When shopping for a new TV, screen size is one of the first things you'll need to settle on. Though large TVs continue to grow in popularity, not everyone wants a massive panel. If you need something more manageable, a 55-inch TV is a good middle ground. This size is compact enough to fit in a variety of rooms but still large enough to showcase the benefits of 4K resolution. Some of the best 55-inch TVs start at less than $300, and many companies sell 55-inch versions of their top models with all the bells and whistles you'd get on a larger size.
To help you find the right display for your needs, I've selected the best 55-inch TVs available. My top pick is the Samsung S90D. This OLED TV features high contrast and deep black levels, which result in fantastic image quality for the money. However, if you want to spend under $500, you should check out the less expensive Roku Plus Series. It still has solid picture performance for its class, and Roku's smart TV interface is one of the easiest to use.
Below are all five of my picks for the best 55-inch TVs. My recommendations are informed by more than 10 years of experience testing home entertainment products. I've curated my selection to appeal to casual buyers and enthusiasts alike, so all kinds of viewers are accounted for.
Our top picks for the best 55-inch TVs
Best overall: Samsung S90D OLED 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best premium option: LG G5 OLED 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best under $500: Roku Plus Series QLED 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best for sports: Samsung S95D OLED 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best entry-level model: TCL S5 LED 4K TV - See at Amazon
Best overall
Competition is steep for the best 55-inch TV, but the Samsung S90D rises above the pack. This TV offers the most impressive value of any display I've tested.
The S90D uses a QD-OLED panel, which allows it to produce an infinite contrast ratio with deep black levels that disappear into a dark room. High contrast is one of the most important elements of good picture quality, and contrast doesn't get any better than this. In addition, the TV incorporates quantum dot color technology. This is something LG's competing OLEDs lack, and it enables a wider and brighter range of colors when watching high-dynamic-range (HDR) videos.
The TV's peak brightness is impressive for a midrange OLED. In my testing, I measured a max of around 1,240 nits, which is a decent improvement over the 1,000 nits that Samsung's previous S90C model could output. When watching 4K HDR content, the S90D delivers beautiful picture performance with vivid detail that's nearly on par with high-end sets that cost $1,000 more. Even lower-quality sources like cable TV and HD YouTube streams look good, though the set's image processing and upscaling aren't quite as refined as you'd get with competitors from Sony or LG.
The S90D's viewing angles are also excellent, so the picture doesn't noticeably fade or distort when you sit to the side of the TV. The display is a great pick for gamers, thanks to its low input lag and fast 120Hz refresh with a PS5 or Xbox Series X when paired with an ultra-high-speed HDMI cable. It can support an even faster 144Hz refresh rate with a compatible PC. Samsung is also one of the few smart TV brands that includes the Xbox app, which lets Game Pass members stream games without a console.
On the downside, like all Samsung TVs, the S90D is missing support for Dolby Vision. This HDR format can provide the most accurate image from streaming services like Disney Plus and Netflix. I don't think Dolby Vision is a must-have for a TV this bright, but it is a nice perk. Check out my HDR TV guide for more details on the differences between HDR formats.
I also encountered a few hiccups with the S90D's smart TV interface. It offers tons of streaming apps and convenient Alexa voice search, but navigation lagged a bit and wasn't as responsive as the best streaming devices I've reviewed. The TV also had a tendency to display too many notifications tied to updates for Samsung's various policy agreements, despite the fact that I disabled notifications in the settings menu. These are all small shortcomings that will likely be corrected via firmware, but they're still worth noting.
Where it counts most, the 55-inch S90D is an absolutely stunning TV. People who want a midsize display that doesn't skimp on image quality and features should consider this model first. Samsung does sell a newer version of this set, the S90F, that offers some improvements. But it costs a lot more, so the S90D remains the better overall value.
Check out our guide to all of the best Samsung TVs
Best premium option
LG's G5 is the new high-end TV to beat. This premium OLED edges out my previous pick in this spot, the Sony A95L. Sony's TV is still an excellent option, but the G5 beats it in a few key areas.
