisense U65QF is a surprisingly bright TV for its relatively low price. If you keep it away from direct sunlight, the TV is just bright enough to handle glare during a sunny afternoon. Blacks aren't as deep as they are on the Hisense U75QG, but thanks to its solid local dimming, dark areas of the image are deep enough that the picture doesn't look washed out, especially at night. The TV's viewing angle is a bit wider than the more expensive U75QG, but it's still on the narrow side, so image quality is degraded when watching from aggressive angles.
This model runs the Fire TV OS, which isn't quite as popular as Google TV and tends to run a bit slower, but still gives you access to a huge catalog of apps and supports voice control. The TV's speakers are alright and produce a bit of bass, but the sound profile becomes more unbalanced as you raise the volume, so dialogue can be a bit hard to understand at times.
-
Best Cheap Outdoor TV
Mixed Usage7.0Home Theater7.1Bright Room7.3Sports7.3Gaming6.5Brightness6.7Black Level7.6Color6.5Processing (In Development)7.1Game Mode Responsiveness7.2SDR Brightness7.9See all our test resultsFrequency Response5.8The TCL QM5K is one of the cheapest TVs that's suitable for use outside. It's not quite bright enough to use in the middle of your yard on a very sunny day, but if you have it in a gazebo or another shaded area, visibility isn't an issue at all. The TV has local dimming to help deepen blacks, so the image has nice depth during movie nights in your yard. Like most of the other TVs on this list, its viewing angle isn't wide enough to enjoy a consistent image from the sides of the screen, so try to stay centered to the screen.
It runs the Google TV OS, so you can use the TV's built-in apps and keep your dedicated streaming device inside, and you can keep your remote to the side and use your voice to control the TV. Unfortunately, its speakers aren't very good since they lack bass and don't get very loud. The sound profile becomes unbalanced as you raise the volume, but dialogue is clear enough to understand at moderate volume levels. If you want better audio, you can pair headphones or a Bluetooth speaker to the TV or use a dedicated soundbar.
Notable Mentions
-
Samsung S95F OLED:
If you want one of the best TVs on the market instead of the Samsung The Terrace, the Samsung S95F OLED is one of the only OLED models suitable for sunny days. It has a matte screen coating, which does an exceptional job of handling reflections. However, you lose the picture quality you typically get from an OLED when used outside on a sunny day, so it's only worth it if you watch a lot of TV at night.
See our review -
Hisense U8QG:
The Hisense U8QG is very similar to the TCL QM8K. The Hisense is a bit brighter, but the TCL offers better image quality and a more complete package overall. In the end, you'd be hard-pressed to notice a big difference between the two on a sunny day, so go with whichever one you can find the cheapest.
See our review -
TCL QM7K:
The TCL QM7K competes directly with the Hisense U75QG. The TCL offers deeper blacks and more refined image quality, so it looks better outside at night. However, the Hisense has a big brightness advantage and has better speakers, so it's the more versatile TV for outdoor use.
See our review -
TCL QM6K:
The TCL QM6K is similar to the Hisense U65QF. The TCL displays deeper blacks, so it looks better at night. However, the Hisense is brighter and has a slightly wider viewing angle, making it better for everyday outdoor usage.
See our review -
Hisense QD7QF:
The Hisense QD7QF is an alternative to the TCL QM5K. The Hisense has louder speakers built in that offer clearer dialogue, and it's just bright enough to use in a shaded area. However, the TCL's extra brightness means it handles more glare, and it offers better image quality overall, so only go with the Hisense if you care most about sound.
See our review
Recent Updates
Nov 20, 2025:
We replaced the Samsung QN90D with the Samsung QN90F, the Hisense U8N with the TCL QM8K, the Hisense U7N with the Hisense U75QG, the Hisense U6N with the Hisense U65QF, and the Roku Select Series with the TCL QM5K. We also updated the Notable Mentions.
Jul 03, 2025:
We updated the introduction section to bring it up to date and tweaked some text throughout for clarity.
Feb 24, 2025:
We added a link to our 2025 TV lineup article, confirmed our picks are still accurate, and refreshed some text for clarity.
Nov 27, 2024:
We rewrote the Introduction and refreshed some text throughout for clarity. We also added the LG G4 OLED to the Notable Mentions section.
Sep 03, 2024: Replaced the TCL Q6/Q650G QLED with the Hisense U6/U6N in the 'Best Budget Outdoor TV' category. We also swapped the Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED and the Hisense U8/U8K with their 2024 successors. Additionally, we updated the Notable Mentions section.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best outdoor TVs for most people to buy. 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 the list of all our 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. Also, keep in mind that our scores aren't comparable across different test benches, so the older TVs in the list below score higher than they would today.