The Best 55-Inch TVs of 2023

Update, 03/29/2023: We’ve reviewed our recommendations and are confident these are still the best 55-inch TVs you can buy.

What to Look for in a 55-inch TV in 2023

While picking a suitable 55-inch TV for your home, there are several things to consider to make sure you get the right set. The first is the screen size, as it’s important to consider the space you’re putting the set in. 55-inch TVs are one of the more common sizes for living rooms, so all of our picks below will offer what you need.

Next, you have to decide whether you want to opt for an OLED TV or an LED-backlit LCD TV (also referred to as an LED TV). These are the two dominant display panel technologies available in modern TVs, and both have advantages and disadvantages.

While OLED TVs can offer perfect black levels and a near-infinite contrast ratio, they are typically better suited for dark rooms because of their relatively lower brightness. On the other hand, LED TVs have high brightness, allowing them to overcome glare even in a brightly lit room.

However, LED TVs cannot produce perfect blacks and have to rely on other technologies like full-array local dimming (FALD) to compensate. And, even with FALD, the LED TVs can’t match the contrast ratio or black levels of an OLED TV.

Secondly, you have to consider what you are primarily going to do on your new TV. For example, if you plan to use it for gaming, you may want next-generation gaming features like HDMI 2.1 ports, support for 4K@120fps, and variable refresh rate (VRR). On the other hand, if you like to watch a lot of movies, a TV with good picture quality, HDR support, and better image processing would be better suited to your needs.

You might also have an affinity to a particular smart TV platform. But even if your TV pick has a different smart TV operating system, a streaming device with your favorite platform can help.

This is only the tip of the television-buying iceberg, though. We recommend going through our complete guide on buying a new TV for more help.

Note: Looking for another TV size? Check out our buying guides for 65-inch and 75-inch TVs, or head to our best TVs roundup for every available size for our recommendations.

Best 55-inch TV Overall: Samsung S95B

The Samsung S95B is the company’s first OLED (QD-OLED, to be precise) television in almost a decade. But thanks to the Seoul-based company’s vast experience building televisions, it didn’t suffer from any first-generation pains and was, in fact, one of the most exciting televisions of 2022. So if you want the best 55-inch TV on the market today, it’s hard to go wrong with the S95B.

Its QD-OLED panel can display deep blacks, and thanks to the quantum dot color filters, it’s also capable of producing more accurate, lifelike, and brighter colors than LG’s W-OLED panels. If you are unfamiliar with the term W-OLED, all OLED TVs without a QD-OLED panel use W-OLEDs manufactured by LG Display.

S95’s wide color gamut and high peak brightness help it provide an impactful HDR experience. That said, as there is no support for Dolby Vision, your dynamic HDR content options will be limited to HDR10+, which Samsung champions.

In other features, gamers will appreciate the display’s native 120Hz refresh rate, availability of four HDMI 2.1 ports, VRR, and ALLM. The TV also has a low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. The company’s Gaming Hub offers access to Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce NOW.

Lastly, Samsung’s own Tizen platform handles the software duties on the S95B, which is fairly easy to use and comes with all popular streaming services.

Best Budget 55-inch TV: Hisense 55U6H

The Hisense 55U6H is a solid option if you are tight on the budget. Despite its comparably lower price tag, this ULED TV comes with a 4K LCD panel with full-array local dimming and quantum dot technology. While FALD improves the already excellent contrast ratio of the screen, quantum dots increase the color fidelity and allow the TV to display vibrant colors.

Being a budget TV, it doesn’t get very bright. But you’ll still get a decent HDR experience. And there is support for all popular high dynamic range formats, including Dolby Vision. So you can enjoy all HDR content on the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+.

Among other highlights, the TV features four HDMI 2.0 ports, including an eARC port that you can use to pass high-quality, uncompressed audio to a soundbar or AV receiver. Plus, the TV comes with the new Google TV interface with Play Store for all your app needs.

Hisense has also kept gamers in mind while building the U6H. For example, the TV has a low input lag and comes with ALLM and a variable refresh rate. Unfortunately, as the TV tops out at a 60Hz refresh rate, VRR can’t deliver its full potential. So if you prefer an affordable TV with a 120Hz panel, Hisense’s 55U7H is a better option. It’s more expensive than the 55U6H but packs HDMI 2.1 ports and better local dimming.

Best 55-inch Gaming TV: LG C2

A successor to LG’s popular C1 television, the C2 has everything you need to get the most out of your Sony PS5 or Xbox Series X consoles. It has a 120Hz panel and four full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports to enjoy 4K 120 gaming, support for all three VRR formats to stop screen tearing, and auto low latency mode for a seamless jump to the Game Mode.