Most notably, the G5 is the brightest OLED TV I've ever tested. I measured a peak luminance of 2,410 nits using a 10% test pattern with the TV set in Filmmaker Mode. That's a big leap over the A95L and last year's LG G4, which maxed out at around 1,240 and 1,500 nits, respectively.
Such high brightness allows the G5 to deliver more impactful HDR images. That said, only certain HDR videos require such high brightness, so the G5's full capabilities only kick in when watching specific types of content. But, when paired with high-brightness HDR movies, like "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Aquaman," the TV simply stuns, delivering an unrivaled combination of bold highlights, rich colors, and deep black levels. This is the kind of image quality that TV nerds like myself geek out over.
Like all OLED TVs, the G5's viewing angles are wide, so the picture doesn't degrade much when you sit off-center from the screen. This is great for rooms with seating on the side of the TV. The G5 is also built with advanced gaming features, like a high 165Hz refresh rate when paired with a PC to enable smooth motion. This is notably faster than the 120Hz rate that Sony's A95L uses.
However, as impressive as the G5's image capabilities are, the TV isn't quite perfect. When watching a small selection of HDR videos, I did see some false contouring (also called posterization). This flaw causes some colors and shadows to appear blocky and uneven rather than smooth. But in my experience, this was an isolated issue that only popped up in scenes with very specific visual characteristics. Through weeks of testing and watching lots of movies and shows, it occurred so rarely that I don't consider it a major drawback. LG is also reportedly working on a firmware update to help correct it.
The G5 uses LG's webOS interface for smart TV functions, and this platform works just fine. It offers access to lots of streaming apps and has some cool features like Voice ID, which automatically switches user profiles based on who speaks to the TV. On the downside, webOS is prone to emphasizing sponsored content and shopping recommendations more than I'd like, but most of these ads can be deactivated if you navigate through some buried menu options.
The TV's design matches its premium picture quality, with a sturdy build, thin profile, and a flush wall mount included in the box. But people who'd prefer to attach the G5 to a traditional TV stand have to buy one separately, as the set doesn't include one at all.
There are some new and upcoming 55-inch TVs that could surpass the G5, like Sony's Bravia 8 II and Panasonic's Z95B. I'll be testing the Bravia 8 II soon and hope to get my hands on the Z95B whenever it launches. But for now, this LG set is my top pick for enthusiasts willing to spend top dollar for their home theaters.
Best under $500
The Roku Plus Series is an affordable QLED display powered by my favorite smart TV interface. The Roku operating system (OS) is simple and convenient, and the TV delivers solid image quality for its class. This is easily one of the best 55-inch TVs you can snag for under $500.
The display uses a QLED panel, which enables it to provide a wide range of colors. It also has local dimming to brighten and darken specific areas across its screen. This feature is rare to find in cheaper 55-inch TVs, and it provides a sizable improvement in black-level and brightness performance over less expensive displays, like TCL's S5.
That said, the Plus Series' black levels can't match the pixel-level precision of an OLED, like the Samsung S90D. And unlike pricier QLEDs, the Plus Series uses regular-sized LEDs in its backlight rather than Mini LEDs. This leads to less control over the panel's contrast, which causes the TV's dimming to be a little clunky, with slightly delayed shifts in brightness.
The display also has poor viewing angles, which means colors and contrast fade when you sit to the side. And the panel is limited to 60Hz, so you can't get 4K/120Hz support on consoles or gaming PCs. There's no motion-smoothing feature, either. Though I typically prefer to keep settings like that off, motion smoothing can benefit certain sports broadcasts.
But the TV helps make up for those shortcomings with its intuitive Roku OS, which provides easy and snappy access to every popular streaming app. It also has some usability perks that you won't find on many other smart TV systems, like the ability to pause live TV from a digital antenna when you have a USB stick plugged in. The remote is also great, with hands-free voice search, a rechargeable battery, and an audio chime you can activate if you misplace it.
