Only a few years ago, the most popular TV size was the 55-inch TV, but 65-inch models have become more common in recent years. Still, there are a lot of 55-inch models on the market, and TVs in this size are still great options if you need something for a smaller room or another tight space. Finding the best 55-inch television for your needs depends on your usage, viewing conditions, and budget. Through our testing process, we can determine which TVs stand out as the best options in their respective price ranges.
Although many 55-inch 2026 models are now available to purchase, you may not see them in this article until the latter half of the year, since they're very expensive near release and most of them don't offer a big improvement over their 2025 predecessors. Right now is a great time to buy a 2025 model, since they're on sale for much cheaper than the newer versions.
Below are our recommendations for the best 55-inch televisions. You can also see our picks for the best TVs, the best smart TVs, and the best 65-inch TVs, or you can vote on which models you want us to buy and test. To learn more about the current models on the market, 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.
-
Best 55-Inch TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:165HzScreen Finish:MattePanel Type:OLEDSub-Type:QD-OLEDDolby Vision:NoSee all our test resultsSizes:55" 65" 77" 83"The Samsung QN55S95FAFXZA is the best 55-inch TV you can buy. It's an incredibly versatile model with top-tier image quality, making it an excellent choice whether you need a TV for gaming, for your home theater, or for watching sports on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Thanks to its matte screen coating and high SDR brightness, reflections on the screen are a thing of the past in bright rooms. It also delivers impressive performance in dark environments by combining inky blacks with highlights that truly pop, making HDR content look excellent. Colors are rich, accurate, and bright, resulting in a vivid and immersive viewing experience in both SDR and HDR. It's also a solid choice for larger spaces with wide seating, since the picture remains consistent even when viewed from the sides of the screen.
Gaming performance is just as strong. The TV's four HDMI 2.1 ports can handle up to 4k @ 165Hz with VRR, and motion clarity is exceptional, making it an excellent choice for both the latest consoles and powerful gaming PCs. This TV doesn't offer Dolby Vision support, but its high brightness and HDR10+ support mean you still get a top-tier HDR experience. It includes Samsung's external Slim One Connect Box, which helps simplify cable management and provides flexible options for connecting your devices.
-
Best Upper Mid-Range 55-Inch TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:144HzScreen Finish:GlossyPanel Type:OLEDSub-Type:WOLEDDolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"If the Samsung S95F OLED is too pricey for your budget, but you still want a top-tier TV, the LG OLED55C5PUA offers a lot. It displays the same inky blacks and highlights still stand out well enough for an impactful HDR experience, so it looks great in dark environments like a home theater. It also has a similarly wide viewing angle, so it's still an excellent choice for large living rooms. It doesn't use a QD-OLED panel, so colors aren't as vivid as they are on the S95F. However, colors still look rich and vibrant in most movies, shows, and games. It's bright enough to handle glare in a moderately lit room, but unlike the S95F, reflections are an issue in brighter spaces. A big upside with this model is that blacks stay very deep in rooms with ambient lighting, so the TV still has nice depth to it when you have your lights turned on.
The TV has four HDMI 2.1 ports capable of up to 4k @ 144Hz with VRR, making it fully compatible with the features offered by modern consoles. On top of that, it offers the unrivaled motion clarity that OLEDs are known for, so fast-paced games look crisp. It doesn't support HDR10+, but it does support the more popular Dolby Vision format, so it has great compatibility with streaming services and 4k Blu-rays.
-
Best Mid-Range 55-Inch TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:120HzScreen Finish:GlossyPanel Type:OLEDSub-Type:WOLEDDolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:48" 55" 65" 77" 83"If you want something cheaper, but still want an OLED with high-end features and great performance, the LG OLED55B5PUA is a great entry point into the OLED market. This TV shares many of the same features as the more expensive LG C5 OLED, but it's dimmer and limited to a 120Hz refresh rate. Even so, it's bright enough in SDR to handle glare in rooms with moderate lighting. It doesn't reduce the impact of direct reflections very well, so it's best to avoid placing it directly across from windows or other light sources. The TV displays the inky blacks OLEDs are known for, and it offers enough brightness in HDR to make highlights stand out. Bright colors aren't quite as vibrant as they are on C5, but the image still looks rich and well-saturated.
As with most OLEDs, it has a very wide viewing angle, allowing people to watch from different spots in the room without any major loss in quality. It's also a strong performer for gaming, offering HDMI 2.1 support on all four ports, 4k @ 120Hz, compatibility with all major VRR formats, and nearly instantaneous pixel transitions. The B5 is an impressive all-around TV and a great entry-level option for anyone looking to get an affordable OLED.
-
Best Lower Mid-Range 55-Inch TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:144HzScreen Finish:GlossyPanel Type:LCDSub-Type:VADolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:55" 65" 75" 85" 98"The TCL 55QM7K is a Mini LED TV that offers an impressive combination of great image quality and a host of modern gaming features. While choosing a non-OLED TV comes with a few trade-offs, this model still delivers strong image quality that will satisfy most viewers. It doesn't offer the perfect black levels found in OLEDs, but its full-array local dimming does a great job of producing deep, bold blacks. There is some minor haloing around bright objects, such as subtitles or small highlights, but it's not overly distracting. Colors are bright and vibrant, and HDR content looks impressive with highlights that stand out well. The TV is also very bright in SDR and handles reflections effectively, making it a good choice for bright rooms. That said, it's still best to avoid placing it directly across from windows or lamps, since direct reflections are noticeable on the screen during most scenes.