Being an OLED TV, the C2 also delivers a swift response time, which, combined with the TV’s low input lag, results in a blur-free and responsive gaming experience. Plus, you get the company’s Game Optimizer feature to access all the relevant settings and options in one place while playing a game.

Additionally, thanks to HDR10 and Dolby Vision IQ support, you can enjoy games, movies, and TV shows in HDR.

Even beyond gaming, the C2 is a great TV. Its near-infinite contrast ratio is perfect for watching movies in the dark, and wide viewing angles are helpful when catching your favorite sports with friends and family. Plus, the newer OLED evo panel used in the television gets brighter than the previous generations and helps with HDR performance and countering glare in bright rooms.

Regarding software, the TV’s webOS platform gives you access to all popular streaming services and is decent.

Finally, although LG includes several features to ensure you don’t have to deal with burn-in, there is still a small risk, particularly if you use it as a gaming PC monitor.

Best 55-inch TV for Movies: Sony A95K

Samsung’s S95B isn’t the only QD-OLED TV in town. Sony is also using the same beautiful panel in its A95K television. So while both televisions are somewhat similar in many aspects, Sony’s industry-leading image processing and better color accuracy make it a better television for watching movies.

The A95K’s support for Dolby Vision HDR also gives it an edge over the S95B, as the latter only supports HDR10+, which is far less common in terms of content.

You’ll get to watch HDR movies and TV shows in lifelike and vibrant colors thanks to the QD-OLED’s improved color volume and Sony’s fantastic tone mapping. The Sony TV is also excellent at upscaling lower-resolution content and removing judder from 24p videos.

Another reason to consider the A95K is its ability to pass DTS high-quality, uncompressed audio to a connected soundbar or AV receiver. It’s a good feature to have as many movie Blu-rays use DTS for their primary audio track. However, the S95B or LG’s G2 or C2 televisions can’t do this.

Beyond movies, while the television isn’t as great as the LG C2 for playing games, it isn’t too shabby either. Sony has included two HDMI 2.1 ports, a 120Hz refresh rate panel, and HDMI Forum VRR and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility.

And lastly, like other Sony TVs, you’ll find the Google TV software on the A95K. It’s easy to use and gives you access to all popular streaming platforms.

Best 55-inch Roku TV: TCL 6-Series 55R635

Although there are several good smart TV platforms on the market, Roku OS has managed to carve a place by being super easy to use. So it’s no surprise that many people want Roku OS on their TVs. If you are one of those people, the TCL 6-Series R635 is the best Roku TV you can buy in the 55-inch size.

The 6-Series is a 4K LED TV that uses Mini-LED backlighting and full-array local dimming to provide an excellent contrast ratio, deep black levels, and high brightness. Unfortunately, while the local dimming successfully improves the contrast, it leads to blooming and black crush on the TV.

TCL has added a quantum dot layer to produce vibrant colors and a wide color gamut, among other features. So the HDR content looks fantastic on the TV, and the support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG will give you access to tons of HDR content.

The R635 also upscales lower-resolution content very well, so whether you are catching your favorite shows on cable TV or re-watching your DVD collection, everything will look great.

Unfortunately, if you are into gaming, the R635 lacks next-generation gaming features. Even though the display panel is 120Hz, you won’t be able to play 4K games at 120fps. That said, the TV has a great response time and a relatively low input lag, meaning it will be just fine for an occasional casual gaming session.

Best 55-inch LED TV: Hisense 55U8H

Hisense has been selling some top-notch televisions over the last few years, and its U8H is no exception. It builds on the impressive U8G with Mini-LED backlighting, more local dimming zones, and newer software. As a result, the Hisense U8H delivers stunning picture quality with inky blacks and high peak brightness.

The television’s incredibly high brightness and the presence of quantum dot technology greatly help its HDR performance. Plus, it supports HDR10, HDR10+ Adaptive, and Dolby Vision IQ to watch high dynamic range content.

You also get a 120Hz refresh rate for better motion performance and 4K 120Hz gaming. And like other high-end and mid-range televisions, VRR support alongside two HDMI 2.1 ports is present to keep gamers satisfied.

Other highlights include a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner to take advantage of the high-resolution NextGen TV broadcasts. Unfortunately, NextGen TV isn’t available in all US markets right now, but it’s gradually rolling out.

You’ll also be happy to know the TV comes with a newer and better Google TV interface instead of the regular Android TV UI.

All-in-all, most people will be pleased with their 55U8H purchase. However, if you frequently watch TV with a group of people, the Samsung QN90B is a better choice because its wide-angle filter significantly improves off-angle viewing. The Samsung TV is also marginally better at image processing.

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