Buyers on the hunt for the best 55-inch TV on a budget should also consider the Hisense U6N and TCL QM7. These models all technically have a list price of over $500, but they occasionally go on sale for a lot less. Both sets use Mini LED backlights, which translates to better dimming performance and overall image quality. However, they've become harder to find in stock, and both use the Google TV OS rather than the more streamlined Roku OS.
Read our Roku Plus Series 4K TV review.
Check out our guides to the best Roku TVs and best TVs under $500.
Best for sports
Samsung's high-end S95D OLED has a unique matte screen that makes it particularly well-suited for watching sports in a bright room. Most competing displays use a glossy or semi-glossy panel, but the S95D's matte display enables it to reduce glare and reflections significantly.
If you have a room where reflections are a big problem, this set could be a game changer. It also has wide viewing angles, so colors and contrast don't distort if you sit off-center from the screen. That's a great perk for viewing parties during big sporting events.
However, there is a notable drawback. While the S95D's matte screen combats glare, it gives black levels a slightly elevated look in bright rooms. This can give dark scenes a hazy and flat quality when you watch TV with the lights on. Sports content won't be affected much, but you could notice the lighter black levels while watching certain movies and TV shows. So, there's a tradeoff, and whether you prioritize reducing reflections or preserving black levels comes down to personal preference.
Thankfully, in a dark room, the S95D's black levels look just as impressive as any OLED's. The TV delivers exceptional picture performance that holds its own against top competitors from Sony and LG. It also has excellent brightness for an OLED. I measured a peak of 1,700 nits. LG's G5 has an edge when it comes to overall image quality, but the S95D is still one of the top high-end TVs there is.
The TV's design is also premium, with a uniformly thin profile and a One Connect Box to house its inputs instead of building them into the panel. Gamers get cool perks like a 144Hz mode when paired with a PC and access to the Xbox Game Pass app to stream games.
Samsung also sells a 2025 edition of this TV, the S95F, that can get even brighter. The S95F is a better TV, but it costs more. With that in mind, the S95D remains the better value for most people who need an anti-glare screen.
Read our Samsung S95D 4K TV review and our Samsung S95F 4K TV review.
Check out our guide to the best TV for sports.
Best entry-level
For a typical sale price of under $300, the TCL S5 is the best 55-inch TV for people who favor affordability over advanced image quality.
This model uses a standard LED panel without local dimming. As a result, its brightness and black-level capabilities are a noticeable step down from QLED TVs like the Roku Plus and pricier OLED models.
Though the S5 can produce a wide range of colors, its limited contrast prevents the set from displaying HDR content the way it's meant to look, and it causes dark scenes to look more washed out if you watch TV with the lights off. Colors and contrast also distort if you sit to the side of the screen, and the TV's refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, so it can't support high-frame-rate gaming. To be clear, these drawbacks are common for any TV this inexpensive, but they're important to keep in mind.
I recommend you pay more for the Roku Plus Series if you want a budget-friendly TV with HDR in mind.However, the S5 is a solid option if you just want basic 4K playback for casual viewing. Integrated support for the Fire TV platform and an Alexa voice remote round out the package, offering playback from all the best streaming services. An edition with the Google TV OS is also available for those who prefer Google's platform.
Check out our guide to all of the best budget TVs.
How we test 55-inch TVs
We use a colorimeter and test patterns to measure a TV's peak brightness.
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
To select the best 55-inch TVs, our team of reviewers relied on a combination of hands-on testing and research informed by more than 10 years of experience covering home entertainment products.
When we review TVs, we focus on 65-inch units since that size is considered the industry's flagship offering. However, a TV model's overall performance is usually comparable across sizes 55 inches and above. For instance, a 65-inch LG G5 OLED and a 55-inch G5 have the same specs and capabilities. The only notable difference is the size of the screen.
However, some TVs that use local dimming, like the Roku Plus Series, employ fewer zones in smaller screen sizes versus larger ones. This can lead to small differences in contrast performance when comparing a 55-inch model to another size, but not enough to alter our general impressions of that model. Occasionally, there are bigger differences across sizes, and we note those details when applicable.