In addition to its solid picture quality, this TV is packed with modern gaming features. It includes two HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to 4k @ 144Hz and 1080p @ 288Hz, giving gamers plenty of flexibility. It also supports VRR to minimize screen tearing. Compared to OLEDs, the main drawback is that there's more motion blur in fast-paced games. However, it's still quite responsive for an LED TV, and the blur remains fairly minimal. One limitation to keep in mind is the narrow viewing angle, which causes the image to degrade when viewed from the sides of the screen. This makes the TV less ideal for rooms with wide seating arrangements.
-
Best Budget 55-Inch TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:144HzScreen Finish:GlossyPanel Type:LCDSub-Type:VADolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:55" 65" 75" 85" 98"The TCL 55QM6K is the best 55-inch smart TV for those on a budget who want the modern gaming features the TCL QM7K offers, but at a lower price point. This model offers the same feature set as the more expensive option, including two HDMI 2.1 ports, support for 4k @ 144Hz and 1080p @ 288Hz, VRR, and relatively fast pixel transitions. Like the QM7K, it has a narrow viewing angle, so for the best image quality, you'll want to sit directly in front of the screen.
While it doesn't match the higher-end model's image quality, it still performs well. Colors are slightly muted but not washed out, so they remain fairly vibrant and pleasing. Blacks aren't quite as deep, but they still provide good depth for a budget-friendly TV due to its full-array local dimming. The TV is noticeably dimmer in HDR, so highlights don't pop as much, but it still provides a decent HDR experience overall. On the other hand, the TV is bright enough in SDR for use in well-lit rooms, as long as you avoid placing light sources directly opposite the screen. If you're looking for an affordable TV that offers a range of features and delivers solid image quality, this budget model is a great choice.
-
Best Cheap 55-Inch TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Resolution:4kNative Refresh Rate:60HzScreen Finish:GlossyPanel Type:LCDSub-Type:VADolby Vision:YesSee all our test resultsSizes:43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85" 100"If you just want something cheap that gets the job done, the Hisense 55QD6QF is a decent option. You won't find many gaming features on this model, since it lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and is limited to 4k @ 60Hz. However, it does support VRR to help reduce screen tearing. This model gives you the option of gaming in 1440p @ 120Hz, but its input lag is quite high when you do this, which negates one of the main benefits of gaming at a higher refresh rate. Fortunately, it supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, ensuring compatibility with streaming services isn't an issue. Like most other LED models, its viewing angle is narrow, so it's best viewed from directly in front of the screen.
The TV doesn't have local dimming, so blacks appear gray, and dark colors are noticeably lacking depth. It's also too dim in HDR to really make highlights stand out as they should, so HDR content lacks impact. It's just bright enough in SDR to handle some glare in a room with a few overhead lights on, but it's unsuitable for bright rooms since reflections are quite visible on the screen. Although it can't display deep colors or bright ones, the TV does display a wide range of colors, so the image doesn't look completely muted. In terms of picture quality, this TV is nothing special, but it gets the job done for a low-cost model.
Notable Mentions
-
LG OLED55G5WUA:
The LG G5 OLED goes head-to-head with the Samsung S95F OLED. However, the LG has subtle issues in darker scenes that will bother some enthusiasts. Because the Samsung is more consistent, offers better colors, and handles bright rooms better, it's the better choice for most people.
See our review -
Samsung QN55S90FAFXZA:
The Samsung S90F OLED competes directly with the LG C5 OLED and offers a similar experience. The Samsung displays punchier colors if you get the 55, 65, or 77-inch models, since those use a QD-OLED panel. However, the C5 is better for bright rooms, has superior processing, and supports Dolby Vision, making it the more versatile option.
See our review -
Hisense 55U8QG:
The Hisense U8QG is an incredibly bright TV that's an alternative to the LG B5 OLED, so it's a great option for bright rooms. Still, the LG provides superior image quality in dark and moderately lit rooms, offers better gaming performance, and is more well-suited for wide seating arrangements.
See our review -
Hisense 55U75QG:
The Hisense U75QG shares similarities with the TCL QM7K but boasts higher peak brightness. However, it makes HDR content appear brighter than intended. With clearer motion handling and better contrast, the TCL is the stronger overall choice.
See our review -
Hisense 55U65QF:
The Hisense U65QF is a brighter option compared to the TCL QM6K. However, it overbrightens HDR content, so it doesn't fully respect the content creator's original vision. The TCL provides a more balanced experience with deeper blacks, better color accuracy, and support for 1080p @ 288Hz.
See our review -
TCL 55S551G:
The TCL S551G is an alternative to the Hisense QD6QF. The Hisense offers superior image quality, making it the better option for most people. However, the TCL's 120Hz mode has significantly lower input lag, making it a good option for gamers who prefer performance over image quality.
See our review
Recent Updates
May 27, 2026:
We replaced the Samsung S90F OLED with the LG C5 OLED in the 'Best Upper Mid-Range' category to offer more variety in our picks. We also moved the S90F to the Notable Mentions and revised text throughout the article for clarity.
May 08, 2026:
We mentioned the Samsung S95H OLED in the 'Best TV' section and the Samsung S90H OLED in the 'Best Upper Mid-Range' section.
Mar 25, 2026:
We revised the introduction and confirmed the availability of our current picks.
Feb 04, 2026:
We replaced the Samsung S85F OLED with the Hisense U8QG in the Notable Mentions. We also revised some text throughout the article for clarity.
Dec 12, 2025:
Confirmed the accuracy and availability of our picks.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best 55-inch smart TVs currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. The rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is a list of all our recent 55-inch TV reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most TVs are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault TVs for are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.