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The Best TVs of 2021 

Our top recommendations for the best TV options on the market

“Alexa, what TV should I buy?” 

Whether you are looking for a new TV to binge the hottest shows or to watch the latest Blockbuster, there are more options than ever when it comes to TVs. From OLED to smart TVs and 4K to 8K, shopping for a new TV may feel overwhelming. 

Each year, TV companies, like Sony, Samsung and LG, introduce innovative new features and performance improvements to bring onscreen picture quality even closer to reality and compete with each other for space in consumers’ homes. This year, we have seen technology advance in the television world; Samsung introduced Mini-LEDs, and a few brand names released 8K resolutions. 

We know not all TVs are created equal. But don’t let that turn finding your perfect TV into a stressful event. Our guide makes it easy to understand what TVs provide the best value for their cost while still delivering the latest features and tech.

The Best TVs You Can Buy 

 A good TV displays you a decent picture on-screen. A great TV makes you forget that you’re watching a tech device and makes you feel like you are right there in action. 

TCL 5-Series

The Best TV on a Budget: TCL 5-Series QLED 

Price: $520

• Resolution: 4K

• Screen: 50, 55, 65 and 75 inches
• Weight: 26 lbs.

When you’re on a strict budget but need a new tv, the TCL 5 Series 4K television is worth a closer look. For the price point, this TV is incredibly thin with virtually no bezel and slim, unassuming feet that are adjustable. This television provides up to 4K resolution at a 60 Hz refresh rate. The black levels are excellent, and the local dimming helps avoid blooming or halo effects from lesser quality backlighting systems found in inferior televisions. The colors on the TV benefit from the use of quantum dots to get a wider color gamut. There is minimal lag on the screen when watching sports, and film content does not have much stutter or judder happening, which provides a more realistic viewing experience. 

This TV is a “Roku TV,” meaning its operating system is designed and operated by Roku. So, where you usually need a Roku external device to plug into a television, instead of TCL, it has the system built-in and a compact remote that perfectly manages the operating system with ease. These 5 series televisions add Airplay and HomeKit, a welcome addition to expand the smart connection for those with Apple devices who want to stream content directly to the TV. If you are in the market for a solid television with features that get the job done at an excellent price, look no further than the TCL 5 series.  

Sony X85J

The Best LED 4K TV: Sony X85J 

Price: $698.00 for 43 inch

• Resolution: 4K

• Screen: 43, 50, 55, 65, 75 and 85 inches

• Weight: 37 lbs.

The picture quality of the X85J is impressive, featuring an edge-lit native 120 Hz panel with TRILUMINOS technology driven by Sony 4K X1 HDR processor. It shows excellent colors and black levels right out of the box, creating a natural-looking SDR and HDR content picture. It can playback HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision Motion and amazingly handle sports, movies, games and slow-moving objects.  

This Sony TV’s software is run by Google TV and replaces Android TV found on older Sony televisions. It is a smoother operating experience, has a better app layout, and features a favorites bar to personalize the experience better. With a broad level of smart connections, this TV is compatible with Google Nest, Alexa, Apple Airplay, Apple HomeKit and Chromecast. There are two USB ports for playing back media or powering a streaming media player like a Roku or Fire Stick. We love the X85J because you get a lot for your money with the many features that come standard with this TV.  

LG C1

The Best OLED TV: LG C1

Price: $2,096 for 65 inch

• Resolution: 4K

• Type: OLED

• Screen: 48, 55, 65 and 77 inches

• Weight: 72 lbs

The LG C1 series features a sleek design, and no other television comes close to being as feature-packed as this one for this price. The C1’s stunning picture uses organic light-emitting diodes to create perfect black levels for infinite contrast and outdoes any QLED or OLED TV out there. The television has excellent off-angle viewing. 

The remote has a motion control that allows you to move a cursor around on the screen like a computer mouse. The remote also features a bunch of buttons compatible with streaming services. It features three built-in voice assistants, including Alexa, Google Assistant and LG’s Think Service. Pressing the home button on the remote fills the screen with LG’s WebOS system featuring many tiles, plenty of content and a Trending Now section right above your app list. There are many standard modes to adjust the picture, and you can also dive a little deeper with the expert mode, where you can customize the display to your liking. The contrast and excellent black levels of this TV make it a fantastic OLED TV that outshines its competitors.  