To test 55-inch TVs, we look at picture clarity, contrast, peak brightness, color performance, viewing angles, gaming capabilities, smart TV navigation, and overall value. We measure HDR brightness with an X-Rite iDisplay Plus colorimeter and use test patterns on the Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc to evaluate other objective display parameters.
But test patterns can only reveal so much, so we watch plenty of actual movies and shows to see how a TV performs with real-world content on a day-to-day basis in both dark and bright rooms. We revisit various scenes on each TV we test that we've specifically chosen to examine black levels, shadow details, HDR highlights, and upscaling. Our demo content includes 4K, 1080p high definition (HD), and standard definition (SD) material from various sources like Blu-ray discs, streaming services, and cable TV.
You can learn more about our review process in our breakdown of how we test tech products.
55-inch TV FAQs
A 55-inch screen is a good fit for small- to medium-sized rooms.
David Murphy/Business Insider
Is 55 inches a good size for a TV?
A 55-inch screen is a solid choice for various needs, and many of the best smart TVs are sold in this size. A 55-inch set is still big enough to feel immersive in smaller living rooms while offering a more compact alternative to 65-inch models that might be too big for some spaces. If you're shopping for a media console or mount to pair with a 55-inch TV, check out our guides to the best TV stands and best TV wall mounts for a few recommendations.
A 55-inch TV is also a good fit for a bedroom where you might want something smaller than what you've got in your living room, but not so compact that you must sacrifice picture quality features. Most brands' best 4K TVs are available in 55-inch options, but many top displays are not sold in sizes below that. For instance, if you want one of Sony's best OLED TVs, 55 inches is the smallest size available.
Are 2025 55-inch TV models available?
Most TV manufacturers have released their 2025 lineups, though a few models from brands like Panasonic and Roku are still coming later this year.
That said, shoppers should remember that 2024 TV models will remain in stock for much of the year, and they're getting heavy discounts. As such, we'll continue to recommend 2024 options as long as they remain the better value.
For more info on new display models, visit our 2025 TV roundups
How much should a 55-inch TV cost?
The best 55-inch TVs vary in price, with entry-level options starting at under $300 and high-end options costing $2,000 or more.
If you want a midrange 55-inch TV, you should plan to spend about $400-$700. Several great 55-inch QLED models in that price range have quantum dots, local dimming, and Mini LED backlights to deliver good contrast and peak brightness levels as high as 1,000 nits.
Shoppers who want a 55-inch OLED TV rather than a QLED will have to pay more, with prices starting at around $1,200. Though notably more expensive than their QLED counterparts, OLED TVs offer pixel-level brightness control for superior contrast and perfect black levels.
Many 55-inch TVs get discounts throughout the year, but we see the biggest price drops during sales like Prime Day and Black Friday and around major sporting events like the Super Bowl and March Madness.
How far should you sit from a 55-inch 4K TV?
The smaller a 4K screen is, the closer you'll need to sit to the display to see the full benefits of its resolution. To see the extra detail that 4K offers over 1080p Full HD, you'll want to sit at a distance of about one to 1.5 times the size of your display. For a 55-inch 4K TV, the recommended viewing distance is between 4.6 and 6.9 feet from your TV.
Of course, you can still sit farther away from your TV and enjoy its image quality, but the recommended distance will allow you to see the best level of detail.
If you need to sit even closer to your TV or just have a small room to work with, check out our guide to the best 50-inch TVs.
And for rooms where you'd need to sit farther from your display, we recommend opting for a larger screen size to get the full benefits of 4K resolution. Check out our guides for larger display models:
Should you buy a soundbar to pair with a 55-inch TV?
Even the best 55-inch TVs tend to have mediocre built-in speakers. Audio drivers integrated into most TVs are small and often placed in areas that can lead to a muddy sound that lacks range and deep bass. For this reason, we recommend pairing your TV with a soundbar or full surround sound system to get the best audio quality for movies, TV shows, and video games.
