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Bigger isn’t always better, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to TVs. Your living room TV is free to be as large as you’d like, but some rooms call for a smaller TV. And as a bonus, smaller models are often more affordable than larger TVs.
Outfitting a kids’ room with a TV, snagging one for the garage, or buying a TV for a studio apartment are all reasons why a 55-inch-or-under model might work best for your space. As is standard when buying any size TV, you’ll be facing an overwhelming number of options that call for some decisions, like whether you want OLED or QLED and what kind of refresh rate you’re looking for. Before you fall into a Googling frenzy, check out what the experts say.
How to shop for a new TV
Aside from choosing a laptop, TVs are probably next in line for the amount of jargon you’ll need to decode while shopping. If you’re not interested in becoming a TV expert, Mashable’s sister site, PCMag, has a team of experts who test TVs with fancy equipment like a Klein K-80 colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G signal generator, an HDFury Diva 4K HDMI matrix, and Portrait Displays’ Calman software. Since you don’t have that tech in your garage (you wouldn’t be reading this if you did), PCMag’s home entertainment expert, Will Greenwald, helped us choose the best 55-inch and under TVs.
We’ve intentionally kept this list slim, knowing the number of options is far too lengthy and none of us have that kind of time these days. Keep in mind, there are a few times throughout the year that are best to get a discount on a new TV, so shop during those periods if you’re looking to grab the best discount.
Best overall
Why we like it
The 55-inch Hisense U8N with its bright display and QLED screen is a great choice for most people. The 2025 model is pricey, with a $1,499.99 MSRP — though we’ve seen it on sale for under $1,000. The 2024 model is a more budget-friendly choice with a list price of $998 and a regular sale price of under $700. “Budget-priced TVs available in smaller screen sizes like 50 or 43 inches are usually much dimmer than higher-end TVs, and their colors aren’t as wide,” said Greenwald, but the Hisense doesn’t disappoint when it comes to brightness. In fact, CNET, another Mashable sister site, also found the Hisense U8N to be a prime option for a 55-inch TV, mentioning its impressive image quality, which uses mini-LED backlights.
After Greenwald’s testing of the 2024 Hisense U8N, he said, “Hisense once again hits it out of the park with a premium TV that rivals much more expensive competitors.”
Hisense also equipped this model with full-array local dimming, which means your screen will have better picture quality. Some TVs only use LED lighting around the edge, while full-array places LED throughout the back of the screen with locally dimmable areas to provide deeper blacks for a better experience with increased brightness, better contrast, and a crisp image.
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