The best 55-inch TVs hit the sweet spot that is both large enough to really get the most out of 4K resolution while still fitting into most living rooms. Finding the right TV size can be tricky, since a lot of homes aren’t well-suited to the giant screens that have become popular. What smart features are important, and what can you expect in terms of picture quality, sound and ease of installation? We’ve spent more than 100 hours reviewing dozens of TV models in the past year, and most of the best TVs out there come in a variety of sizes.
According to our ‘what size TV should you buy’ guide, a 55-inch TV is well-suited for rooms where people are seated 4.6 feet from the TV, making this an ideal screen size for apartments, dorms and smaller homes. A 55-inch TV will fit nicely in many bedrooms and apartments, but is still large enough to work in the average living room, and the prices are significantly more affordable than similar 65-inch models.
If a 55-inch TV sounds just right for you, there are plenty of options available to choose from.
- If size doesn’t matter, check out the best 4K TVs of the year
- Still shopping? Our TV buying guide has the 9 things you need to know
And we’ve got plenty of the best 55-inch TVs to recommend. Whether you’re looking for a premium smart TV with incredible picture quality, an outdoor TV that can survive the elements, or a budget set that will save you a bundle, we’ve got advice backed up by hours of in-house lab testing and in-depth evaluation.
What are the best 55-inch TVs?
Our top pick is the LG CX OLED, the best TV in any size, thanks to it’s impressive OLED display and excellent smart features. It’s also the only TV on the market with four HDMI 2.1 ports, making a great choice for use with the PS5 and Xbox Series X game consoles.
The best budget TV is the 55-inch TCL 6-Series Roku TV (55R635), which is the best 55-inch value TV on the market. With QLED color and mini-LED backlighting, it offers premium performance at a surprisingly affordable price, and still packs in great smart features with Roku TV and THX Certified Game Mode.
For a really killer OLED TV deal, the Vizio 55-inch OLED TV (OLED55-H1) puts premium OLED quality into the more affordable realms, giving you gorgeous picture quality for hundreds less than other competing OLED models.
The best 55-inch TVs you can buy today
The LG CX OLED is the best 4K smart TV overall, even in the 55-inch model. With an amazing display, built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support, and a ton of other smart features, it’s our favorite set. From LG’s webOS 5.0 to the addition of smart home control and an intuitive motion-control remote, it’s one of the smartest TVs we’ve ever seen.
LG has improved on its superb OLED with a more powerful processor, the addition of Dolby Vision IQ (which adjusts HDR performance based on the ambient lighting) and beefs up the sound with AI-powered audio tuning. And while the LG CX OLED’s premium price might put off some shoppers, it packs in more premium value than more expensive OLED competitors, while still delivering an unparalleled picture. It’s the TV to beat.
Read our full LG CX OLED review.
The 55-inch TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R635) offers enormous value for it’s affordable price, offering premium picture quality and a great smart TV experience for much less than the competition. The 2020 follow up to the 2019 TCL 6-Series, the R635 ups the ante with mini-LED backlighting in addition to QLED. The result is impressive color and brightness, with some of the best HDR performance we’ve seen on anything this side of an OLED display.
But TCL keeps delivering more, like THX Certified Game Mode, which makes the 6-Series one of the best gaming TVs available, even for yet-to-be-released consoles like the PS5 and the Xbox Series X. From the design’s smart touches, like cable management in the stand, to the always-solid Roku TV platform, the TCL 6-Series R635 is the best TV value of 2020, and it’s not even close.
Read our full TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R635) review.
The 55-inch Vizio OLED TV (OLED55-H1) is the most affordable OLED TV on the market, and the first to offer a less-premium alternative to offerings from LG and Sony to shoppers in the United States. Selling for hundreds of dollars less than the competition, the Vizio OLED packs plenty of smart features alongside the 4K OLED display, and delivers the sort of premium picture quality that normally costs much more.
Vizio’s SmartCast smart TV platform has also expanded its app selection significantly, and all of the major apps you might want — from Netflix to Disney+ — are available right on the TV. The few that aren’t offered on the home screen (HBO Max is the most glaring omission) can still be enjoyed through the TV’s built-in Google Cast and AirPlay 2 support. Combine all of this with an improved remote control design and great sound with better-than-average bass, and you’ve got one of the best TV values of the year, and the easy pick for affordable OLED TVs.
