If you live within about 25 to 35 miles of the TV towers, a flat indoor antenna can get you free local channels in full HD. These are the two we recommend, from Winegard and Channel Master, with advice on placement, VHF, and when an amplifier helps.
The best indoor TV antenna for most people is the Winegard FlatWave Amplified (~$60): a flat, USB-powered amplified antenna that receives Hi-VHF and UHF and is rated for 55 miles.
Close to the towers, the unamplified Channel Master FLATenna 35 (~$35) is all you need. If neither reaches your stations, move up to an attic antenna. Check your towers first on our free antenna pointing map.
Indoor antennas work best when the towers are fairly close, generally within about 25 to 35 miles, and when the walls between you and the towers aren't brick, stucco over metal mesh, or foil-backed insulation. Before you buy, enter your address in our free antenna pointing map. If your main stations show Strong or Good, an indoor antenna should do the job. If they're Moderate or weaker, or more than about 40 miles away, an attic or outdoor antenna from our TV antenna guide will be far more reliable.
Also check the band of your stations on the map. Many flat indoor antennas receive UHF only. If any of your main stations broadcast on Hi-VHF (RF channels 7 to 13), choose a model that lists VHF support. Both of our picks receive Hi-VHF and UHF.
We only recommend indoor antennas that are sold new on Amazon with solid owner ratings. Several popular flat antennas didn't make the cut because they aren't sold new on Amazon or have weak owner reviews, which is why this list is short.
| Antenna | Rated range | Bands | Amplified | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winegard FlatWave Amplified | 55 mi | Hi-VHF, UHF | Yes (USB powered) | Suburbs, 20 to 40 miles out | ~$60 |
| Channel Master FLATenna 35 | 35 mi | Hi-VHF, UHF | No | Cities, under 25 miles | ~$35 |
Rated ranges are best-case manufacturer figures measured with a clear line of sight. Indoors, walls and nearby buildings take a big bite out of them, so treat a "55-mile" indoor antenna as a good 30-mile antenna in most homes.
A proven flat antenna from Winegard with an amplifier powered by your TV's USB port or the included wall adapter. It covers both Hi-VHF and UHF, so it won't miss a station on channels 7 to 13, and Winegard lists it as NextGen TV compatible. It's the one to get if you're in the suburbs, roughly 20 to 40 miles from the towers, where an unamplified antenna starts to drop channels.
Worth knowing: Winegard's 55-mile rating is a best-case figure under ideal conditions. Like every amplified antenna, it can make very strong nearby stations worse, so if a close station pixelates, try it with the amplifier unplugged.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.A thin, reversible black-or-white antenna that disappears on a wall or window. With no amplifier, there's nothing to power and nothing to overload, which makes it the simple choice for apartments and city homes within about 25 miles of the towers. Channel Master publishes real gain figures for it: 6 dB on UHF and 3 dB on Hi-VHF.
Worth knowing: it's unamplified with a 35-mile rating, so it's not the one for suburbs far from the towers. It relies entirely on placement, so a high spot facing the towers makes the biggest difference.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.An amplifier helps when your stations are weak or your coax run is long. It doesn't help when stations are already strong, and it can make close stations worse by overloading the tuner. If you're within about 20 miles of the towers, start with an unamplified antenna like the FLATenna. If you're farther out, the FlatWave Amplified is the better bet, and you can still unplug its amplifier to compare. Our TV antenna amplifier guide covers when boosting really helps.
If an indoor antenna can't get your stations even with an amplifier, the next step is usually the attic, not the roof. An attic antenna is out of the weather, needs no mast, and gets above most of the walls that block an indoor antenna. Our own antenna at home is an Antennas Direct DB8e (~$121), which works in an attic or outdoors and has two panels you can aim at towers in different directions. See our TV antenna guide for picks by distance, or our rural and long-range antenna guide if you're 50 miles or more from the towers.