Best 55-inch TVs in 2023

Who doesn’t love to become fully immersed in their favorite TV shows, movies, sporting events and video games? For most average-size living rooms and bedrooms, a 55-inch smart TV is an adequate size to offer an enjoyable viewing experience. And with 4K resolution, you can see the most intricate details and vivid colors while enjoying a truly lifelike picture.

Related: How we select our products

When shopping for a new TV, there’s a lot to consider. For example, in addition to screen size, the display type, speaker quality, the operating system used to provide smart functionality to the TV and the screen’s refresh rate are among the key factors that can directly impact your viewing experience. You also want plenty of ports built into the TV, as well as options for mounting the TV on an included stand or hanging it on a wall. As you’re about to discover, some of the best 55-inch smart TVs come from companies like Samsung, Hisense, LG and TCL.

Best 55-inch smart TVs for Fall 2023

Our top pick is the cutting-edge Hisense 55-inch Class U8 Series TV which takes full advantage of a mini-LED display. Meanwhile, Samsung’s The Frame will look fantastic hanging on a wall, as its bezel resembles a picture frame. When you’re not viewing TV shows or movies, The Frame displays either famous works of art or your favorite digital photos.

If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll love the features built into the Amazon Fire TV 55-Inch 4-Series. But if you’re willing to splurge, you can’t go wrong with the 2023 version of the Samsung S90C OLED TV. Let’s take a closer look at these and other 55-inch TVs that are among our top picks for fall 2023.

Best 55″ TV overall: Hisense Class U8 Series Mini-LED TV (2023)

Display type: Mini-LED (QLED) | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Operating System: GoogleTV | Max. Brightness: 1,500 nits | HDR Support: Dolby Vision, DHR10, HDR10+, HLG | Main Ports: 4x HDMI, 1x Ethernet, 2x USB | Other Key Features: Dolby Atmos sound, Filmmaker mode, Google Assistant, voice remote | Overall dimensions: 48.5 x 28.2 x 3.0 inches | Weight: 41.2 pounds

Using GoogleTV as its operating system, the 2023 version of the Hisense 55-inch Class U8 Series Mini-LED TV offers impressive brightness (up to 1,500 nits), so the picture displayed on the screen will look sharp even in a well lit room with direct sunlight shining through the window. Combine this with a 120Hz refresh rate when viewing TV shows, sporting events, games and movies and you can expect the action on the screen to look smooth.

To enhance the picture, this TV takes advantage of 1,300 local dining zones that allows for better backlight control and enhanced HDR support. Don’t worry if what you’re watching is being presented in 1080p (or lower) resolution. The Hisense U8 Series TV uses AI upscaling to bring that content to as close to 4K as possible. When it comes to choosing what to watch and then finding the appropriate channel or streaming network, the TV’s voice control makes things easy. And at the same time, you can use voice commands to control other compatible smart gear in your home.

If you’re a gamer, the TV has the built-in Game Mode Pro which can boost the display’s refresh rate up to 144Hz to ensure smooth animations with a quick response time when playing your favorite games. Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos support enhance what you’re viewing (and hearing), while the GoogleTV OS provides easy access to all popular streaming service options. 

Pros:

• The 1,500 nits maximum brightness is one of the highest you’ll find in any 55-inch TV.
• Take advantage of the Google Assistant or Alexa and use voice commands to control this TV (and other smart home gear).
• Enjoy easy connectivity with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and plenty of HDMI and USB ports.
• Like all Hisense TVs, this one offers an excellent value, considering the higher-end technology that’s built into it.

Cons:

• The viewing angle offered by this TV could be better.

