The 4 Best Small TVs in 2024

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Evan Shephard

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True Score Methodology

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Reviews Analyzed + 24 TV Experts

Updated Feb 20, 2024 6:53 PM
best small tv guide that shows the top best tv model

When it comes to the best small TVs, size shouldn’t limit performance. Whether it’s for a kitchen, dorm room, or a mobile home, your TV must handle bright environments and still deliver exceptional picture quality.

We’ve meticulously combed through testing data and specs from more than 158 certified tested models to ensure you get the best bang for your buck. Our process is rigorous, focusing on performance in bright rooms and delivering top-notch visuals, so you don’t have to compromise. In our search for excellence, we’ve also included models that stand out among the best TVs overall, ensuring that even our small TV selections meet high standards of quality and performance. Read on to see how we zeroed in on the best small TVs that won’t let you down.

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Minimum Specifications

  • Ideal Size: Under 45 inches, striking the perfect balance between compact and capable.

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Test Criteria

  • SDR Brightness: At least 300 nits for a bright, clear picture in any light.
  • HDR Brightness: 700 nits and up, bringing out the detail in high dynamic range content.
  • Color Accuracy: Minimum 90% DCI P3 color gamut for vibrant colors.

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“Nice To Haves”

  • Fast Response Time: 15ms or lower, keeping the action smooth without blur.
  • Accurate EOTF Tracking: Delta less than 0.018, ensuring precise brightness and contrast.
  • Robust Contrast Ratio: At least 10,000:1 for deep blacks and bright whites.

Keep reading to discover the top TV for small space. We’ve got options for the budget conscious, the value driven shopper, the home theater buff, the competitive gamer and for rooms that have an almost unmanageable amounts of direct or indirect light.

We’ve redefined TV buying guides, setting us apart from any other site on the planet. Our unique approach combines in-house verification with a comprehensive dataset from over 200+ trusted sites, focusing on key testing metrics to rank the top rated small TVs. Testing data (and specs) include brightness (SDR and HDR), color accuracy, and a set that is 45″ or smaller. We aggregate and analyze this data from 158+ TVs, ensuring our recommendations meet your specific needs. In this case its for small TVs, which means overcoming bright lights and fitting in a tight space. Discover our data-driven methodology for precise, reliable TV recommendations.

Latest Updates

  • 02/20/2024: Completely and thoroughly overhauled the guide to include the best and latest small TVs.
  • 11/28/2023: Republished the list to include TVs based on our True Score system.

Our commitment to unbiased reviews is powered by our ‘True Score’ system, targeting low quality and fake reviews. Commissions fund this mission. No bias. No BS. Learn more

Top 2 Small TVs

  • Best Overall

    Runner Up

    $896.99
    $1,197

    Exceptional color accuracy, and best-in-class input and response times, making it the preferred choice for gamers. Its high brightness enhances versatility and serves as an excellent large monitor, all at the best value.

    • Screen size:

      42", 48", 55", 65", 75", 83"

    • Display Type:

      OLED

  • Best Overall

    Runner Up

    $1,298.00
    $1,300

    The highest color gamut and accurate gamma, offering true color reproduction. Ideal for cinematic content, it’s less suited for competitive gaming, but perfect for those valuing premium cinematic experiences.

    • Screen size:

      42", 48"

    • Display Type:

      OLED

Top Small TVs For 2024

Prices accurate at the time of publishing

See how we test the testers

To snag a spot on our list, a small TV needs to be under 45 inches and capable of impressive color accuracy and brightness for both SDR and HDR content. If it doesn’t hit these points, we’re not including it!

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    LG C3 OLED TV

    • Best For Gaming

    Excels as a versatile small TV (42″ and up), offering superior color reproduction, low input lag, and high brightness, making it the top choice for gamers and those in brightly lit environments.

    LG C3 OLED TV Review →

    True Score

    89
    87
    9

    Experts

    93
    12k

    Customers

    SAVE $300
    $1,196.99
    $896.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Sony A90K OLED TV

    Ideal for cinematic enthusiasts, it combines unparalleled color accuracy and deep blacks in a compact size, perfect for immersive home theater experiences but at a heftier cost than its size would suggest.

