The LG NANO85 2021 is a mid-range TV in LG's 2021 NanoCell lineup. It replaces the LG NANO85 2020, and while it has many of the same features and performances as its predecessor, it improves in a few areas. Console gamers will be happy to know it has a 120Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on two ports, allowing you to play 4k @ 120Hz games without issue from the Xbox Series X and the PS5. It also has FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing in games. It has the same excellent webOS interface as other LG TVs, which is easy-to-use and comes with the user-friendly Magic Remote. Like other NanoCell TVs, it has an IPS-like panel with fairly wide viewing angles, so it's a good choice to use in a wide seating area. However, that means it has a low contrast ratio, and its edge-lit local dimming feature causes blooming around bright objects.
Our Verdict
The LG NANO85 is decent overall. It performs best in moderately-lit rooms with wide seating areas, like when watching TV shows or sports, because it has decent reflection handling and wide viewing angles, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare. It's decent for gaming as it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, variable refresh rate (VRR) support, and a quick response time for a smooth gaming experience. Unfortunately, it's mediocre for watching content in dark rooms because blacks look gray, and the local dimming feature doesn't improve picture quality in dark scenes.
- Decent reflection handling.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4k @ 120Hz gaming.
- Low contrast makes blacks look gray.
- Blooming around bright objects.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
The LG NANO85 is good for watching TV shows. It performs well in a room with a few lights around because it has okay peak brightness and decent reflection handling, but it's not good enough to place in a really bright room. It also has wide viewing angles, so it's good if you need to watch shows with the entire family. Lastly, its webOS interface is user-friendly, making it easy to stream your favorite shows.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
The LG NANO85 is good for watching sports. It's a good choice for watching the big game with a large group of people because it has wide viewing angles, so the image remains accurate when viewing from the side. Motion also looks smooth thanks to the quick response time, but you'll notice some motion blur behind fast-moving objects. Its reflection handling is decent if you want to use it in a room with a few lights around, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Great motion handling.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
The LG NANO85 is decent for playing video games. It has a few gaming-oriented features like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for high-frame-rate gaming, and it has variable refresh rate support to reduce screen tearing. It also has low input and a quick response time for a responsive gaming experience. However, it's not a good choice for dark room gaming because it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray, and the local dimming feature is terrible as it causes blooming around bright objects.
- Great motion handling.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4k @ 120Hz gaming.
- Native FreeSync support.
- Low contrast makes blacks look gray.
- Blooming around bright objects.
- Terrible local dimming.
The LG NANO85 is unremarkable for watching HDR movies. It doesn't deliver a true cinematic HDR experience because it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray, and the local dimming performs terribly. Also, while it displays a wide color gamut for a wide range of colors, it doesn't get bright enough to make those colors look vivid and for highlights to pop.
- Removes 24p judder from any source.
- Low contrast makes blacks look gray.
- Blooming around bright objects.
- Terrible local dimming.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
The LG NANO85 is decent for HDR gaming, mainly due to its decent gaming performance. It has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth with a 120Hz panel and variable refresh rate support, meaning you can play high-frame-rate games with reduced screen tearing. Motion looks smooth thanks to its quick response time, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel. Sadly, HDR content doesn't look good at all as blacks look gray, there's blooming around bright objects with the local dimming feature enabled, and highlights don't pop.
- Great motion handling.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4k @ 120Hz gaming.
- Native FreeSync support.
- Low contrast makes blacks look gray.
- Blooming around bright objects.
- Terrible local dimming.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
The LG NANO85 is impressive to use as a PC monitor. It has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, meaning you can display high-frame-rate, high-resolution signals from your PC. It also displays proper chroma 4:4:4, which helps improve text clarity. It has low input lag that makes mouse movements feel responsive. It also has wide viewing angles, so the edges of the screen don't look washed out if you sit too close. The reflection handling is decent if your workspace has a few lights, but it doesn't get very bright, so it struggles in really bright rooms.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4k @ 120Hz gaming.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 26, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 08, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Apr 17, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Feb 11, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 65 inch LG NANO85, and the results are also valid for the 55 inch and 75 inch models. There's a 50 inch model available in Canada and Europe, but it has a VA panel with a higher contrast ratio and worse viewing angles. The 86 inch model is a bit different because it has full-array local dimming instead of being edge-lit, so the local dimming will perform better, and it also has different speakers. The Europe model is labeled the LG NANO86, and it has a center-mounted stand, and the results are also valid for it. The NANO85 only seems to be available at Costco in the US, but it's available at various retailers outside the US. You can see the differences between each model below.
| Size | US Model | Short Model Code | Panel Type | Backlight Type | Speaker Channels | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50" | - | 50NANO85 | VA | Edge | 2.0 | Not available in US |
| 55" | 55NANO85APA | 55NANO85 | ADS | Edge | 2.0 | |
| 65" | 65NANO85APA | 65NANO85 | ADS | Edge | 2.0 | |
| 75" | 75NANO85APA | 75NANO85 | ADS | Edge | 2.2 | |
| 86" | 86NANO85APA | 86NANO85 | ADS | Full-Array | 2.2 |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their LG NANO85 doesn't correspond to the review, let us know and we'll update the review. Some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between units.
The unit was manufactured in March 2021; you can see the label here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The LG NANO85 is a decent TV at best, and its IPS-like panel restricts it from having good picture quality in dark scenes. Also, the edge-lit local dimming feature is terrible, and you can easily find a cheaper TV with better local dimming. Unless you really need the wide viewing angles, you can get something like the Samsung Q70/Q70A QLED or the Sony X85J, which are both in the same price range. Even if you have a wide seating arrangement, the LG NANO90 2021 is a higher-end model that offers better picture quality as it uses full-array local dimming.
Also see our recommendations for the best TVs for bright rooms, the best 65 inch TVs, and the best 4k TVs.
Although the LG NANO85 2021 and the LG QNED80 2022 are from different lineups, they're very similar TVs. The main difference is that the QNED80 displays slightly more colors thanks to its quantum dot technology, and it's a bit brighter too. They have many of the same features, but the NANO85 supports Dolby Atmos passthrough and supports Dolby Vision for HDR, both of which the QNED80 doesn't do.
The LG NANO85 2021 and the Sony X80J are both decent TVs. They each have IPS-type panels, so the picture quality is similar, but the main differences are with their features. The LG has more gaming features for console gamers like a 120Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. The LG removes 24p judder from any source, and it also has a local dimming feature, which the Sony TV doesn't have, but it performs terribly. However, the Sony has much better out-of-the-box accuracy, so colors look more accurate, and you won't need to calibrate it.
The Sony X85J is better than the LG NANO85 2021, but they have different panels, each with strengths and weaknesses. The Sony delivers better picture quality because it has a higher contrast ratio, gets much brighter, and has significantly better black uniformity. However, the LG has wider viewing angles, so the image remains accurate from the sides.
The Sony X90J is better overall than the LG NANO85 2021. The Sony delivers better picture quality because its VA panel has a better contrast ratio, and it has a better local dimming feature that results in less blooming around bright objects. The Sony also gets much brighter, so even though they both have decent reflection handling, it's a better choice for well-lit rooms. The main advantage the LG TV has is that its IPS-type panel has wider viewing angles.
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.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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