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Most popular 55″ TV with our readers: Samsung’s The Frame

Display type: QLED (non-reflective matte finish) | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Operating System: Tizen | Max. Brightness: 475 nits | HDR Support: HDR10+, Quantum HDR, HLG | Main Ports: 4x HDMI, 2x USB, 1x Ethernet  | Other Key Features: Bexel style/color options, Art Mode, Dolby Atmos support, Q-Symphony support, AI upscaling, anti-reflexion display, supports multiple digital voice assistants, rotates vertically, Samsung Gaming Hub | Overall dimensions: 48.7 x 27.9 x 1 inches (without stand) | Weight: 37.3 pounds (without stand)

Out of all the 55-inch TVs currently available, Samsung’s The Frame is unique in several ways. Its bezel features a customizable picture frame, so when the TV is displayed on your wall, it looks like a piece of artwork. When you’re not watching programming, the TV automatically displays either famous works of art (that you preselect) or your favorite digital photos. In other words, there’s never just an unattractive black rectangle hanging on your wall. Because of this TV’s unique design that makes it look like a piece of decor within a home, The Frame has become the most popular TV amongst our readers.

To make artwork displayed on the screen look more realistic, The Frame uses a non-glare matte display. This also allows the TV shows or movies you’re watching to look detailed with life-like colors, but you do not get the brightness level that many other 55-inch TVs offer. It uses its QLED display to showcase 4K resolution video with HDR support and Quantum Dot technology that can replicate more than one billion colors.

When you purchase The Frame, you can choose from a handful of frame colors and styles, so when hung on the wall in your home, it will match the existing decor. Like all of Samsung’s smart TV’s, this one relies on the Tizen operating system to give you access to popular streaming services and networks. 

Pros:

• When displaying artwork, the TV’s auto-rotating wall mount allows the screen to be rotated 90 degrees so it can showcase artwork in portrait mode when appropriate.
• Using the TV’s integrated motion sensor, The Frame can turn itself off when a room is empty, but immediately power on (and display artwork or photos) when someone enters the room.
• Display your favorite digital photos or video clips on The Frame by transferring the content to the TV (from a computer or mobile device) using a USB flash drive.

Cons:

• A subscription is required to access Samsung’s library of more than 2,000 works of art that can be displayed on the TV.
• The Frame offers a more narrow viewing angle than many competitors.
• Due to its unique design, this TV is priced a bit higher than many other 4K smart TVs.

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Best budget 55″ TV: Amazon Fire TV 4-Series

Display type: LED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 60Hz | Operating System: FireTV | Max. Brightness: 300 nits | HDR Support: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Digital Plus | Main Ports: 4x HDMI, 1x USB, 1x Ethernet | Other Key Features: Voice remote, Dolby Digital Plus support, Amazon Alexa support | Overall dimensions: 48.7 x 28.3 x 3.5 inches (without stand) | Weight: 25 pounds (without stand)

The 2023 version of the Amazon Fire TV 4-Series is offered at a highly competitive price. Because it’s designed by Amazon, it offers full integration with the Alexa digital voice assistant and the Amazon Prime Video streaming service. 

You can control the TV and other compatible smart home gear with the included voice remote. You also get full access to all of the other popular streaming services via the FireOS operating system. This TV is equipped with four HDMI ports, but just one USB port, one Ethernet port and one optical audio port. It supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. To enhance the picture quality for supported programming, you get HDR10 and HLG support. Dolby Audio and Dolby Digital Plus are supported as well, so with the proper speakers (sold separately), you can get true surround sound.

Instead of a 120Hz refresh rate, you’ll need to settle for just 60Hz. High action content (such as video gaming) won’t look as fluid on this TVs as it will on a television with a higher refresh rate.

Overall, this is a nicely equipped smart TV for the price.

Pros:

• Use the voice remote to access Amazon Alexa and control the TV and other smart gear in your home with voice commands. 
• The free Fire TV app allows you to use your smartphone as a remote control for the TV.

Cons:

• The screen may not be bright enough for a well-lit room with direct sunlight.
• The viewing angle is not as wide as competitors. 
• The TV’s refresh rate is just 60Hz, not 120Hz.