Furrion Aurora

The Best Outdoor TV: Furrion Aurora- Full Shade Series

Price: $1800 for 65 inch

• Resolution: 4K

• Waterproof/Water-resistant:  IP54

• Screen: 43, 49, 55 and 65 inches
• Weight: 60 lbs.

A television designed for the outdoors offers better protection from dirt, dust and humidity than standard indoor television. It is important to note that any television used outdoors needs to be set up undercover and should not be left in the elements as it is a powered device that cannot sustain rainy conditions. The Furrion Aurora comes in 43-inch, 49-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch sizes, giving you many options to choose from to fit in your space. This particular model is designed to be in a fully shaded area like a covered patio that remains darker than a sunroom-style setup. The TV includes an IP67 rated waterproof remote, meaning it will not be impacted by dust and can be submerged into up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes.  

One of the unique features of this television is the included Roku streaming stick for media and smart TV features and a fixed tilt wall mount. The TV is heavier than most weighing in at 60 pounds, but that is due to its rugged design to make it outdoor weather friendly. It also features a rubber gasket material over the controls on the back of the TV for volume, input, channel, etc. Even without calibration, the beautiful 4K HDR image with the anti-glare screen is superb, especially at night after the sun goes down. The colors are rich and have a nice pop to them. We love this television to enhance your outdoor living and entertainment area.  

LG G1 Gallery Series 

The Best High-End TV: LG G1 Gallery Series 

Price: $2500 for 65 inch

• Resolution: 4K

• Type: Gallery-Design

• Screen: 55, 65 and 77 inches
• Weight: 65 lbs.

If money is no object when it comes to your new TV, we highly recommend the LG G1. This television comes with a wall mount, and when used, it gives a true flush mount to the wall making this super slim TV look seamless while providing an ultra-clean look. All four HDMI inputs are 2.1, which means they can handle full 4K resolution at a 120 Hz refresh rate. It includes two decorative panels that you can install on the rear of the TV to hide all of your cablings.  

What sets this TV apart is that it gets twice as bright as older OLED TV’s which has always been a criticism of QLED in the past. Its specifications put it at the top of its class for creating a home cinematic experience, including Cinema HDR, Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos. Content is more fluid with OLED Motion Pro, perfect blacks and infinite contrast.  

The LG G1 has a magic remote that utilizes the cursor-style arrow controlled on the screen while you move the remote around in your hand and features hands-free voice control. This style of TV navigation feels more natural and is unique to LG TVs. The home screen is also customized to tailor it to your preferences. The LG G1 shines in so many ways that it is a great overall pick for the buyer looking for a high-end television experience.   

Hisense U8G

The Best TV For Greatest Brightness- Hisense U8G

Price: $950 for 55 inch

• Resolution: 4K

• Screen: 55 and 65 inches
• Weight: 38 lbs.

The Hisense U8G TV has excellent specs that compete with some of the high-end models but at a much more reasonable price. It features high peak brightness, outstanding contrast and a wide color gamut. The U8G is excellent for brighter rooms impacted by outdoor lighting due to its superb reflection handling. The black levels this TV produces are close to many OLED TVs on the market while still providing spectator brightness during scenes requiring a realistic viewing experience.  

It features 2 HDMI 2.1 inputs and runs on Android TV 10 operating system. The remote has quick access buttons built-in for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+, Tubi and Peacock and a microphone for voice control through Google Assistant. If you are looking for a television that delivers maximum brightness and great colors, the HiSense U8G 4K LED TV is the best option. 

Samsung NEO QN900A

The Best TV With 8K: Samsung NEO QN900A

• Price: $5300 for 75 inch
• Resolution: 8K
• Screen: 65, 75 and 85 inches
• Weight: 90 lbs.

8K is the newest resolution to hit the market, and like anything new, it comes with a much higher price tag. We will say that plenty of affordable 4K TVs work just as well, but if you want the latest and greatest, the Samsung QN900A is what you need.  