Read our full Vizio OLED TV review.
The Samsung Q80T TV combines quantum-dot enhanced picture, clever smart features, a powerful Quantum processor and impressive Object Tracking Sound to create one of the most formidable Samsung QLED sets yet. We were especially impressed with the set’s excellent color quality and HDR performance, though you will have to accept that Samsung TVs don’t offer Dolby Vision support. Another great feature? In addition to Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant, you can set up the TV with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, with or without a smart speaker.
And while it’s not Samsung’s most premium 4K smart TV, it’s really, really close. The only real differences between the Q80T and the more expensive Samsung Q90T QLED TV is that the Q80T has it’s ports on the TV, instead of a separate box – well, that and a couple hundred dollars in the purchase price.
Read our full Samsung Q80t QLED TV review.
The TCL 5 Series Roku TV does what TCL does best, delivering a surprisingly great mix of features and performance at an excellent affordable price. With the 50-inch model selling for less than $500, you get the superb color and brightness of QLED, as well as Roku’s user-friendly smart TV interface, which puts thousands of apps right at your fingertips.
In addition to the excellent color accuracy and full color gamut offered by the QLED display, it offers top-of-the-line HDR support, with Dolby Vision in addition to basic HDR10 and HLG formats. With input lag clocking in at 13.1 milliseconds, it’s also one of the best affordable gaming TVs you can buy. And it’s roughly half the price of Samsung’s equivalent QLED TV, making it one of the best values in smart TVs.
Read our full TCL 5-Series Roku TV (S535) review.
The Sony Master Series A9G OLED looks and sounds superb, delivering the best performance we’ve seen on TV, and that performance carries over to the smaller model, making it one of the best 55-inch TVs you can get. The OLED panel has excellent color, top-notch HDR support with bright highlights and rich shadows, and the pixel-perfect contrast and lighting that only OLED can provide. The sound might be even better than the display, thanks to Sony’s impressive Acoustic Surface Audio+ which turns the entire glass panel into a high-end speaker with sound that comes right from the screen and better bass than even many soundbars provide. It’s easily one of the best 55-inch TVs you can buy.
But Sony goes above and beyond simple picture and sound with the best version of Android TV yet and Sony’s redesigned remote control, which combine into a truly great smart TV experience. The only question people need to ask themselves about the Sony Master Series A9G OLED is whether the category-leading performance and premium smart TV features are worth the the ultra-premium price.
Read our full Sony Master Series A9G OLED review.
The LG GX OLED is among the most premium TVs on this list, with a high-end price tag and a 20-millimeter thick design that’s ready-made for wall mounting that looks better than many custom installations. The TV uses LG’s Gallery-series flush-mount design, and that sleek build is a big part of the high price tag, but it also boasts superb viewing angles and the best sound of any LG OLED TV we’ve reviewed.
But for all the polish and panache of the GX OLED, the overall picture quality is nearly identical to the less expensive (but equally excellent) LG CX OLED. But if you want all of that superb quality and full-featured smart TV capability in a truly premium design, then the LG GX OLED is worth the higher cost of admission, making a statement that will have you bringing everyone into your home theater just to gawk at the TV on the wall.
Read our full LG GX OLED TV review.
The Hisense H9G Quantum Android TV is our favorite Hisense TV, and one of the best Android TVs on the market. With a quantum-dot-enhanced display and built-in Chromecast and Google Assistant, it’s a full-featured smart TV that sells for under $1,000 without sacrificing quality. With support for Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos sound and offering built-in voice control with room-listening microphones, the Hisense H9G offers a surprising number of premium features for a reasonably priced 4K smart TV.
In our review, we noted the sets excellent color quality and accuracy, as well as it’s brightness, which really came through in HDR playback, offering great highlights and deep shadows. Our only complaint was somewhat narrow viewing angles, but it’s a minor issue, and the H9G Quantum easily takes its place as our favorite Hisense TV.
Read our full Hisense H9G Quantum (55H9G) review.
The Konka U5 Android TV may not come from a well-known manufacturer, but if you’re after an affordable 4K TV with the great Android smart TV interface, then Konka offers great color and brightness and a full featured smart experience for a budget-friendly price.