For the most immersive experience, we suggest finding a system that supports Dolby Atmos, which can enable sound effects from all directions, even above your head. Performance varies depending on the model you get, but there are entry-level Atmos systems that can still provide a nice upgrade over your TV's built-in speakers.
Check out our various soundbar and speaker guides to see our top recommendations for different needs:
- Best soundbars
- Best Dolby Atmos soundbars
- Best budget soundbars
- Best soundbars with subwoofers
- Best Bose soundbars
- Best Sonos soundbars
- Best surround sound systems
How we test 55-inch TVs
A test pattern used to measure a TV's peak brightness.
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
To select the best 55-inch TVs, our team relies on a combination of hands-on testing and research informed by more than 10 years of experience reviewing home entertainment products.
When we review TVs, most brands typically send us their 65-inch screen size, considered the industry's flagship offering. However, a TV model's overall performance usually remains comparable across sizes 50 inches and above. For instance, a 65-inch Sony A95L OLED and a 55-inch A95L have the same basic specs and capabilities. The only notable difference is the size of the screen.
However, some TVs that use local dimming, like the Hisense U7K, will employ fewer dimming zones in smaller screen sizes versus larger ones. This can lead to slight differences in contrast performance when comparing a 55-inch model to another size, but not enough to alter our general impressions of that model. Occasionally, there are bigger differences in design and features across different sizes, and we note those details when applicable.
To test TVs, we look at picture clarity, contrast, peak brightness, color performance, viewing angles, gaming capabilities, smart TV navigation, and overall value. We measure HDR brightness with an X-Rite iDisplay Plus colorimeter and use test patterns on the Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc to evaluate other objective display parameters.
But test patterns can only reveal so much, so we watch plenty of actual movies and shows to see how a TV performs with real-world content on a day-to-day basis. We revisit an assortment of scenes on each TV we test that we've specifically chosen to examine black levels, shadow details, HDR highlights, and upscaling. Our demo content includes 4K, 1080p high definition (HD), and standard definition (SD) material from various sources like Blu-ray discs, streaming services, and cable TV.
55-inch TV FAQs
Ryan Waniata/Insider
Is 55 inches a good size for a TV?
A screen size of 55 inches is a great choice for a variety of different rooms. This size is still big enough to feel immersive in smaller living rooms while offering a more compact alternative to 65-inch models that might be too big for some spaces.
A 55-inch TV is also a great fit for a bedroom where you might want something smaller than what you've got in your living room but not so small that you must sacrifice picture quality features. Most brands' best 4K TVs are available in 55-inch options, but many higher-end displays are not sold in sizes below that. For instance, if you want one of Samsung or Sony's best OLED TVs, 55-inches is the smallest size available.
How much should a 55-inch TV cost?
The best 55-inch TVs vary in price, with entry-level options starting at below $300 and high-end options costing $2,000 or more.
If you want a midrange 55-inch TV, you should plan to spend about $400-$700. Several great 55-inch QLED models in that price range include quantum dots, local dimming, and Mini LED backlights to deliver good contrast and peak brightness levels as high as 1,000 nits.
Shoppers who want a 55-inch OLED TV rather than a QLED will have to pay more, with prices starting at around $1,200. Though notably more expensive than their QLED counterparts, OLED TVs offer pixel-level brightness control for superior contrast and black levels.
How far should you sit from a 55-inch 4K TV?
The smaller a 4K screen is, the closer you'll need to sit to the display to see the full benefits of its resolution. To see the extra detail that 4K offers over 1080p Full HD, you'll want to sit at a distance of about one to 1.5 times the size of your display. For a 55-inch 4K TV, the recommended viewing distance is between 4.6 and 6.9 feet from your TV.
Of course, you can still sit farther away from your TV and enjoy its image quality, but the recommended distance will allow you to see the best level of detail. For rooms where you'd need to sit a lot farther from your display, we recommend opting for a larger screen size to get the full benefits of 4K. Check out our guide to the best 65-inch TVs for our top recommendations.
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