    Sony A90K OLED TV Review →

    True Score

    89
    87
    7

    Experts

    94
    891

    Customers

    SAVE $2
    $1,299.99
    $1,298.00
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    LG Flex OLED TV

    With its unique bendable design, it offers unparalleled flexibility and immersive viewing, marrying innovative form with solid gaming and cinematic performance, but at a premium price.

    LG Flex OLED TV Review →

    True Score

    86
    85
    2

    Experts

    90
    6

    Customers

    SAVE $315
    $2,499.99
    $2,185.00

    DID YOU KNOW 87% OF TV REVIEWERS ARE UNTRUSTWORTHY?

    Our research found 28 of 210 TV reveiwers can be trusted, and shockingly 1 out of 3 on Google Page 1 were fake reviews showing no proof of test claims. See our Expose and Trust List. This is why Gadget Review is committed calculating the most accurate product scores on the web.

    To do this, we give every TV review site a Trust Score, which measures how trustworthy the site and their testing claims are. We then leverage AI & a machine learning model to combine and calculate the Trust Score with data from experts and consumers to deliver the True Score, the web’s most accurate product quality rating.

    321,300+

    TV Reviews Analyzed

    156

    Total Products Analyzed

    Read the TV Testing Methodology

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Samsung QN90C NEO QLED Series

    • Best For Bright Room

    Brightest in class, it shines in well-lit spaces with its exceptional brightness and color quality, balancing slight gaming and sports content compromises for vivid clarity.

    Samsung QN90C NEO QLED Series Review →

    True Score

    86
    84
    9

    Experts

    90
    1k

    Customers

    SAVE $270
    $1,197.99
    $927.99

    DON’T SEE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?

    Certain brands often stand out when looking at the best TV brands with their cutting-edge technology and superior quality offerings, from the immersive experience of the best OLED TVs to the stunning detail of the best 8K TVs. If you are considering these latest models, ensure you understand the differences between 4K and 8K

    Moreover, the best TV monitors offer versatility for those who need a TV that caters to both work and entertainment. Additionally, understanding how to connect a soundbar can significantly improve the audio experience of your setup. Lastly, those with limited space will find the top 24-inch TVs can offer the perfect balance of size, performance, and power efficiency.

Our Approach to Testing TVs For Small TVs

Evan Shepard/Gadget Review

We’ve redefined TV buying guides, setting us apart from any other site on the planet. Our unique approach combines in-house verification with a comprehensive dataset from trusted sites, focusing on key testing metrics like brightness (SDR and HDR), EOTF, response time, contrast ratio, and color accuracy.

We aggregate and analyze this data, ensuring our recommendations meet the specific needs. In this case, it’s for small TVs, which means overcoming bright lights and fitting in tight spaces. Discover our data-driven methodology for precise, reliable TV recommendations.

You may notice some of our graphs contain “Source: RTings”. This is to indicate that the data we’re showing off in a graph has come from a single source – because it’s the only source that actually tested the criteria and had data for it! Normally, our data is an average out of all of the various publications that test and provide data to give you a good idea of how a product is going to perform on average.

Which Criteria Matter for Testing Small TVs?

By focusing on these criteria (3 required, 3 nice to have), anyone can quickly and easily compare these TVs and how they’ll perform. This helps you make an informed decision and purchase a TV that will fit into your small or tight space.

CRITERIARANGEREQUIREDDEFINITION
SDR Brightness300+ nitsYesAssess the luminance of your display when operating in Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) mode.
HDR Brightness700+ nitsYesDetermine the luminance of your display in High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode.
Color Gamut (DCI P3 xy)>= 90%YesEvaluate the extent to which a TV can reproduce a specified spectrum of colors.
EOTF0.018No (nice to have)Standard that governs how a display interprets and renders brightness and color.
Response Time<=15msNo (nice to have)Time required for a pixel to transition from one color to another and then return to its original color.
Contrast Ratio>= 10,000No (nice to have)The ratio between the brightest white and darkest black that the screen can display.

