The best 43-inch TVs of 2025

Business Insider

2 days ago

In recent years, many brands have cut down on the number of smaller screen sizes in their flagship TV lineups. This is especially true if you're shopping for a 40-, 42-, or 43-inch TV. But while there aren't as many options as there used to be, you can still find some great models if you know what to look for. With that in mind, I've used my expertise to select the best 43-inch TVs available.
My picks are informed by more than a decade of experience reviewing home entertainment products, and I've included models for different needs. At this screen size there aren't many midrange options, so the best 43-inch TVs tend to be either affordable entry-level models or pricey premium displays.
The 42-inch Samsung S90D earns my highest recommendation thanks to its infinite contrast ratio with deep black levels that disappear into a dark room. It's also one of the few TVs this size with support for a fast 144Hz refresh rate that's ideal for gamers. However, the S90D is pricey. If you want a budget-friendly option, I recommend the 43-inch TCL S5, which is often sold for around $200. The S5 has lower contrast, but it still delivers good color performance and comes with a handy Google Assistant voice remote.
Editor's note: Brands make TV models in slightly different sizes depending on the type of panel used, so I looked at displays that range from 40 to 43 inches for this guide. However, 40-inch TVs are rare, and no currently available models made the cut as one of my top recommendations.
Our top picks for the best 43-inch TVs
Best overall
Samsung 42-inch S90D OLED 4K TV
The S90D is one of the top 42-inch TVs on the market, thanks to its high-contrast OLED panel, deep black levels, wide viewing angles, and fast refresh rate. It's also a great gaming monitor alternative for PCs and consoles.
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The Samsung S90D delivers some of the best picture quality you can get in a 42-inch TV. It's one of the few OLEDs available in this screen size, and this type of panel has major benefits over other kinds of displays.
Most notably, the S90D has an infinite contrast ratio. When watching TV in a dark room, black levels are truly black, which gives images a deep and inky quality that adds dimension and depth. The TV's light output is controlled on a pixel level, so the S90D is free from any backlighting flaws, like blooming, clouding, or uneven patches of brightness. Those issues all crop up to some degree on even the most expensive LED and QLED sets.
The S90D also has exceptional viewing angles, so you can sit off to the side of the screen without the image fading or washing out. Brightness is solid too, but the 42-inch model isn't as bright as its larger 55-, 65-, or 77-inch siblings. Those bigger options incorporate an extra feature called quantum dots, which allows them to produce a slightly wider range of colors and higher peak luminance. That said, the S90D's color performance is still strong, and it's capable of displaying bold high dynamic range (HDR) images.
The TV is well-equipped for gaming, with a fast response time and support for up to a 144Hz refresh rate. This makes the 42-inch S90D an excellent option for PC players who want to use it as an extra-large gaming monitor on a desk. Samsung's Tizen interface is also one of the few smart TV platforms with support for Xbox Game Pass streaming, which lets members play games without an Xbox console.
The Tizen OS offers decent overall performance, with access to all of the most popular video services and fairly smooth navigation speed. However, I've run into some lag and a couple of small glitches here and there when testing various S90 series TVs. The system isn't perfect, but its flaws aren't a dealbreaker.
Ultimately, the 42-inch S90D's biggest con is its price. This set is often sold for around $1,000, which is expensive for such a compact display. LG and Sony also have a couple of 42-inch OLED options, but they're often sold for a bit more and offer very similar performance. In addition, Samsung sells a 2025 version of this TV, called the S90F, but it doesn't offer a big upgrade and costs more. In general, you can't go wrong with any 42-inch OLED model, but given recent price trends, I give the S90D the edge as the best 42-inch TV overall.
Check out our guides to all of the best TVs, best smart TVs, and best OLED TVs.
Best on a budget
One of the perks of buying a smaller TV is that you can often find many budget-friendly options. There are a couple of worthy models to choose from, but the TCL S5 stands out from the pack. This 43-inch LED TV is often on sale for just under $200, and it delivers solid performance for the money.
