Most big TV companies focus on making the best top-of-the-line TVs, and they're starting to stray away from making cheap entry-level TVs. Some companies still do, and you can find an okay 4k TV for under $300. However, it won't have many features, the picture quality won't be anything special, and it'll usually only be available in smaller sizes. These are good to have as secondary TVs in bedrooms or kitchens but aren't ideal as your main TV for watching 4k movies or playing games.
We've bought and tested more than 455 TVs, and below, you'll find our picks for the best TVs under $300 that are available for purchase. If your budget is more flexible, see our recommendations for the best smart TVs, the best budget TVs, and the best TVs under $500, or vote on which ones you want us to buy and test. To learn more about the 2024 models, check out our 2024 TV lineup page.
The Hisense 55A7N is currently the best TV under $300 you can buy. The 55-inch model is regularly sold for less than $300 when on sale, and it provides decent overall picture quality for the price. The TV has decent SDR brightness and good reflection handling, so although it's not bright enough for well-lit rooms, you can use it in a moderately lit room and not be distracted by glare on the screen. Its contrast ratio and black uniformity are good enough that blacks are deep during purely dark scenes, so it looks alright in a dark room. The TV displays a wide range of colors in HDR, so HDR content is vibrant and lifelike. However, HDR content does lack some impact due to its lower contrast ratio and mediocre HDR brightness. Fortunately, the TV has good upscaling capabilities, so low-resolution streams look pretty good.
Despite being limited to 4k @ 60Hz, it's a pretty good option for gamers who don't need 4k @ 120Hz. The TV supports VRR, has a fast response time, and has low input lag, so you get a responsive gaming experience with clear motion. Despite being a budget model, you get features like Dolby Vision and support for DTS audio formats. It runs the popular and easy-to-use Google TV interface that's loaded with apps, so finding your favorite content is fast.
The Roku 55R4A5R is a decent choice for those on a budget, as it's the best-value TV under $300. It's similar overall to the Hisense A7N but lacks most of the features that TV has. Still, it's a decent entry-level TV, delivering surprisingly good picture quality in a dark room thanks to its okay contrast ratio and great black uniformity. It has decent reflection handling and very good SDR brightness, so it easily overcomes glare in a moderately lit room. Unlike the Hisense, it doesn't support a wide color gamut, so colors in HDR content lack vibrancy and look a bit muted. It also has disappointing upscaling, so low-resolution content looks soft.
Like the Hisense, the TV is limited to 4k @ 60Hz, but it doesn't support VRR like the Hisense does. Still, it has low enough input lag and a good enough response time for a responsive gaming experience with minimal blur behind fast motion. It also doesn't support DTS audio formats or Dolby Vision, so it's not as good for a low-budget home theater. Fortunately, it comes with the Roku TV platform, which is smooth and easy to use. Note that the small 24- and 32-inch models are 720p TVs, while the 40-inch size is 1080p; the bigger models are all 4k TVs.
Sep 25, 2024: Replaced the Hisense U6/U6K with the Hisense A7N in the 'Best TV Under $300' category since the former is no longer available. We also updated the Notable Mentions section to bring it up-to-date.
Jul 02, 2024: Refreshed some text throughout the article for accuracy.
May 02, 2024: Added a mention of the Hisense U6N in the 'Best TV Under $300' category.
Mar 06, 2024: Added a link to our 2024 TV lineup page and refreshed the text in our Notable Mentions section to better compare those TVs with our picks.
Jan 10, 2024: The Roku Select Series is now the 'Best Value TV For Under $300'. The TV's value proposition and sheer range of available sizes make it the best cheap TV and kitchen TV, so these categories have been removed for now. Also added a few Notable Mentions.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best televisions under $300 to buy for most people. 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 would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our reviews of TVs available under $300. 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.