Best OLED TV: top stylish, high-performance televisions

The best OLED TVs for a great looking picture and a wafer thin panel – good for both TV units and wall mounting

best oled tv
(Image credit: LG)

Looking for the best OLED TV? We hear you. Stunning colours, inky deep black levels and wafer thin panels make them all an excellent choice for both picture quality and stylish looks – but it's easy to be blinded by those headline features. 

There all offer something different which is how you (and we) can tell them apart. Some aren't as usable as others. Not all will have the apps that make a difference to you and there are those with a lot more in the audio department which could be crucial if – for you – having a soundbar simply isn't an option. 

If you're feeling overwhelmed, we have plenty of tips to help you choose the best OLED TV. Scroll down to browse our top picks. Just as we've done in our best TV guide – where a couple of the LG OLED TVs feature – we've covered a ranged of needs (and budgets) so you're sure to find something that suits.

The best OLED TVs 2020

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Best 55 inch TV: LG GX

(Image credit: LG)

1. LG OLED55GX6LA (2020) OLED Series

Best OLED TV (over all)

Specifications

Resolution: Ultra HD
Panel type: OLED
Smart TV: WebOS
HDR: Dolby Vision IQ / HDR10 / Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)

Reasons to buy

+
Minimalist aesthetic
+
Gallery design
+
Decent audio

Reasons to avoid

-
A little pricey (could be worth it, though!)

New for 2020, the LG OLED55GX6LA television is a piece of artwork which will display your fave entertainment with beautiful detail and clarity. 

The OLED screen offers a uniquely minimalist aesthetic with perfect blacks, intense colour, and infinite contrast when it's switched on with your entertainment. This one is stunning; on or off. It's a winner of the iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award 2020 best of the best, so you don't just need to take our word for it.

LG OLED TVs now all feature the all-new Filmmaker Mode. This disables special effects such as motion smoothing and image sharpening to preserve the original, just as the director intended. This can be easily activated through the TV menu, or by using the LG smart remote in-built voice control.  Add this to the LG webOS smart suite and movie marathons, and box-set binging, will never be the same.

best OLED TV: LG OLED55C9PLA OLED TV

(Image credit: LG)

2. LG OLED55C9PLA 55in 4K Ultra HD HDR Smart OLED TV

Best OLED TV for value

Specifications

Screen size: 55in
Integrated soundbar: No
HDR support: Dolby Vision, HLG
Dolby Atmos: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Vibrant colours
+
Excellent choice of apps
+
Fair price

Reasons to avoid

-
Sound could be better

The

OLED TV is one to also represent the very best in picture quality that LG has to offer but, because it's last years model, comes with a very appealing price tag.

It handles 4K HDR signals brilliantly and upscales HD content to the point where it’s quite hard to notice that it’s not 4K. Colours are fantastic and detail in both light and dark areas is shaded well enough to create a really solid and engrossing image. The company does pricier TVs but their panels are no better. 

LG’s webOS user-interface is the best on any OLED TV right now. It’s fitted with the broadest selection of apps including Now TV and Apple TV+ where you’ll find a slew of 4K films to enjoy.

The only negative is that you will need a soundbar to really enjoy your viewing. The C9’s built-in speakers are a far cry from its picture perfection. If you’d rather an integrated solution, then we have a few options below.

Best OLED TV: LG OLED55B9PLA OLED TV

(Image credit: LG)

3. LG OLED55B9PLA 55in Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR OLED TV

Best OLED TV on a budget

Specifications

Screen size: 55in
Integrated soundbar: No
HDR support: Dolby Vision, HLG
Dolby Atmos: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Lovely colour production
+
Fantastic price
+
Strong smart platform

Reasons to avoid

-
Dark details lacking

The 55in

is the most affordable OLED you can buy right now. It’s also very, very good. The only difference between it and the (slightly) more expensive LG C9 OLED TV is that the processor inside it is from LG’s 2018 TVs. The actual display is the same.