Now, it's important to remember that all 43-inch TVs in this price range make notable concessions to keep their costs down. But the S5 still offers solid image quality for casual viewing, and its color capabilities are a bit better than most rivals in this class.
However, this TV uses a standard LED panel without local dimming, so its contrast and brightness are much lower than those of the pricier picks in this guide. Its black levels are also lighter and less uniform. Though it can technically process every major HDR format, it's not capable of fully showcasing the benefits of high-dynamic-range content. Its viewing angles are also fairly narrow, and it lacks advanced gaming capabilities since it has a 60Hz rather than a 120Hz screen.
All those limitations might make it sound like the S5 is a poor performer, but these drawbacks are all expected and well within the norm for any budget-friendly 43-inch TV. To get a substantial bump in performance at this size, you'll need to step up to an OLED, like the Samsung S90D, or a high-end QLED, like the Samsung QN90F, which are five times as much. At this size, there just aren't many worthwhile midrange TVs.
On the plus side, the S5's 4K panel delivers a sharp and detailed image. I also like the S5's Google TV interface, which is nicely organized and reliable. Amazon also sells an alternative model that uses the Fire TV operating system instead. The Google TV model includes a Google Assistant voice remote, while the Fire TV model has an Alexa voice remote.
There are a few other solid 43-inch TVs that cost around the same amount as the S5, including the Roku Select Series, but the S5 has an edge in color performance. Likewise, there are some options that are even cheaper, like the 43-inch Walmart Onn TV, but generally, it's worth paying a bit more to get the S5 since it includes a voice remote and slightly better image quality.
Check out our guides to all of the best budget TVs and best TVs under $500.
Best for bright rooms
Samsung 43-inch QN90F QLED 4K TV
The QN90F is one of the few high-end QLED TVs available in a 43-inch screen size. Its anti-glare matte screen does an excellent job of combating reflections, and thanks to its fast refresh rate, it's a fantastic gaming TV.
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What we like
Bright HDR performance
Ant-glare screen greatly reduces reflections
Good contrast with Mini LED local dimming
Fast 165Hz refresh rate for PC gaming enthusiasts
Samsung's QN90F is an impressive high-end QLED display. It's the best 43-inch TV for people who struggle with reflections in bright rooms. This set is one of the few TVs that uses an anti-glare matte screen rather than a glossy one. Matte screens greatly reduce reflections, which is perfect for spaces with lots of windows and overhead lights.
During my tests, the QN90F's matte screen worked great and was of similar quality to the anti-reflective screens I've seen on Samsung's premium S95D and S95F OLED TVs (which are not sold in sizes smaller than 55 inches). The QN90F also delivers excellent brightness. I measured a peak of 2,130 nits on the 65-inch model, but the smaller 43-inch unit uses a less advanced HDR processing system so it's a bit dimmer.
Though it can't match its larger counterpart, the QN90F is still one of the brightest 43-inch TVs on the market. This makes it great for daytime viewing and also enables bold HDR highlights. This is also one of the only TVs this small to use a Mini LED backlight, which offers great contrast control. The QN90F's local dimming still can't equal the pixel-level precision of an OLED, like the Samsung S90D, but it offers good black levels with only minor signs of blooming.
Viewing angles are solid for a QLED TV, but aren't as wide as an OLED. Gaming capabilities are stacked, with support for up to a 165Hz refresh rate and Xbox Game Pass streaming. General smart TV capabilities are good, too, but as was the case with the S90D, Samsung's Tizen system is prone to some lag here and there.
Like the S90D, the QN90F is an expensive 43-inch TV. This set costs about $1,100, but that price is justified when you consider that this is essentially the only high-end QLED TV available in this size. You can still find an older version of this TV, the QN90D, in stock at some stores, but it typically sells for the same amount of money and doesn't have the QN90F's anti-glare screen.
That said, some people may prefer the older QN90D's glossy screen as it preserves black levels a bit better in bright rooms. Matte screens are fantastic at reducing glare, but they scatter light in such a way that they can make dim scenes look a bit flat. But this isn't an issue when watching TV with the lights off.