This beautiful TV is setting the bar high when it comes to the newest TV technology. What’s not to love with the remarkable picture quality, striking color and brightness, superb sound, superior blacks and fantastic design? Samsung’s ‘Quantum’ Mini LEDs are 1/40th the thickness of a regular light-emitting diode. This means thousands of smaller LEDs can be packed together tighter, allowing for more precise dimming zones and black levels that are invisible from an OLED. The “Neo Quantum Processor 8K” does a phenomenal job of upscaling 1080p and 4K content. All in all, this is a pretty fantastic TV. 

Samsung The Frame 

The Best TV Design to Blend Into Your Environment: Samsung The Frame QLED 4K TV 

Price: $1697 for 65 inch

• Resolution: 4K

• Type: Gallery-Design

• Screen: 43, 50, 55, 65 and 77 inches
• Weight: 50 lbs.

If you are looking for a TV to blend in like a piece of art, then the Samsung Frame is the best on the market. When the TV is off, it displays artwork that allows you to showcase your own style. Another unique feature is the customizable magnetic bezels which allow you to tailor them to your room’s best color. There is a large inventory of artwork you can choose from provided by the Samsung Collection, or you may choose to upload your own pieces of work as well. Once uploaded, the television automatically optimizes the picture to match your environment. The TV also offers a slim-fit wall mount, so it genuinely looks like a piece of real art hanging on your wall. It features a motion sensor that turns the artwork on when you enter the room and off when you leave.  

This television is not only good for artwork; it excels for viewing your favorite television content as well. It features Quantum Dot technology which delivers over a billion shades of color for a realistic viewing experience without washing out the picture at peak brightness. The powerful 4K processor automatically optimizes the picture and sound for a more immersive experience. 

LG CX

The Best Home Theater TV: LG CX

Price: $2996 for 77 inch

• Resolution: 4K

• Screen: 44, 55, 65 and 77 inches

• Weight: 76 lbs

Since the pandemic started, and for the unforeseeable future, it’s safe to say home theater/media rooms have almost replaced commercial theaters when viewing new movies. So if you are looking for a TV to take your media room to the next level, the LG CX is it. The CX’s OLED screen can produce perfect blacks, which is fantastic for watching movies in a dark room. How does it make such perfect blacks? Its OLED can turn individual pixels off, and there’s no halo effect around bright objects. It also performs well in rooms with more light and handles reflection seemingly well. 

The CX series also comes in a wide range of screen sizes, making it easy to find the correct display to match your preferred seating distance for your room. This TV has everything you could want for the ultimate theater experience. Well, besides the ability to refill your popcorn. 

Samsung QN85A

The Best TV for Watching Sports: Samsung QN85A

Price: $1397 for 55 inch

• Resolution: 4K

• Screen: 55, 65, 75 and 85 inches

• Weight: 46 lbs.

Want to watch the big game on the best TV? Let us introduce you to the QN85A, one of Samsung’s new generation of Mini-LED-powered QLED TVs. With a speedy response time, all the action looks sharp and accurate, so you can enjoy every move and play. The high brightness reaches over 1,000 nits, so you don’t have to stress about missing anything in rooms with more light. 

We love the anti-reflective surface for blocking out reflections from nearby windows, especially for daytime games. And no matter where you sit, the wide angles of the QN85A guarantee you won’t miss out on the fantastic color and contrast. This TV even works for viewing sports on lower-resolution cable due to the onboard AI upscaling. No matter who your favorite team is, you need this TV. 

 

 Which TVs Are Best for Your Life & Style? 

Some features worth looking out for when purchasing a new TV are digital assistant connectivity (Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant), anti-glare angles and the ability to connect to high-quality speakers to have the best audio experience as well.

TVs are cheaper than ever, with the exception of the 8K. We believe bigger is better, and your money is best spent on the larger screen TVs. However, we advise waiting on purchasing the expensive 8K because so many 4K are just as amazing. 

While this list is some of the best televisions on the market right now, ultimately, the best TV for your life and style is as unique as you are.