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Best premium 55″ TV: Samsung S90C OLED Series 9 (2023)

Display type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 120Hz (up to 144Hz with Game Motion Plus feature) | Operating System: Tizen | Max. Brightness: 726 nits | HDR Support: HDR10+, Quantum HDR OLED, HLG | Main Ports: 4x HDMI, 2x USB, 1x Ethernet | Other Key Features: AI upscaling, Filmmaker mode, Dolby Atmos support, Q-Symphony support, Adaptive Sound+ support, split screen with multi-view, supports multiple digital voice assistants  | Overall dimensions: 482. X 27.9 x 1.6 inches (without stand) | Weight: 35.7 pounds (without stand)

The Samsung S900C OLED Series 9 is the ideal centerpiece for a home theater setup. Along with seeing accurate and dramatic colors, whatever you’re watching will be enhanced and look more life-like thanks to AI upscaling. With a maximum brightness of 726 nits, you’ll be able to see a clear picture even if the room is brightly lit. The TV features high-end sound thanks to Dolby Atmos support and Samsung’s object tracking sound feature. We think you’ll also appreciate the TV’s sleek profile, too, which looks great hanging on a wall or mounted on its supplied stand.

TVs with an OLED display are extremely popular because they offer a contrast-rich and sharp picture that features vivid and lifelike color, combined with a fast refresh rate and wide viewing angle support. This means you don’t need to be sitting directly in front of the screen to clearly see it. Plus, the artificial intelligence built into this Samsung TV analyzes each scene in real time and determines which areas need to be brighter or darkened to ensure consistent and accurate colors.

One of the perks of OLED technology is its ability to display bright colors, deep blacks and bright whites. However, this is one of the few TVs that has also been Pantone Validated to ensure the colors being displayed are authentic and appear exactly as they were meant to look.

Pros:

• The included TV voice remote does not require batteries, since it’s solar powered.
• For gamers, the TV’s Game Motion Plus feature is able to boost the TV’s refresh rate up to 144Hz for compatible PC games.
• You get plenty of built in ports, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
• The display provides top-notch reflection handling and a wide viewing angle.

Cons:

• Dolby Vision support is not offered.
• Some people prefer GoogleTV, WebOS or RokuOS instead of the included TizenOS (which can be quirky).

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Best affordable OLED 55″ TV: LG OLED evo C3

Display type: OLED | Resolution: 4K | Refresh rate: 120Hz | Operating System: WebOS 23 | Max. Brightness: 800 nits | HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | Main Ports: 4x HDMI, 3x USB, 1x Ethernet | Other Key Features: AI upscaling, G-Sync compatible, Nvidia GeForce Now and Utomil cloud gaming support, Dolby Digital audio, Filmmaker mode | Overall dimensions: 48.1. X 27.7 x 1.8 inches (without stand) | Weight: 31.1 pounds (without stand)

Now that OLED technology is becoming commonplace among TV manufacturers, you no longer need to pay a hefty premium for it. Yes, OLED TVs are still on the pricier side, but they’re more affordable than ever. The LG OLED Evo C3 is definitely one of the more affordable OLED TVs currently available. To ensure the best picture quality possible, this TV relies on LG’s proprietary a9 AI Processor Gen6, which improves brightness and contrast while fine tuning colors based on ambient lighting in the room.

As with all OLED screens equipped with Dolby Vision, expect to see dark and solid blacks, bright whites and truly accurate and life-like colors. Whatever you’re watching will be seen as close as possible to how it was intended. The TV’s Filmmaker mode enhances picture quality even further when you’re watching movies.

Pros:

• This is a great gaming TV option with lots of specialized features for console or PC-based gaming systems.
• This TV offers Dolby Atmos sound support, which works with the TVs internal speakers. It makes audio sound especially fantastic when an optional soundbar or surround sound system is connected to the TV.

Cons:

• The LG OLED evo C3 offers decent brightness, but the TV is not as bright as other higher-end OLED TVs.
• The newer C3 model does not offer major improvements compared to the C2 model.
• Sound quality and maximum volume using just the TV’s internal speakers could be better.

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