That means it still has gorgeous deep blacks, vivid but natural colours and all the features and apps you can expect in the top end models. This includes Dolby Vision and arguably the very best OS you can find on an OLED TV anywhere.

The B9 comes with LG’s Magic Remote gesture controller which offers a compact and easy way to navigate the menus and settings. Naturally, the system is fitted with all the obvious apps like Prime Video, Netflix and the catch-up services but there’s also the tricky but important ones to find like Now TV for pay-per-view access to all of Sky’s content and the Apple TV+ app for Apple’s huge 4K HDR film and TV library.

You can get more dark and light detailed performance out of LG’s C9 and GX sets but the B9 is a great value sweet spot for OLED. The B9 is also available in a 65in screen size.

best OLED TV: Panasonic TX-55GZ950B OLED TV

(Image credit: Panasonic)

4. Panasonic TX-55GZ950B 55in 4K Ultra HD HDR10+ Smart OLED TV

Best OLED TV without the flagship price or performance

Specifications

Screen size: 55in
Integrated soundbar: No
HDR support: HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
Dolby Atmos: No

Reasons to buy

+
Full HDR support
+
Easy to use
+
Good sound 

Reasons to avoid

-
Crude design
-
Picture lacks nuance

It’s not much of a looker on the design front but the GZ950B represents very good OLED performance on a very reasonable budget. Like the LG B9 above, its picture performance isn’t quite as stellar as the flagship OLED TVs, but then that’s reflected in the price.

Like our number one choice, this more modest Panasonic OLED is another great value choice. One of the beauties of going with this brand is that you get both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support which is not something you’ll find on the LG TVs. It also has a picture performance that can hold its own too.

It’s not quite as polished an image as some of these other OLEDs but the tonal balance is nuanced and believable with enough detail on the dark areas of the picture not to leave you wondering what the hell is going on in low lit scenes. And, fear not, those blacks are still as pitch as any other OLED set you’ll find.

It certainly makes up for that with both the price and it’s impressive built-in speaker system too. It manages to produce plenty of weight and dynamism without the need for an expensive integrated soundbar solution. It’s a very respectable choice.

best OLED TV: LG OLED48CX6LB 48" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR OLED TV

(Image credit: Currys PC World)

5. LG OLED48CX6LB (2020) 48in Smart 4K Ultra HDR TV

Best OLED TV for a small(er) TV

Specifications

Screen size: 48in
Resolution: 4K UHD
Panel type: Direct LED
Smart TV: AI TV with Freeview Play/Freesat HD
HDR support: HDR10, HLG

Reasons to buy

+
Beautiful picture
+
Good audio performance
+
Excellent viewing angles

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the best aesthetics

Shinny and NEW for 2020, the LG CX is among the latest of LG’s new OLED models to launch this year. And it's very reasonably priced for an OLED TV, too.

The smaller unit doesn’t compromise on picture display and quality, with the 4K UHD reproducing even sharper picture quality meaning this TV is great for movie nights for yourself or with the family. With Filmmaker Mode, Auto Genre Selection, Dolby Vision IQ, upgraded video processor and HDMI 2.1, this TV is fantastic for ultimate at home viewing experiences.

We also like LG’s magic remote for gesture controls and how well this set fits into your smart home thanks to its ability to work with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa without having to attach an Echo or Home device to it. Just talk down the remote and your wish is its command.

best OLED TV: Hisense H55O8BUK OLED TV

(Image credit: Hisense)

6. Hisense H55O8BUK 4K UHD HDR Smart OLED TV

Best affordable OLED TV

Specifications

Screen size: 55in
Integrated soundbar: No
HDR support: Dolby Vision, HLG
Dolby Atmos: No

Reasons to buy

+
Great price
+
Easy to use
+
Plenty of apps

Reasons to avoid

-
Poor motion processing
-
Middling picture performance

Hisense might not be a household name for TVs, but they are edging their way into a high-end market with this – the most affordable OLED you'll find. Aside from the price, the

has the edge of Dolby Vision support. Otherwise, expect a bit of a step down compared to the rest on this list.

Its styling is decent enough and it can still manage a very decent 4K picture with plenty of details to enjoy. What you won't get is much nuance to the darker areas of the image nor much subtlety to the colour palette.

Fortunately, all the important apps are present and the sound production is not too bad at all. Those who like a smooth picture might be upset by the comparatively juddery picture, though. The Hisense motion processing system isn't refined enough to be of much use.

best OLED TV: Sony KD-65AF9 OLED TV

(Image credit: Sony)

7. Sony KD-65AF9 Master Series 4K HDR OLED TV

Best OLED from Sony

Specifications

Screen size: 65in
Integrated soundbar: No
HDR support: Dolby Vision, HLG
Dolby Atmos: No

Reasons to buy

+
Superb motion processing
+
Excellent sound
+
Good looking set

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricey
-
Settings can be fiddly

Big panels can be glorious but they're also more susceptible to judder. Judder is the jumpy look to the picture when objects in the foreground of the screen whizz by. Such is the frame rate of film that we see these objects jump from one place to another, rather than move smoothly across.

Fortunately, Sony is something of a master of managing this motion to make it look as good as possible and that's one very good reason to buy this set – especially if you watch a lot of movies.

Other reasons include a brilliant modern design, exceptional detail and a deft ability at upscaling HD content to work with the 4K pixel set. After all, how much 4K content do you have at your fingertips right now? Finally, it sounds brilliant thanks to Sony's clever tech which turns the screen itself into a speaker.

How to choose the best OLED TV

Sure, OLEDs aren't cheap so you can expect a certain baseline of quality when you buy one. A central characteristic of this TV tech is some of the deepest black levels you'll find in a TV. Colours should also be really impressive – punchy and vibrant – but some brands can overcook things, so don't fall for anything on the showroom floor that doesn't look natural to your eye.

What tends to separate the sheep from the goats are those which provide a good level of dark details across the screen. With all those strong blacks, it's something that often gets left behind. The picture needs to be dark when needed, but not so dark that you can't see what's going on.

Here are a few other important considerations and things to look out for.

Screen size

On the main, you'll find 4K OLED TVs available in 55in and 65in sizes. The 55in models are usually around 30 per cent cheaper but it's worth looking out for times when the gap is bigger or smaller than that. You might have a bargain on your hands – check our deals page to see the latest TV sales. Bigger is generally better, so long as you can squeeze it into your space. The picture tends to offer a better sense of depth.

Sound

Most flat panel TVs don't have particularly good sound but, if you're spending this much money, then it's well worth buying the best soundbar too, if you don't already have one. If you don't want an extra box, then look out for models with soundbars built into their design. They're much more expensive but feature far, far better audio.

HDR

Some OLEDs support Dolby Vision, some support HDR10+ and a few support both. We wouldn't say that this should be a deal-breaker and it's debatable as to whether all these HDR standards will be around in the next few years anyway. Still, it's nice to have all bases covered if possible.

Apps

Again, don't worry too much about app support given that you can use a device like Chromecast, Now TV, Fire Stick or Apple TV to add the streaming services you need. What's more important is how easy the menus are to use and how simple the UI is. Have a quick play down at the showroom if you can.

Burn in

Burn in is something you'll probably hear about when shopping for an OLED. The bottom line is that the picture quality can fade over time quicker than a normal LED TV. Don't be too put off. These are still cracking sets and by the time things get really bad, you'll probably be looking for an upgrade anyway.

What is the best OLED TV?

To recap, if you want the best OLED TV (in our opinion) we can highly recommend the

. It's NEW for 2020 and looks just as beautiful OFF as it does on. It offers a uniquely minimalist aesthetic with perfect blacks, intense colour, and infinite contrast when it's switched on with your entertainment.

And you needn't take out word for how good this is, either. It's only gone and won the iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award 2020 best of the best.

Dan has specialised in smart home and home technology for over 10 years. He was Features Editor at both Pocket-lint, MSN Tech and Wareable and is a regular contributor to Metro newspaper’s Connect section.

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