Check out our guide to all of the best Samsung TVs.
How we choose 43-inch TVs
To find the best 43-inch TVs, our experts relied on hands-on testing and research informed by over a decade of experience reviewing home entertainment tech products. When we evaluate new TVs, we typically test 65-inch units since most companies use that size as their flagship offering. However, when specific TV models are sold in multiple sizes, general specifications are usually carried over across each. So, testing results for a 65-inch TV will also apply to the 43-inch size of that same model.
That said, some features can vary slightly on smaller displays compared to their larger counterparts. For instance, the 65-inch Samsung S90D has quantum dots, while the 42-inch model does not, so color performance isn't as high-end on the smaller size. Likewise, QLED and LED TVs with local dimming have fewer zones on smaller sizes, which leads to small differences in contrast control. We take all of these variances into account when selecting our picks and explain these differences when they pop up.
When reviewing TVs, we focus on picture quality attributes like contrast ratio, black levels, brightness, color volume, viewing angles, and refresh rate. We also test smart TV capabilities and assess general usability, design benefits, build quality, and overall value. To measure brightness and color, we use a colorimeter with test patterns from the Spears & Munsil 4K Benchmark disc.
Test patterns are helpful for measuring certain elements, but ultimately, what matters most is how a TV actually looks when watching real-world content on a daily basis. With that in mind, we aim to live with each TV we review for several weeks, using it as we would any display that we bought ourselves. We also use a curated selection of scenes from different movies and TV shows that we've selected to test features like local dimming, color gamut, shadow details, upscaling, and HDR highlights. Different sources are also used, including 4K Blu-ray discs, 4K streaming, HD streaming, and cable TV. Testing is done in both bright and dark environments.
how we test tech products.
43-inch TV FAQs
Is 43 inches a good TV size?
A 43-inch TV is a good choice for people who want a compact display to put in an area where space limitations are a concern. In that sense, they're great for bedrooms, dorms, or small living rooms, particularly if you have an apartment. Alternatively, some models also work well as computer monitors. Though small for a TV, 43 inches is large for a monitor, so certain TVs this size are a good fit for people who want a big screen on their desk.
However, 43 inches is not the best choice if you want to put a TV on a wall or media console in a medium- or large-sized room since this size is just too small to offer an immersive viewing experience from a typical viewing distance. For larger TV recommendations, check out our other size-specific guides:
How much should you spend on a 43-inch TV?
The best 43-inch TVs vary in price, with entry-level HD models starting at around $120 and entry-level 4K models costing around $150 to $250. Though some brands also sell 43-inch 4K TVs priced in the $300 to $600 range, we don't typically recommend those options since they rarely offer notable improvements over cheaper sets.
Instead, you need to pay at least $900 to find a 43-inch TV with substantial performance benefits over entry-level models. In the $900 to $1,200 range, you can find a few 42-inch OLED TVs that deliver excellent image quality, and a couple of high-end 43-inch QLEDs that offer high-brightness panels with local dimming.
Is 4K resolution needed on a 43-inch TV?
When seated at a typical viewing distance, the benefits of 4K resolution are difficult to see on a 43-inch screen. However, if you're using a 40-, 42-, or 43-inch TV as a computer monitor on your desk, the perks of 4K are much easier to discern.
That said, the debate about whether 4K is worth it on a 43-inch screen is mostly moot since 4K is now the industry standard. You can still find a few 40- to 43-inch HDTVs out there, but they're limited to entry-level options and aren't much cheaper than their 4K counterparts. And if you want a 43-inch TV with step-up image quality features like wide color, local dimming, or an OLED panel, you'll need to buy a 4K model.
Do 43-inch TVs have good audio performance?
Even the best 43-inch TVs usually have mediocre audio quality. Companies need to keep speaker drivers small to fit them within compact panels, and these tiny built-in speakers often lack bass and depth.
For better performance, we recommend pairing your TV with a soundbar or speaker system. Smaller models are a better fit for 43-inch TVs, and you can find some affordable, compact options in our various buying guides: