LED TVs have been around for a long time now, but in recent years, a new technology called Mini LED has found its way into many TVs. With the rise of local dimming technology to increase contrast and black levels, Mini LED displays typically offer more dimming zones than traditional LED models. These zones are in smaller groupings, which allows for more precise control of the dimming zones, resulting in less blooming than regular LED models. Want to learn more? Check out our What Is Mini LED guide. If you're also considering an OLED TV, take a look at our article on Mini LED vs. OLED to see which technology is better for your needs.
You must still be cautious when purchasing a Mini LED TV, as different models can exhibit wildly varying performance. Just because a TV is marketed as Mini LED doesn't necessarily mean it performs well. By testing aspects like brightness, color, contrast, and blooming, we can see exactly which models are worth buying and which ones just use the term as a marketing gimmick.
Below are our recommendations for the best Mini LED TVs you can buy. For more options, see our picks for the best OLED TVs, the best gaming TVs, and the best sports TVs. You can also vote on which ones you want us to buy and test, and you can read our article about the 2025 TV lineup from every brand.
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.
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Best Mini LED TV
Mixed Usage8.4Home Theater8.6Bright Room8.5Sports8.5Gaming7.7Brightness9.0Black Level8.7Color8.5Processing (In Development)8.7Game Mode Responsiveness6.5Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV1,512Lighting Zone Precision9.0See all our test resultsLighting Zone Transitions9.0The Sony BRAVIA 9 is the best Mini LED TV we've ever tested. The TV looks fantastic in a dark room thanks to its top-notch local dimming, which provides exceptionally deep blacks approaching what you get from OLEDs, with essentially no haloing around highlights, subtitles, and other bright objects. It's also an incredibly bright model with good reflection handling, so it overcomes glare from indirect light sources in the brightest rooms. On the other hand, it doesn't do the best job reducing the intensity of mirror-like reflections, so it's best to avoid placing the screen in front of a window or a lamp. Combined with its vibrant and bright colors, it offers an outstanding HDR experience. It supports DTS audio passthrough and Dolby Vision HDR, making it a fully fledged home theater option.
Like most Sony TVs, you get top-of-the-line image processing, so low-resolution and low-quality content looks as good as possible. One of the primary disadvantages of LED TVs is their narrow viewing angles, but the BRAVIA 9's is actually not bad. You will still want an OLED model if you primarily watch TV with a big group, but if you only watch TV with one or two other people, the BRAVIA 9 will suffice. The TV has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4k @ 120Hz with VRR, so it's also fully compatible with modern consoles, making it a versatile option for many usages. However, the TV does have higher input lag and more noticeable motion blur than competing models, so hardcore gamers may want to consider an alternative option.
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Best Mid-Range Mini LED TV
Mixed Usage8.4Home Theater8.6Bright Room8.4Sports8.3Gaming8.4Brightness9.1Black Level9.2Color8.0Processing (In Development)7.8Game Mode Responsiveness8.0Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV1,680Lighting Zone Precision8.5See all our test resultsLighting Zone Transitions8.5The best mid-range Mini LED TV is the TCL QM8K. It's not as good overall as the Sony BRAVIA 9, but it's surprisingly close, and it's still an excellent TV. The TV's blacks are just as deep, but there's a tiny bit more haloing, so you might notice a glow around subtitles that bleed a bit into surrounding blacks. However, you barely see any haloing around highlights in real scenes, which is great. Colors are equally as vibrant, but they aren't nearly as accurate as they are on the Sony. It's not quite as bright in SDR, but it's still more than bright enough to overcome glare from indirect light sources. However, mirror-like reflections are visible on the screen during darker scenes, so avoid placing any light sources facing the screen. The TV has solid overall processing, but it's not at the same level as the Sony, so you don't get the same sharp and clean image you do on the BRAVIA 9 when watching low-resolution and low-quality content.
Fortunately, the TV has better gaming performance than the Sony. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports capable of 4k @ 144Hz and 1080p @ 288Hz. You also get VRR for a nearly tear-free experience. Not only does it offer higher refresh rates, but there's less motion blur on this TV, so motion in faster games looks crisper. Input lag is also lower, so it offers a more responsive feel while gaming. It even offers Dolby Vision and HDR10+ and passes through every major audio format, so movie fans are completely covered. Despite its image quality being a bit less refined than the Sony, it's still one of the best Mini LED models on the market. However, its viewing angle is narrower, so stay centered to the screen for the best image quality.
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Best Budget Mini LED TV
Mixed Usage7.1Home Theater7.2Bright Room7.0Sports7.1Gaming7.2Brightness6.5Black Level7.6Color7.2Processing (In Development)7.0Game Mode Responsiveness7.9Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV312Lighting Zone Precision6.5See all our test resultsLighting Zone Transitions7.0If you're working with a strict budget, but you want modern gaming features and a TV that still has pretty good picture quality, the TCL QM6K is the best budget Mini LED TV. What really makes this TV stand out in the sea of budget models is that it has local dimming, which helps the TV display deep blacks. However, there's more noticeable haloing around highlights, subtitles, and other bright objects as they move across the screen than there is on the more expensive TCL model, since its local dimming isn't as precise. This affects its overall black levels, since the area around bright areas bleeds into darker backgrounds. It's not nearly as bright as the TCL QM8K, but it still does a good job handling glare from indirect light sources. Colors aren't as vivid as that TV, and they lack some punch, but it's still colorful enough that the image doesn't look muted. Unfortunately, the TV's image processing isn't nearly as good, so low-resolution content looks a bit soft, and low-bitrate content has visible artifacts.