Our Trusted Data Sources

(Publication category Score is 80%+)

We looked at 210+ TV reviewers and while 24 are trustworthy (60%+ Trust Score), we only use data from the testers that are “very trusted” which means a Trust Score above 70%. The three we have listed below are our most trusted for TVs, along with our own in-house TV expert.

  1. Evan Shepard – Gadget Review
  2. Matthew Lopes – RTings, MuckRack
  3. Will Greenwald – PCMag, MuckRack, Twitter
  4. David Katzmaier – CNET, MuckRack, Twitter

Interested in a comprehensive analysis of our data sources? We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a detailed list of every TV review website we’ve identified, organized by their respective Trust Scores from highest to lowest. But we didn’t stop there. We’ve meticulously reviewed each publication and verified the data by checking whether the authors have bio links to MuckRack or LinkedIn. We’re committed to not only checking the facts but ensuring their veracity.

TV Test Data & Results

1. SDR & HDR Brightness TV Test Results

In brightly lit rooms, the brightness of your TV, measured in nits, is crucial for a good viewing experience. If your TV isn’t bright enough, ambient light can overpower the screen, making images hard to see, washed out, and lacking in detail. Think of nits as the strength of your TV’s display against sunlight or room lights. The higher the nits, the clearer and more vibrant the picture.

For everyday viewing of standard dynamic range (SDR) content, aiming for a TV with at least 300 nits, providing a decent balance between visibility and picture quality. However, when stepping up to high dynamic range (HDR) content, which enhances picture quality with more depth and vibrant colors, a brightness of at least 700 nits offers a significantly better experience. While these numbers aren’t mandatory, they serve as a solid guideline for ensuring your TV can deliver a vivid, detailed picture even in well-lit spaces. Remember, the brighter, the better for overcoming ambient light and enjoying your favorite content without compromise.

Among the best Samsung TVs, models like you’ll find in our Samsung QN9DA review stand out for their brightness, making it ideal for well-lit rooms.

Discover the top small TVs, ranked from brightest to least.

SDR Brightness (in nits, higher is better)

HDR Brightness (in nits, higher is better)

2. Color Gamut (DCI P3 xy) TV Test Results

Color gamut defines the range of colors a small TV can reproduce, directly affecting how vibrant and true-to-life the images look. A wide color gamut in a compact TV brings out richer, more vivid colors – from the lush greens of a garden to the bright colors of animated characters, enhancing your viewing experience to closely mimic real life.

This concept is technically measured against standards like the DCI P3 xy, a benchmark for high-quality visuals. A small TV covering a higher percentage of this color space can display colors more accurately and vividly.

For those who prioritize vibrant and immersive visuals in a smaller package, aiming for a small TV with a color gamut of 90% or higher on the DCI P3 xy scale is ideal. This ensures that the content you watch is as vibrant and lifelike as possible, bringing a big viewing experience to a smaller screen.

Below are the top small TVs, ordered by color gamut, all exceeding our testing criteria.

DCI P3 XY Color Gamut (as a %; high is better)

3. EOTF Test Results

The Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) plays a critical role in ensuring the content on your TV looks exactly as the creator intended. This technical feature adjusts your screen’s brightness levels, ensuring every scene, from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights, is displayed with true-to-life accuracy.

In rooms flooded with light, a TV that nails EOTF calibration shines by preserving the intended contrast and detail in the picture despite the challenging conditions. It balances the brightness so that images remain vibrant and full of detail, unaffected by the glare of ambient light.

A TV that excels in managing EOTF offers an immersive and authentic viewing experience. It brings creators’ visions to life, accurately rendering every scene with the proper light and dark levels, no matter the lighting in your room. This means you get a consistent, realistic picture that captures the full spectrum of colors and contrasts, from the subtlest hues to the most intense explosions.

Below are all the small TVs on our list, ordered by EOTF, all exceeding our minimum requirement.