For a TV that sells for such low prices, the U5 delivers better performance than we expected, with rich colors and good brightness compared to other TVs in the price range. Contrast could have been better, and the sound quality will definitely benefit from adding a soundbar, but it’s more than serviceable for watching TV and movies, and short lag times make for a decent gaming experience. The Android TV platform may run a little slowly on the U5, but the rich app selection, built in Google Assistant and Chromecast capabilities and plenty of smart home compatibility easily outweigh the minor lag we saw in our testing.
Read our full Konka U5 Android TV (55U55A) review.
The bargain priced Toshiba 4K Fire TV Edition (2020 model) is a smart TV for people who want the convenience of Alexa and streaming services in a single package. With 4K resolution, HDR support with Dolby Vision and a huge library of apps and content, the real selling point of the Toshiba Fire TV isn’t any one feature, but the total package of smart capabilities that are offered in this ultra-affordable TV.
While it’s true that you get what you pay for – the performance isn’t top-of-the-line, the gaming support is middling and the Fire TV platform is a little too Amazon-centric for our liking – it’s still a great option for casual viewers, and it’s priced to sell like crazy. And that’s before the steep discounts offered for every big sales event.
Read our full Toshiba 4K Fire TV Edition (2020 model) review.
Most TVs are made for living rooms; drag them outside and they’re destined to die a quick death from extreme temperatures, water or even bugs. But the SunBriteTV Pro 2 outdoor TV is built for those conditions, with a rugged design that can withstand the elements. Whether it’s in a cold garage or out on an open porch, the weather-sealed chassis fends off precipitation, dirt and bugs, and even has a sealed compartment for HDMI hookups. The screen is made to be viewed in full sunlight conditions where even other outdoor sets would falter.
With basic HDR capability and strong overall performance, the SunBrite is a great TV for any outdoor setting. And with optional weatherproof soundbar or speakers you can enjoy sound that’s just as tough. If you want a great set for your yard, this is the best TV to get for outdoor viewing.
Read our full SunBriteTV Pro 2 outdoor TV review.
How to choose the best 55-inch TVs for you
Our TV buying guide breaks down the key factors that should go into purchasing a new set, as getting a TV is an investment. It’s a piece of tech you’re likely to own for several years, which is why you want to make sure you’re picking the best 55-inch TV for you.
First figure out whether you’re locked into a 55-inch set. Just because it’s the biggest size that fits on your wall or TV stand doesn’t mean that it’s right for the room. Similarly, consider if a 65-inch TV would better suit your space.
Expect to pay about $500 for a good 55-inch 4K TV. The Insignia 55-inch 4K Fire TV Edition above is the absolute cheapest we’d recommend based on our catalog of TV testing. But if you have a tighter budget, check out our best TV deals for some alternatives. Keep in mind performance will take a hit in lower price ranges, though.
If you want the most colors, get one of the HDR sets with Dolby Vision compatibility above. This technology is able to deliver more colors, more contrast levels and increased brightness. It could make a set a bit more costly, but it guarantees you’ll still be satisfied with TV as the Dolby Vision format seems to be gaining momentum.
Another thing to consider is port offerings. Some of the sets above sport 3 HDMI ports, while some have 4. In general, more ports is better, especially if you have a collection of input devices like soundbars or game consoles.
Want something with a larger or smaller screen? We’ve got you covered. See our favorites in a wide range of sizes:
Best 43-inch TVs | Best 50-inch TVs | Best 65-inch TVs | Best 70-inch TVs | Best 85-inch TVs
How we test the best 55-inch TVs
Testing the best 55-inch TVs is a thorough process. We put every TV through our custom lab test, measuring color gamut, color accuracy and brightness to objectively see which sets are the best for these key indicators. We also test for lag time, measuring to the millisecond how long it takes for content to travel from the original source to the screen. We use these results to make numbers-based comparisons about color and display quality.
We spend hours with each set to see how our lab results translate into anecdotal performance. We also compare competing sets using a range of content across several sources. With that information, we can tell you which TVs look best, sound best and offer the best viewing experience.
Of course, we also consider the smart TV functions and apps for each TV, looking at everything from the remote control design to the voice interaction.
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