Even though this model is a lot more affordable than the QM8K, you still get the exact same core gaming features, so you get support for 4k @ 144Hz, 1080p @ 288Hz, and VRR. It even has similarly fast pixel transitions, so motion blur is kept to a minimum. Furthermore, you still get the same low input lag, which is great. It even supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and DTS audio passthrough. The TV's viewing angle is just as narrow as its more expensive sibling, so it looks its best when viewed from the front of the screen.
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Best Small Mini LED TV
Mixed Usage8.2Home Theater8.1Bright Room8.7Sports8.5Gaming7.8Brightness9.0Black Level8.3Color7.7Processing (In Development)7.7Game Mode Responsiveness7.8Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV900Lighting Zone Precision7.5See all our test resultsLighting Zone Transitions7.0The unfortunate thing about the TVs above is that none are available in sizes smaller than 50 inches. So, what do you do if you want a smaller Mini LED? That's where the Samsung QN90F comes into play. Sadly, it's a pretty expensive model that fits into the upper mid-range place in the market, but it's loaded with features and is available in a 43-inch model. Thanks to its local dimming, it displays deep blacks, but its lighting zone precision isn't as good as the other higher-end models on this list. Static highlights in real scenes bleed a bit into surrounding blacks, and subtitles have a noticeable glow around them. This haloing is even more evident as bright elements move across the screen. The TV boasts excellent brightness and stellar reflection handling, thanks to its matte coating, allowing for easy use in very bright rooms. Highlights in HDR really stand out, and the TV displays a wide range of colors, so HDR content is impactful.
Its low-quality content smoothing isn't the greatest, so there are still visible artifacts in low-quality movies and shows, but it does a great job upscaling low-resolution content. Fortunately, it's a fully featured gaming TV with 4k @ 165Hz on all four of its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports. You also get a fully functional VRR feature for a nearly tear-free gaming experience. It doesn't support Dolby Vision, but it does support the similar HDR10+. Sadly, it doesn't support DTS audio passthrough either, so it's not the best choice for those with a physical media collection who don't have a receiver or a soundbar with an HDMI input.
Notable Mentions
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TCL QM9K:
If you want one of, if not the single brightest TV currently on the market, the TCL QM9K delivers that. However, you get better overall performance from the Sony BRAVIA 9 and TCL QM8K. Since both of those models are already incredibly bright, they're the better option for almost anyone.
See our review -
Sony BRAVIA 7:
The Sony BRAVIA 7 is a good choice for those who want a Sony TV but can't afford the pricey Sony BRAVIA 9. It has a narrower viewing angle, blacks aren't as deep, there's more visible haloing, and it has noticeably worse reflection handling. However, you get similar brightness, the same gaming features, and almost identical image processing, so it's a good choice if you want a Sony model.
See our review -
Hisense U8QG:
The Hisense U8QG competes with the TCL QM8K, and the two TVs are similar overall. The Hisense is even brighter and has a slightly wider viewing angle. On the other hand, the QM8K has better black levels, less haloing, and improved motion handling, offering a superior HDR experience that makes it the better TV overall.
See our review -
TCL QM7K:
If you want something better than the TCL QM6K, but the QM8K is too expensive, the TCL QM7K is a very solid option. It's not as bright as the QM8K, and its colors aren't quite as vibrant, but it still outperforms the QM6K by a good margin. Furthermore, it boasts superior black levels with less haloing than the QM6K, making it the perfect middle ground between the two models.
See our review -
Hisense U65QF:
The Hisense U65QF competes with the TCL QM6K but offers more brightness. However, the Hisense really overbrightens HDR content, so it doesn't stay true to the content creator's intent. The TCL offers a more well-rounded experience, with better overall black levels, superior accuracy, 1080p @ 288Hz, and lower input lag.
See our review
Recent Updates
Nov 26, 2025:
We confirmed the accuracy and availability of our current picks.
Oct 29, 2025:
We added a link to our Mini LED vs OLED article, tweaked some text for accuracy, and added the TCL QM9K to the Notable Mentions.
Aug 22, 2025:
Replaced the Hisense U8N with the TCL QM8K, the Hisense U6N with the TCL QM6K, and the Samsung QN90D with the Samsung QN90F. We also updated the Notable Mentions section and tweaked some text throughout the article for clarity.
Apr 18, 2025:
We added the TCL QM7/QM751G QLED to the Notable Mentions and refreshed some text in that section.
Feb 11, 2025:
We confirmed the accuracy and availability of our current picks.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best Mini LED 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 not available in the United States).
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all our Mini 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. 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.