EOTF (source: rtings.com – 0 = no data exists; lower is better)

4. Response Time TV Test Results

A slow response time on a small TV during fast-paced scenes is like trying to watch a thrilling movie with a foggy lens. Imagine settling in for an action-packed sequence, only to have the swift movements turn into a blur, robbing you of the crisp, clear detail you crave. This isn’t just a minor annoyance; it’s a major detriment to your viewing experience, leaving you with a picture marred by motion blur and visual artifacts.

So, what exactly is response time? It measures how quickly a pixel on your TV can change from one color to another. In the context of watching fast-moving content or enjoying dynamic scenes on a small TV, a low response time is crucial. A response time of 15 ms or lower is good, but if you plan on gaming on this set, aim for a response time of 10 ms or lower. At these levels, your small TV ensures smooth transitions and sharp visuals, making every scene come to life without any distracting blurs or delays.

For gaming enthusiasts, the LG UN7300 has a low response time, making it a top-tier TV for sports and fast-paced gaming.

Below are the top small TVs, ordered by response time, all exceeding our testing criteria.

Response Time (in milliseconds; lower is better)

5. Contrast Ratio

For small TV enthusiasts, a solid contrast ratio is crucial for enjoying your favorite TV shows or movies, especially in darker settings. This feature directly impacts how lifelike and dynamic the picture appears on your screen, ensuring that dark scenes are displayed with clear, crisp blacks instead of murky grays and bright scenes retain their detail without appearing washed out.

Put simply, the contrast ratio is all about the range of luminance a TV can produce, from the deepest blacks to the brightest whites. It’s what brings depth to the image, enhancing the realism of every scene. Watching a movie in the dark, for example, the difference between a TV with a poor contrast ratio and one with a high ratio is stark: the former struggles, blending shadows into a flat gray, while the latter delivers true black, making night scenes more immersive and detailed.

Ideally, a contrast ratio of 10,000:1 is what you should aim for in a small TV. This level of luminance variance ensures that you’re getting a picture quality that can handle the nuances of lighting in any scene, providing a viewing experience that’s both rich and engaging. Note: OLED TVs have an infinite contrast ratio, indicated by “0.”

Below are the top small TVs, ordered by contrast ratio, all exceeding our testing criteria.

Contrast Ratio (higher is better)

Small TVs: Mistakes To Avoid

  1. Underestimating Brightness: Brightness is crucial, particularly for small TVs that might be placed in areas with varying light conditions like kitchens or dorm rooms. A brighter screen ensures a clear, visible picture regardless of ambient light.

  2. Neglecting Physical Dimensions and Input Accessibility: Measure your available space and the TV’s dimensions to ensure a good fit. It’s crucial to understand the relationship between TV size vs distance for an optimal viewing experience. Remember that TV sizes and stands vary, and accessible inputs are essential for your setup, especially in tight spaces.

  3. Overlooking Gaming Performance: If gaming is on your agenda, don’t overlook a TV’s gaming capabilities. Models like the LG C3 is one of the best gaming TVs, offering features that can elevate your gaming experience. Consider this aspect if gaming is important to you.

  4. Focusing Too Much on Operating Systems: While it’s tempting to choose a TV based on its smart platform, remember that most TVs today have access to a wide array of streaming apps. Unless you have specific smart home integrations that require compatibility, the operating system should not be a deal-breaker.

The Best Small TV Tests Compared

Product
True Score
SDR Brightness
HDR Barightness
Color Gamut
Response Time
EOTF
Contrast Ratio

LG C3 OLED TV

  • Best for Sports

89
  • 383 nits

  • 795 nits

  • 98.98%

  • 2.3 ms

  • 0.0056

  • 0

$896.99
$1,197
$300

Sony A90K OLED TV

  • Best for 40-inch

89
  • 288 nits

  • 593 nits

  • 99.38%

  • 3 ms

  • 0.004

  • 0

$1,298.00
$1,300
$2

LG Flex OLED TV

  • Best for Computer Monitor

86
  • 374 nits

  • 738 nits

  • 97.92%

  • 2.5 ms

  • 0.0028

  • 0

$2,185.00
$2,500
$315
86
  • 1,289 nits

  • 1,923 nits

  • 93.34%

  • 10.2 ms

  • 0.0046

  • 83,200:1

$927.99
$1,198
$270

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