The 5 Best Small TVs - Summer 2021 Reviews

The best 43 inch TV is the Samsung QN43Q60AAFXZA. Although we tested the 55 inch model, we expect the 43 inch variant to perform the same. It's the entry-level model for Samsung's 2021 QLED lineup, so it features the same quantum dot technology as higher-end models, but it lacks features in many other areas. It performs decent overall and should be good enough for those looking to watch content in SDR. It's fairly well-built with thin bezels and a thin design, so it should look good in any setup.

It has a VA panel with an excellent native contrast ratio to display deep blacks in dark rooms, but it doesn't have a local dimming feature to improve it. If you want to use it in a well-lit room, it has great peak brightness and decent reflection handling, so visibility shouldn't be an issue in most bright environments. It doesn't have any trouble upscaling lower-resolution content, which is great for watching DVDs or cable TV. The built-in Tizen OS is easy to use and provides smooth navigation, plus there are a ton of apps available to download. 

Sadly, even though it displays a wide color gamut for HDR content, it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights stand out. It also has narrow viewing angles, so the image looks inaccurate when viewing from the side. Gamers should appreciate its low input lag, but it has a 60Hz panel and has a slow response time, meaning motion looks a bit blurry. Overall, this is one of the best small TVs available in a 43 inch size.

The Samsung UN43AU8000FXZA is one of the best small TVs for gaming. It sits below the Samsung Q60/Q60A QLED in Samsung's 2021 lineup, and even though it doesn't display a wide color gamut for HDR content, it offers good value for its cost. It's a pretty simple model and doesn't have many features, but we expect this for TVs in this size range. Once again, we tested the 65 inch model, but we expect our results to be valid for the 43 inch model, too.

Despite having a 60Hz panel and not having any variable refresh rate (VRR) support, it's still decent for gaming. It has low input lag, but motion looks blurry, especially in darker scenes, due to its just okay response time. It has a Black Frame Insertion feature to reduce motion blur, but it doesn't work that well and creates image duplication. It's good for dark room gaming because it has a VA-like panel that helps produce deep blacks, but there's no local dimming feature either. It has great reflection handling if you want to use it in a well-lit room, and it has okay peak brightness, but it may not be enough to fight a ton of glare.

Sadly, like any VA panel, it has narrow viewing angles, so the image looks washed out when viewing from the side. As mentioned, it doesn't display a wide color gamut for HDR content, and it has low peak brightness in that mode, so HDR content doesn't look much different from SDR content anyways. Overall, this is one of the best small TVs we've tested.

The best small smart TV is the Hisense 43R6090G. The 43 inch model should perform the same as the 55 inch we tested. It's a simple, budget-friendly TV that's available in a wide range of sizes. The 43 inch model may be harder to find than some bigger sizes, but there are a few retailers that sell it. Unlike most Hisense TVs, it has built-in Roku TV instead of Android TV. Roku is easy to use, the menu navigation is very smooth, and there's a ton of apps you can download through the app store.

It has a VA panel and performs best in dark environments. It has an amazing native contrast ratio and outstanding black uniformity, but there's no local dimming feature to further improve the picture quality in dark scenes. It has good out-of-the-box color accuracy, so you likely won't need to get it calibrated if you don't want to, but this varies between units. It upscales lower-resolution content without any issues, removes judder from native 24p sources, and has excellent low input lag for gaming.

Sadly, even though it supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, HDR content doesn't look all that different from SDR because it fails to display a wide color gamut and doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop. It also has dirty screen effect in the center, which could be distracting during sports, but this varies between units. Luckily, it has good reflection handling, so it's a good choice for most moderately-lit rooms. All in all, if you want the best small TV with good smart features, you should be pleased with this one.